Sunday, March 8, 2015

The Berry Edged Scarf/Shawl.......................

As you know one good thing about my trip to Iowa was a LOT of knitting time.  And in that time I knit on this very simple garter stitch scarf.  I restarted it several times until I got it just right.  When I got home I had a few more rows to finish before I decided on the border.  I had pictured it all in my head but still am surprised at how great it turned out, much better than my imagination.  Here take a peek, sorry for the photo overload, but I am pretty excited about it.









Here are the particulars.  Made with Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo with a size 8 knitting needle.  I cast on 3 stitches.  At the beginning of every row I knit one and immediately knit into the front and back loop of that stitch.  I knit all stitches in the row until the last two, I knit in the front and back loop of that second to last stitch, and knit the last stitch.   

Here is how it looks in knitting terms:

K1b/f  = knit one back and front in the same stitch (increase stitch)
k = knit

Cast on 3 stitches
Row 1, K1b/f, K1b/f, k. (you will now have 5 stitches)

Row 2, and every row until you have the desired length, K1b/f, knit until the last 2 stitches, K1b/f in the second to last stitch, k or knit last stitch. (each row is increased by 2 stitches)

Easy Peasy because the increases are the same in every row, and you are knitting every single row.  No purling for those of you who find it slow or cumbersome. 

It is fiddly the first row you knit but after that it all works out much easier.  It makes a nice, long triangle that really isn't to wide.  And sometimes you just can't beat the simplicity of garter stitch. 

I ended up using every single bit of the 312 yards of the gray yarn.  

The berry is also  Sirdar Snuggly, Baby Bamboo.  I used almost one full ball of this yarn for the border and used an H hook.  This border is adapted from the book, Around The Corner Crochet Borders, # 30.  It is an extended shell pattern, which is really quite easy to make.  I left off the picot border as I thought it would be a bit too much.  I simply made a single crochet border, slip stitching in the little V that separates the extended shells.   Does that make any sense at all?

So my finished scarf/shawl is pretty much something I made with no real pattern, well I did use that shell border as inspiration.  I love the contrasting yarn for the border, I think it makes the whole scarf just POP!  Oh and this is all stash yarn, more I bought last summer as that yarn store of mine went out of business.  I think I am doing pretty good with my stash busting this year.  I will be linking up with Linda for her Stash Buster Party.

Hope you like it too!

60 comments:

Tanna said...

LOVE it, Meredith!!!! The gray and berry are perfect together... and I love the garter stitch combined with the crochet edging! Way to go! And, thank you for sharing the "recipe". ;) Well done. blessings and hugs ~ tanna

Ali said...

Beuatiful, very elegant and the red just lifts the whole garment. The shawl looks like it drapes beautifully must have a look out for the sirdar snugly. Great job on using up some stash too! Ali x

Sandy said...

I love your scarf! Wish I could knit. The berry edge is lovely and pops beautifully on the gray. Well done!

Ljubinka said...

Beautiful scarf, great combination!!!
Have a nice day.:*

HollyM said...

This very pretty! Love the simplicity of it and the pretty edging.

Betsy said...

Meredith, the shawl is beautiful. I really like the two colors together and your pattern is perfect. I am such a "sheep". Never making up my own projects, but always following others. I admire those of you who have the imagination to create such beautiful masterpieces.
Now that it's beginning to warm up here in the east, I'm flying back to the west tomorrow. Here's hoping this flight will be better than the last one! :-)
Blessings my friend,
Betsy

Suzan said...

The Berry Scallop border really makes your scarf POP!! Very Nice!!
BTW- Great OHIO colors, too!!

Caffeine Girl said...

I love the shawl. The edge is stunning. One of these days I have to learn to crochet!

Claudia said...

It may be my favorite thing you've made, Mer. It's gorgeous!

xoxo
Older Sister

Anonymous said...

That is a GORGEOUS bit of stash busting.

This morning I am really wishing my blanket WAS garter stitch. Apparently I can NOT count. :-(

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday.

Give Little Buddy a big hug from me!

Pammy Sue said...

Soooooo pretty!! Love that you trimmed it in red. It really does so much for the scarf. Love that it's so simple to knit! This is definitely going on my list! Thanks for sharing your pattern.

Linda @ A La Carte said...

Meredith this is gorgeous. I love the berry color so much.
hugs,
Linda

Lynne said...

No wonder you're excited about this scarf-it's gorgeous!!!
The color combo is spot on. Very nicely done :)

Grammy Braxton said...

Very pretty, Meredith. I agree, the berry makes the whole thing POP!
Hugs,
Sharon

busybusybeejay said...

I love that.The berry border really makes it.

Shirley said...

Good Morning Meredith, I am catching up with friends this morning. I love the new shawl. The border makes it really stand out. Isn't it amazing how we go to knitting, embroidery, or whatever to help us get through the ups and downs. When you were in Iowa, you weren't that far away and it has been cold. There is a lot of sickness going around. I am just keep hoping I don;t get it. Take care and looking forward to your next project, Hugs and Prayers from Your Missouri Friend Shirley

gaia said...

lovely scaf!

mamasmercantile said...

Love it, a truly wonderful creation. The colour combination is a real delight.

Géraldine B. said...

So so beautiful !!!! Very good job !! Have a lovely sunday !

http://woolandcats.blogspot.fr/

Stitchy Mc Floss said...

Lovely, as always. :)

Jill at emeraldcottage said...

Ooooo you may just have made me want to dust off the knitting needles for this one, it's gorgeous (and easy!)
Jillxo

Marjo said...

I love the shawl, so beautiful and also the colours

Love
Marjo

Helen said...

Beautiful! I love those contrasting colours and the combination of knit and crochet :) it's gorgeous x

kathy b said...

Meredith

What a fantastic shawl. The red makes it pop. The garter is sooooo appealing to me. Congrats on a great creation

Between Me and You said...

Ridiculously lovely!!! The colours are just perfect together. Well done, Meredith. Another triumph!xxx

Between Me and You said...

ps Thank you for pattern!! x

Regena Fickes said...

This is just beautiful. I love the border. Wish I were moving as fast in my fabric stash busting as you are in yarn.

Bridget said...

It is stunning, Meredith! I can imagine it getting a lot of wear. Nice job, wear it in good health.

Jo said...

Like it? - I love it. Now wouldn't that look fab with my turquoise shoes and red roses. Jo x

Teresa Kasner said...

I *LOVE* your shawl.. please tell me you're keeping it for yourself. :-) I wish I looked like the backside of your seamstress model. Ha! I'm trying to figure out what shawl pattern to use my natural white alpaca on.. I want it to be lacy as it's for late Spring and Summer. Good job on that, my friend! Can I call my alpaca stash yarn since I already own it? ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

CJ said...

It's fantastic, clever you! I hope it kept you calm as you knitted it. And now you have something beautiful to wear. CJ xx

Vicki Boster said...

Meredith--- it is magnificent!!! The contrast of the berry colored edging makes this so special. Truly it is a stunning piece. You are an amazing knitter....
Love
Vicki

Gracie Saylor said...

It's unanimous , Meredith...you've made another beautiful shawl, and I hope you enjoy wearing it! I started a baby hat on dpn yesterday and have knit about 2 inches so far. Progress :-) xx

moonstruckcreations said...

Wonderful, love it!

Helenxx

Unknown said...

That scarf is just too beautiful! What a fantastic idea for the edges.

Clare said...

It's so lovely, well done
Clare x

fsmilla said...

Wunderschön....
LG Smilla

Taci simmons said...

What a wonderful shawl my friend. Lobe the simplicity of the garter stitch. Makes the crochet border pop up. Beautiful, beautiful. Gooed job Meredith .

linda said...

It's beautiful Meredith, the pink border is a lovely contrast. :) xx

Unknown said...

I love it! I've been wanting to make something like this for quite some time, I think you're right, garter stitch is really beautiful... not to mention the wonderful crochet edge, that's classy! xx

Beca said...

Wow it's beautiful! The colors are so pretty together. Inspiring. Makes me want to make one too.
xx Beca

Mindy said...

Beautiful!

WildflowerWool said...

Beautiful! I really like the contrasting border. Great job!

Amy at love made my home said...

Oh it is gorgeous!!! No photo overload at all, just truly delightful!! I really like the colour combination too, the berry colour sets it off beautifully!! A great piece of work considering how much stress you had, I am glad you had this to help you along the way. xx

Karen said...

This is SO beautiful. You make it sound so easy!

Jennifer Hays said...

So pretty! It looks very light, delicate and lady-like. You did a very nice job.

Sweet Posy Dreams said...

Beautiful!

Toni said...

It looks lovely!

Ladybird Diaries said...

It's gorgeous! I love the grey with that beautiful raspberry border.
Marianne x

kathyinozarks said...

Just gorgeous Meredith-great design and love the colors-How did you son do in the swim event

Anonymous said...

oh wow! I love it...and I want one! Good job. :)

handmade by amalia said...

The color combination is just perfect!
Amalia
xo

Acorn to Oak said...

Ooooh! I love it! It's really pretty!

Liz said...

It's so beautiful. The colors are perfect together. I just love knit and crochet together. This is going on my short to do list. Thanks!

elns said...

It's beautiful Mere. I wish I could properly crochet. These two colors work so well together. You're really selling the bamboo yarn lately too, ha!

Can you photo shoot all my FOs? I love how your photos show the versatility of the project!

Judy S. said...

Nice work, and it's a Mere original! Plus made from stash! Way to go!!!

Gillian said...

It's really gorgeous. I'm sure it is lovely and soft too. I love garter stitch. Moss stitch (think you call it seed stitch) is also very nice.

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

It all of a sudden warmed up here to. We definitely need to get our a/c serviced and cleaned as I turned it on the other day and it was making a whistling sound. Not good! Your scarf is beautiful. Lovely colors. Best wishes, Tammy

Annie Cholewa said...

I don't know how I missed this post but I'm so glad I just spotted it because ... wow! I love it. Well done you x

Natas Nest said...

Wow, fantastic! ♥ Thanks for sharing :-). Have a good week! Nata xxx