PDF here: Beamish

‘And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
Oh frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!’
–from “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll

This scarf is a tale of two knitters, a Ravelry love story, and a spat over stash.

I met David online two years ago today, in the Ravelry forums. We immediately struck up a long distance friendship, soon met in person, and later fell in love. During the same period of time I went through some life changes that necessitated a move to Seattle. This summer, David decided to join me here.

As part of the moving preparations, I flew down to Texas to help him get organized: the fun part was sorting his stash! During that process he told me I could have anything I wanted, since he was approaching SABLE and felt guilty for all of the lovely yarn languishing in his care.

Moving interrupted his work on a pair of kilt hose he had promised for a wedding, so when he arrived he was too far behind to meet the deadline. I picked up one of the hose, and ended up working about half the project for him. There were many late nights. He ran out of yarn about half an inch too soon. Pawing through his stash for a substitute, I found this skein of Jabberwocky. Between remembering the earlier offer and in light of the work I was doing for his deadline, I asked for it.

It turns out this particular skein was very special, having been purchased on a trip several years before we met. Much hilarity ensued. Finally, we agreed the yarn could live in my stash, and whoever picked it up to knit first could have it, so long as they didn’t let the WIP languish.

Of course I cast on the next day.

I wanted to create a scarf that would be a quick, interesting knit and would use exactly one skein of flashy hand-painted yarn. (Don’t we all have a couple of those in our stashes?) It needed to showcase its wild colors without flashing and pooling, in a firm, thick fabric that wouldn’t roll. In other words, it had to be perfect. I looked at a lot of patterns, swatched about a dozen different stitches, and finally came up with this pattern. It’s worked longways, giving it the stripes of pattern along its length.

Every time I put down the project and worked on something else, David would threaten to rip it, or to start knitting from the other end of the skein. I talked about wearing the scarf and never letting him so much as touch it, and about giving the FO away to various people. But in the end, for David’s birthday, I gave him the finished scarf wrapped around a new skein of Jabberwocky. Love is a frabjous thing.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
6 x 60 inches

MATERIALS
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Heavyweight [100% superwash merino; 350 yds / 7 oz skein]; color: Jabberwocky; 1 skein

1 32-inch US #8/5 mm circular needle
a second 32-inch US #8/5 mm or smaller circular needle to use for grafting

notions required:
waste yarn
row counter
yarn needle
chocolate

GAUGE
25 st = 3.25 inches in horizontal herringbone stitch (washed and blocked)
25 st = 3.5 inches in linen stitch (washed and blocked)

PATTERN NOTES
Crochet Cast On:
Using waste yarn, work a crochet chain several sts longer than the number of sts to be cast on. Starting 1 or 2 sts in from end of chain and using working yarn, pick up and k 1 st in the back loop of each ch until the required number of sts have been picked up. Later, the chain will be unraveled and the resulting live sts picked up.

Linen stitch:
This fabric has a knit side and a purl side. You will work every other stitch on each row. The slips and the knit sides of the stitches always face the right side of the fabric, and the backside is just purl bumps. The edges are a single column of garter.

Row 1 (RS): k1, *sl1 wyif, k1; repeat from *, k1
Row 2: k1, *sl1 wyib, p1; rep from *, k1

Horizontal Herringbone stitch:
This fabric also has a knit and a purl side, but you work two stitches at a time. There are several tutorials on YouTube for this stitch pattern if you get lost.

Row 1 (RS): k1, *sl 1, k1, yo, pass slipped stitch over both the new stitch and the yarn over; repeat from * to last stitch, k1.
Row 2: *p2tog, then purl first stitch again, slipping both stitches off the needle; repeat from * to end of row.

The cast-off in this pattern is completed using Kitchener Stitch (grafting). An article about this technique can be found here.

PATTERN
The cast-on and cast-off for this pattern give matching edges that are firm without being tight. Done correctly, they will look identical.

Tubular Cast On
Using waste yarn, crochet CO 190 sts.
Using working yarn, work as follows:
Row 1 [WS]: K1, [k1, yo] to last st, k1.
Row 2 [RS]: [Sl 1 wyif, k1] to end. [380 sts]
Row 3 [WS]: Sl 1 wyif, k1, sl 1 wyif, p to last 3 sts, sl 1 wyif, k1, sl 1 wyif.
Remove waste yarn; the edge will not unravel.

Body
Work Linen Stitch for 8 rows.

Work Horizontal Herringbone for 6 rows.

Repeat these two sections two more times, so that you have three stripes of Linen, and three stripes of Herringbone, alternating.

Finish with 10 rows of Linen Stitch.

Tubular Cast Off
Last row (RS): k1, *sl1 wyib, k1; repeat from *, k1

Using working needle and second needle, slip across, moving every other stitch to the second needle, so that the stitches worked on the RS are on one needle, and the stitches worked on the WS are on the other.

Now comes the grafting. Get your chocolate and your yarn needle. You will need a yarn tail about 3 times the length of the fabric, or you will need to join on new sections of yarn as you work.

There is one option that avoids joining on several times and subsequently weaving in lots of ends. It is to fold the entire length of yarn you will need to complete the graft in half and half again, and pass the loops through the eye of the needle. This way you are pulling several thicknesses through each stitch at once rather than having a very long piece of yarn to pull through. You will work only one thickness of yarn in the graft just as you ordinarily would; but this technique lets you pull the tail through more easily.

Kitchener across the edge from the two needles until all stitches are bound off, applying chocolate liberally as needed.

FINISHING
Weave in ends.
Wash & block; the pattern opens up nicely when you take the time to pin it out!

Fichus need to be beefier in the mountains of Peru. This one is made of dense cables, and shaped with short rows.

Materials

• Malabrigo Chunky in colorway “Cinnabar” 3 skeins (104 yds / 100 g per skein)
• size 11 needles
• stitch holder

These gauntlets are an introduction in heavier weight wool to techniques you need for sock knitting.  There are short rows, a sewn bind-off, a couple Kitchener stitches, and a chart to read.  They are also an exercise in understanding the various m1 increases, left and right leaning, as well as knit and purl.  Since you’re working in larger yarn on larger needles, it’s easier to see how the yarn is moving, and understand how these techniques work.

Materials:

• about 150 yds of Aran weight yarn.  I used Alpaca, for the +3 warming factor.
• tapestry needle
• size 6 dpn’s, or weapons of your choosing for working your yarn in the round.

Gauge:

• across the 15 pattern stitches: 2.75″
• in unstretched ribbing: 6 st/inch
• in stockinette: 18st / 4 inch (4.5 st/in)

Notes:

• m1t – make 1 twisted. (Make one through back loop) Lift the running yarn between stitches in the row below from front to back, so that it sits like a knit stitch, and knit through back loop.
• m1r – make one reversed.  Lift the running yarn between stitches in the row below, lifting it from back to front, so that it sits backwards on the needle.  Knit through the front leg.
• m1tp – make 1 twisted, purl.  (Make one Purl through back loop) Lift the running yarn between stitches in the row below from front to
  back, so that it sits like a knit stitch, and purl through back loop.
• m1rp – make one reversed, purl.  Lift the running yarn between stitches in the row below, lifting it
  from back to front, so that it sits backwards on the needle.  Purl
  through the front leg.

*** NOTE: I know how I make these increases, but my knitting style is … idiosyncratic.  I don’t know exactly how other people make them.  If you don’t know what I mean by these, ask me: jennigma@gmail.com

Directions:
Cast-on 41 with a stretchy cast-on.  I used the long tail.

I recommend dpn’s, with the first 15 stitches on the first dpn and the remainder distributed more or less evenly, but do as you like.  I divided them as 8-10-8 on my 4 working needles.  You could also do 12-14 if you prefer 4 dpn’s.  Shouldn’t matter.  Working on two circs is also nice; in that case I would put the pattern stitches on one set and the ribbing stitches on the second.

round 1: place marker, k15, place marker, (p2, k2)6 times, p2.
No markers needed if you’re keeping the first 15 on their own dpn.

round 2: k2, p11, k2, (p2, k2)6 times, p2.
This gives a garter edge to the pattern, keeping it from curling and helping it look nice.  :-)

round 3: begin following chart over first 15 st, continue the remainder in ribbing as set.

Work until you have two complete repeats of chart.

Thumb increases:
NOTE: Continue pattern stitch as set on the first 15 st. Directions below are for the ribbing stitches only. If you’re working on two circs, shift the stitches a bit so
that you make the thumb on the pattern stitch needle– otherwise you will end up with too many stitches on the back needle.  If you work
two at a time this way, you would shift the outer stitches on each
gauntlet to the front needle, so that you get a right and a left
gauntlet.

Right glove:
1: p2, k2, m1t, p2, m1r, (k2, p2)5 times.
round 2 and all even rows: work stitches as established.
3: p2, k2, m1t, k1, p2, k1, m1r, (k2, p2) 5 times.
5: p2, k2, m1tp, k2, p2, k2, m1rp, (k2, p2) 5 times.
7: p2, k2, m1tp, p1, k2, p2, k2, p1, m1rp, (k2, p2) 5 times.
9: p2, k2, m1t, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, m1r, (k2, p2) 5 times.
11: p2, k2, m1t, k1, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, k1, m1r, (k2, p2) 5 times.
13: p2, k2, m1tp, (k2, p2) 3 times, k2, m1rp, (k2, p2) 5 times.
15: p2, k2, m1tp, p1, (k2, p2) 3 times, k2, p1, m1rp, (k2, p2) 5 times.

Left glove:
1: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1t, p2, m1r, k2, p2.
round 2 and all even rows: work stitches as established.
3: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1t, k1, p2, k1, m1r, k2, p2.
5: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1tp, k2, p2, k2, m1rp, k2, p2.
7: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1tp, p1, k2, p2, k2, p1, m1rp, k2, p2.
9: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1t, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, m1r, k2, p2.
11: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1t, k1, (p2, k2) 2 times, p2, k1, m1r, k2, p2.
13: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1tp, (k2, p2) 3 times, k2, m1rp, k2, p2.
15: (p2, k2) 5 times, m1tp, p1, (k2, p2) 3 times, k2, p1, m1rp, k2, p2.

Knit 4 more rounds, or until the gauntlet edges wrap around the base of your thumb, and easily touch.

Removing thumb stitches
Slip the increased stitches to waste yarn, so that there is a purl stitch on either side of the opening, and rejoin the round.  You will have p1, (k2, p2)x3, k2, p1 on the waste.  PULL THE STITCHES TIGHT as you work past the join the first couple times.

Work until you have 4.5 pattern repeats, and check length.  I worked 5 repeats in the initial pair, but others are finding 4.5 is a better fit.  Continue until the gauntlets are desired length.  You can either work a finishing row of garter across the pattern stitches and bind off, or make the short row knuckle guard, below:

Optional knuckle guard:
NOTE: Start this when the palm side of the glove is the desired length.  It’s better, but not essential, to start after an odd row in the chart rather than an even row.  If you start after an even row you will either have to work the increases and decreases from the purl side of the work, or work an extra plain row to get back on track.  It’s ok to do that– it won’t visually disrupt the pattern enough to notice.

Knuckle Guard set-up

• Work the 15 pattern stitches one more round as set.
• p2, k2, then bind off 15 stitches.
• Move all remaining stitches to a single needle, preparing to work back
  and forth.  You will have k2, p2, 15 pattern stitches, p2, k2 on the
  needle.
• k2tog so that the last bound off stitch doesn’t interrupt the ribbing, but merges into it.  19 st. total on your needles.

From here on, you will not work the increases in the pattern, but continue to work the decreases.

Short Rows
If you stopped on an even row instead of an odd, this is where you insert an extra row.

row 1: Work 18 stitches in pattern, excluding the increases.  The two decreases will reduce the stitch count. 
Turn your work to the purl side; you will have one stitch on the first needle from the previous row that you didn’t work. (17 st. total; 1 resting)
row 2: YO, and then work back 15 stitches across the purl side of the knuckle guard in pattern.  Turn your work. (17 st. total; 2 resting)
row 3: YO, work the pattern, excluding the increases, for 14 st.  Turn your work.  (15 st total, because of two decreases; 3 resting)
row 4: YO, work the purl side for 11 st.  Turn your work.  (15 st total; 4 resting)
row 5: YO, work the pattern, excluding the increases, over 10 st.  Turn your work.  (13 st total; 5 resting)
row 6: YO, work the purl side for 7 st.  Turn your work. (13 st total; 6 resting)
row 7: YO, work the pattern, making only one decrease over 6 st.  Turn your work.  (12 st total; 7 resting)
row 8: YO, work the purl side for 4 st.  Turn your work.  (12 st total; 8 resting)
row 9: YO, knit the 4 stitches, then pick up all of the resting stitches by knitting a YO together with each one.  So you will knit through the stitch left from row 7′s wrap, and then knit the YO with the stitch from row 5, etc, until all stitches are worked.  (12 stitches; 4 resting)
row 10: turn, and purl back across the row, picking up the short rows at the other end of the knitting.  (12 stitches)
row 11: turn, and purl back across the row, creating a garter ridge.

Bind off.

Here’s a chart that may help and may confuse:

Thumb:
This is where you start Kitchenering.  It’s intimidating, but not hard.  Deep slow breaths.  Chocolate.  Wine, if you like.  It’s only a couple stitches– honest.  :-)  There are several reasons to work the thumb in this manner.  The first is that it mimics the shape of your hand better.  There is space between the thumb and the palm, and closing off some stitches makes for a better fitting glove.  The second is related to the first– your thumb is smaller around than the base of your thumb, so you needed to increase more stitches to get to the thumb comfortably than you actually need to work to make the thumb itself.  The third reason is cosmetic; it’s hard to start a finger in a glove without having a little gap at the base where you join on the new yarn.  Picking up and kitchenering makes for a seamless join at that point.  Strictly speaking you don’t have to Kitchener; you could just work all the thumb stitches as set and have a sort of loose thumb that’s too close to your palm.  But you’re up for the challenge, aren’t you?

Pick up the first two live thumb stitches on either side of the opening on dpn’s, removing them from the waste yarn.  You want to have two stitches from the palm side on one dpn, and two stitches from the pattern or back side of the gauntlet on the other.  There will be a purl stitch close to the hand, and a knit stitch close to the thumb.

See, that wasn’t hard, was it?  Now for the tricksy bit.

Using your main yarn, starting with the stitches closer to the thumb, working towards the hand, you’re going to Kitchener off these 4 stitches, in pattern if you feel adventurous. 

You’ll end up with a loose tail near the palm, and live yarn ready to work the thumb.  So you’re using the free end of the yarn, with a tapestry needle, to Kitchener, and then after you finish the Kitchenering, you’ll work in the other direction and start knitting as usual off the ball of yarn.  Hopefully this has clarified what I mean rather than muddied it further.

To Kitchener:
There are many sites with tutorials.  Here are a few:

• knitty.com
• stitchdiva.com
• knittinghelp.com video

The goal is to sew the loose stitches together.  You are doing this in a way that mimics the path yarn takes through a knitting stitch, so it appears seamless.

### I need to test knit and write instructions

Now pick up the remaining stitches from the waste yarn, and work in the round until thumb is desired length.  I worked 8 rounds on the original, but 6 worked better for test knitters.  Try it on to see what works for you!

Sewn Bind-off
Once you have enough length on the thumb, you will cast-off with a sewn bind off.  Sewn bind-off’s are great because, when worked properly, they are nicely stretchy.  The first one I ever worked was impossibly tight, though.  The trick is to leave a fair amount of slack when you work it, so that you’re not distorting the stitches you’re binding off at all, just sort of looping yarn through them to keep them from raveling.  Not too tight, not too loose, just enough to hold them.  A good way to test is to work a couple, and then stretch your knitting.  If there are big loops when it’s stretched tight, you are leaving too much slack.  If the bind-off is less stretchy than the knitting, you’re working too tight.  Adjust your tension as needed.

Cut your yarn.  Leave yourself lots of slack.  Thread end of yarn on your tapestry needle.

You need to work about 3 inches, probably, to get around your thumb.  Technically you need at most 4x that, or 12″, to work the sewn bind off.  I would cut two feet of yarn.  maybe three.  Running out mid bind-off is annoying, to say the least.

Looking at the stitches you have to work, imagine numbering them from the first stich on the needle: 1, 2, 3, etc.

1. Sew through stitches 1 and 2, working in the direction you are knitting.
2. Sew back through stitch 1, in the opposite direction, back towards where you started.
3. Drop stitch 1 off the needle. You’ve bound off one stitch!  this is what you repeat for each stitch, but I’ll go thorugh it once more:
   
   
4. Sew through stitch 2 and 3, working in the direction you are knitting.
5. Sew back through stitch 2, in the opposite direction.
6. Drop stitch two off the needle.

Repeat for remaining stitches.

Now that wasn’t so hard, was it?  :-)

Finishing:
Weave in tail left from the Kitchenering so that it closes up any hole at the base of the thumb.

Weave in other ends, and enjoy!