April Showers Scarf: The Pattern

Gauge

6 stitches = 1 inch in stockinette stitch

Finished Size

4 inches wide and 52 inches long
(Don't be alarmed if your scarf appears too short; it really grows after you block it!)

Notes

• Use one strand of each yarn throughout this pattern.
• For a nice neat selvedge, slip the first stitch of every row as if to knit.
• If you want to narrow or widen your scarf, cast on a multiple of 9 stitches plus 3 (ie 9 x 2 = 18 + 3 = 21; 30, 39, 48, etc.)

Pattern

Cast on 30 stitches.

Preparation: Knit 2 rows.

Row 1: K2, *yo, k8, yo, k1, repeat from * to last stitch, k1. (36 stitches)

Row 2: K3, *p8, k3, repeat from * to end.

Row 3: K3, *yo, k8, yo, k3, repeat from * to end. (42 stitches)

Row 4: K4, *p8, k5, repeat from *, ending last repeat with k4.

Row 5: K4, *yo, k8, yo, k5, repeat from *, ending last repeat with k4. (48 stitches)

Row 6: K5, *p8, k7, repeat from *, ending last repeat with k5.

Row 7: K5, *k4 together through the back loop, k4 together, k7, repeat from *, ending last repeat with k5. (30 stitches)

Row 8: Knit

Repeat the last 8 rows until about 2 yards of Silken Straw remain (for me that was 36 more times). After the final Row 8, knit 1 more row and bind off.

Your scarf  probably looks kind of lumpy and feels a little scratchy. Don't fear! Soak it in room temperature water, squeeze the excess water out of it, and lay it flat on a towel to dry. It will become beautifully smooth and wonderfully soft - guaranteed!

Comments

[sarah]

Thank you thank you thank you!!
This is just beautiful!

I don't have either of those (GEORGOUS..drool..) yarns, but I have something else from a failed project that I'm hoping will work in its place!

Again, what a perfect scarf pattern, thank you!

[Alissa]

Wow! I have been looking for a first lace project and this is it. I ordered that yarns-and can't wait to get started. Thanks for a great pattern-the directions are so clear and concise.

[Valerie]

Hey Whit, thanks for the beautiful pattern! I love silk but it is kinda expensive, do you have other suggestion for silken straw?

[Gaile]

Wow is right! What a pretty scarf. I'll have to see what the local shops have that might work, Thank you for sharing this pattern!

[Purl Bee]

Hi Valerie,

You might want to check out Blue Sky Alpaca's Silk Alpaca. Using it alone, you would still get the beautiful combination of silk with a soft animal fiber. You would need two skeins, but at $11.50 each this option would really cut down on costs. Thank you for asking - I hear you!

Whitney

[Pauly]

I've been looking for a delicate, open, lacy scarf pattern, and this one is just perfect. The yarn may be expensive, but since a scarf doesn't require as many skeins as, say, a sweater, it's an elegant, but affordable candidate for my next project. Thanks for sharing it!

[vanessa]

I just started this pattern and love it! it's easy to get the hang of and yeilds beautiful results. I couldn't wait to get started so I purchased the blue sky alpaca silk at my lys and started knitting on size 6 needles. so far so good... and this is my first attempt at knitting lace.

the only thing that is a little tricky is knitting the 4 sts together in row 7. any tricks for making those sts easier to get on the needles?

thanks for sharing the wonderful pattern!

[Kylie]

Oh wow, what a beautiful pattern! Thankyou so much for sharing it. We're heading into winter here in Australia, so this will be perfect.

Will one ball of each wool be sufficient for one scarf?

[Amy]

I so love this pattern the first time I set my eyes on it, and I'm currently working on it with a pink synthetic mohair like yarn... can't remember what its called. I am a beginner knitter too, so the trick i came up with for the row 7 was... using a crochet hook ;) not exactly knitting and had to stop from time to time. I would love to hear about easier tricks for knitting 4 stitches together too.

[Maureen]

I also really like this pattern. Once you get the hang of it it's a great pattern for a newbie (like myself!) that's looking for a little bit more intricate pattern. For knitting 4 together, I actually use another needle (size 1) and try and expand the stitches before using the needle I used for the whole project. I too would love to hear any other suggestions for tackling this row.

[Ashlee]

This is beautiful!! I'm going to have to give it ago! I've just started knitting myself!

[miranda]

i love it and a suggestion for lace knitting use slippery needles i like the addi lace turbo needles but there $16

[miranda]

Hi I'm designing a market bag. I was wondering if you had any good lace stitches to suggest

[Veronica]

Hello , I`m form Valdivia, Chile and love your page.
Hablo poco ingles , en realidad lo "leo" más que hablarlo , gracias a los traductores pude hacer esta hermosa bufanda !!!!
¡¡¡ gracias por compartir sus hermoas ideas !!!!!

[Annie C]

Could someone please tell me what size needle you are supposed to
use for making this lovely scarf? I must not be looking very well at
the pattern instructions, I've searched and searched and can't find
the needle size. I really want to get started on this lovely scarf. I
saw it in the shop I purchased the yarn, it was lovely. . .

[purl bee]

Hi Annie,
You've come in on the middle of the pattern, the needle size is in the top part of the pattern. The needle size is US#7. Here is a link to the entire post:
http://purlbee.squarespace.com/april-showers-scarf/

[Judy]

I had an awful time trying to knit the 4 stitches together, especially knitting through the back loop. It finally came to me! The row before, when you knit the 4 stitches that you will have to knit together, I knit them VERY loosly so that when I got to them on the next row, the loops were big enough to get the right needle through. It didn't seem to matter in the looks of the pattern. Everyone has loved the scarf that I made. I am staring my third one right now!

[Diana]

Hi,
I LOVE this scarf! I have been trying to start it for a while now, but think I am doing something wrong, instead of ending up with 36 stitches after row 1 I keep ending up with 35.... I am going crazy trying to figure out whats going on... any suggestions?

[Becky]

My Mother had a stroke and is paralyzed on her right side. Her therapists have her putting a ball in her right hand, then slipping on a knee high stocking to hold it in place. To make it look better, I knit and crochet tube socks for her to slip over on top of, or in place of, the stocking. This is a perfect pattern for that. It's beautiful, and she loves it. Thanks for sharing it.

[Gee]

I'm a complete novice and unsure what "use one strand of each yarn throughout this pattern" means. Do I need to seperate out one strand from each yarn? Or just use the two together??

[purl bee]

HI Gee,
It means that you use both yarns held together as if they were one.
Hope this helps, please let us know if you have any other questions!

[Michelle]

Hi Purl Bee,

I found the Lacey Lamb yarn in your color pictured at your online store, but I could not find the Alchemy silk yarn in the same color you have. Do you carry it, or do you know where I can find it? Thanks so much!