Wrongside Out: the Scalloway Scarf
Scarves: everyone’s first knitting project, and everyone’s most frustrating project. Scarves have two main problems: they relentlessly curl and there’s no way to hide the wrong side. Have you ever made a stockinette stitch scarf that curled up like a cannoli? Or have you made a cabled scarf that’s all beautiful braids and knots on the right side and a hideous mess of lumps and bumps on the wrong side? Why is a flat, reversible scarf such a challenging thing to make?
The Scalloway Scarf from Love of Knitting Winter 2017 solves both of these problems using a simple solution: slipped stitches. The slip-stitch pattern creates an even fabric that’s content to stay perfectly flat. No scarf noodles here! It will lay flat and cozy around your neck without any curling.
The stitch pattern also makes a lovely reversible scarf. While it’s not the same on both sides, the wrong side is a perfectly respectable textured stipe pattern. When your scarf tail inevitably flips over and reveals its backside, onlookers will only see your lovely stitchwork, not a mess of bumps that were clearly never meant to be seen by strangers. They will probably even think the stripes are intentional. “How clever that knitter is!” they’ll say. “What an achievement to create stripes going in different directions on each side!”
The Scalloway Scarf is the perfect solution to all our scarf problems. It lays flat, so there’s no horrid curling to deal with, and it has an attractive wrong side, so both sides are presentable no matter how you wear it. The slip-stitch pattern is both simple and elegant and suitable for all genders.
Have you given up on roly-poly scarves with unattractive backsides? Or have you also found your perfect scarf pattern?
-Laura
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