Kay's Korner - A Knitters Notes

With daily temperatures in the 90's, I have not wanted a lap full of wool. I have put aside my sweater projects and am concentrating on accessory knits. The shop is filled with summery yarns and it has been great fun turning out some quick, cool knits. First, I chose a savvy scarf knit in a crisp linen/viscose blend, Classic Elite's Firefly Fringed Scarf, knit in a tomato red. The design is a long triangle that includes rows of stockinette on one edge, that at bind off are unraveled into long loops. After a wet block, the kinky loops relax into an exquisite edging. What a great technique for fringe!

After completing the eye catching Firefly scarf, those loops of fringe inspired another design, my Going Loopy Scarf. I love ribbon yarns and am always looking for new ways to showcase them in projects. I wrote the pattern for Going Loopy Scarf using the same fringing technique and in no time had knit up two versions. With novice knitters in mind, I kept the pattern simple - just twelve stitches worked in garter to the desired length. All of the interest occurs when only the two center stitches are bound off and the remaining ten stitches are slowly unraveled, one side at a time, to form long loops. (To keep things tidy, I held the second set of five stitches on a needle holder, while unraveling the first side.) The trick is to unravel only a few rows at a time, taking care to include all five stitches, then tie the resulting two loops in a knot. This process is continued for the length of the scarf, then repeated with the stitches on the other side. The end result is a scarf consisting of rows of loopy fringe. What fun!! And this pattern is as quick to knit, as it is easy.

For my first sample knit of Going Loopy, I used Zahir, a silk/cotton blend ribbon from Laines du Nord. This matte ribbon yarn rendered slim, lightly textured, whimsical loops of fringe. The loops of fringe in this project allow the yarn to be the center of attention, rather than a stitch pattern. You can see every characteristic of this beautiful, multicolored yarn. The lightweight scarf is a colorful addition to simple summer tees and tanks.

For the second version of Going Loopy, I chose Kristha Multi, a wide, drapey, nylon ribbon yarn by Filati FF, distributed by Knitting Fever, Inc. The riot of loopy fringe is more dramatic in this yarn, perfect for those times when "girls just want to have fun", whether a night on the town or cruising around a street fair. Where I chose ribbon yarns, smooth super bulky or bulky yarns held in a double strand can also be used for a different look. I would avoid mohair or boucle, as these yarns resist unraveling. The same #15 US needle is used for all weights and styles of yarns.

This pattern is available on the Rare Purls website at www.rarepurls.net along with several other of our free patterns. We would enjoy seeing your version of any of our Rare Purls Originals designs. All of our free patterns are linked on Ravelry. Ravel it!

Happy Knitting!
Kay Mather

Copyright August 2011