It’s the end of summer and we’re in the transition period to fall. We know we’ll have some warm days ahead but the evenings and mornings are beginning to be cooler. Not quite cool enough for sweaters, yet ideal for scarves and shawls.

Small scarves that wrap around your neck have become quite popular over the last few years and we certainly understand why! They make a satisfying project as they are fairly quick to finish, depending on the pattern you choose and the time you have available of course!

An Italian Summer Scarf, designed by An Italian Knitter, is a free pattern written for worsted weight but can easily be knit in any weight. The one we have on display uses fingering weight Knitting for Olive Pure Silk. All you have to do is weigh your yarn before you start, keep weighing it, and when you’ve used up half of your skein, start decreasing! Remember that different yarn weights will create different finished sizes.

You can use the written instructions or the charts for this pattern. On the first half when you’re increasing, you’ll be doing yarn overs (yo) and knitting two stitches together (k2tog). For the second half, when you’re decreasing, you’ll be adding a k3tog so some sharp needles are recommended no matter which way you work that stitch. Here is a way to do that easily! I suggest watching this video closely a couple of times. It’s so much easier than trying to actually knit 3 stitches together. It’s the same way Patty Lyons suggests in her Knitting Bag of Tricks book. For those of you who don’t like to purl, there is none of that in this cute scarf! The yo/k2tog rows are every 10th row, the rest is garter stitch.

Another scarf that you might like to make is the Pembroke Scarf, designed by Elizabeth McCarten. There are over 1,000 of these posted on Ravelry! This is also a free pattern. It’s another design that can use different weights of yarn. The pattern calls for fingering weight but our sample uses Blue Sky Fibers’ sport weight Metalico, a sumptuous, shiny blend of 50/50 alpaca and silk.

This is an asymmetric shawl; here is a video with different ways to style the shape. All you do is repeat 2 rows until it’s the size you want or you’ve used up your yarn! You will be knitting front and back (kfb) and doing a slip, slip, knit, (ssk). You can look at the projects on Ravelry to spark your imagination or you can recreate our sample! Ask for help if you want some support in figuring out what to do!

Finally, if you love cables and want a bit of a challenge, take a look at Scarflette, designed by Justyna Lorkowska. Our sample uses Blacker Yarns fingering weight Bam-boozle which is a limited edition yarn. This pattern has both written and charted instructions. They can be a tad daunting at first glance but my nephew made this and he loved working on it so take heart, it can be done! All knitting is wearable art but this scarf is special! The designer suggests her sister design, Leaflette, for something simpler.

Keep in mind that you can use any drapey yarns for these shawls. Just check the ‘flop factor’; hold one end of the skein in your hand and see how much it flops over to give you an indication of how much drape it has!

My Sister Knits has a good collection of small scarves and shawls on display in the shop. We encourage you to come in, take them down, and try them on!

Happy knitting,

Transition Time!

Yes, You Can!