Floral Mesh Scarf

Floral Mesh Scarf

I hope you all are holding onto your butts, because this week's post is a big one! Well, that may be overstating things, but since this purty little number is only my second scarf I feel like it should receive some recognition. And even if it doesn't, I should also mention that it has a fun-to-knit and relatively quick-to-learn lace pattern that pops beautifully, and that its shape features tapered ends so it's a bit more of a challenge than just a rectangle. Basically, this bad little mamma jamma would make a nice addition to your scarf collection, or a lovely gift.

* As of November 25, 2015, I have added a second chart to correspond better with the given row numbers. You can find it right below the first!

You also have two choices for a matching hat: the Floral Mesh Bonnet, or the Floral Mesh Beanie!

Yarn: Schoeller + Stahl Pantino (60% Cotton, 40% Acrylic; 98 yards [90 meters]/50 grams); #0007 Egg Yolk (I made up that color name) - 3 - 4 skeins, depending on finished length

A close up of the pattern
and the decrease end of the scarf

Needles: Straight needles in size US 5

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 17 stitches = 4 inches

So let's make a scarf, people! First, then, I should mention that I actually charted this pattern, so you can find it down at the bottom. Also, since I charted the cast on, the pattern, and the decrease, you could knit almost exclusively from that (except I didn't chart the wrong side rows. The edge of the scarf has two stitches in garter - otherwise, the whole back is purled). Of course, I'll also spell things out. With that in mind, cast on 5 stitches loosely. Then we'll work some set-up rows, as follows:

Set-up Row 1 (wrong side): k2, purl until you have 2 stitches left in row, k2

Set-up Row 2: k2, m1l, knit until you have 2 stitches left in row, m1r, k2 (+2 stitches)

Knit set-up rows 1 & 2 until you have 13 stitches on your needle and you've just completed row 1 of the pattern. Now we're going to begin working in some of our pattern, which is Floral Mesh from page 218 of Barbara G. Walker's A Fourth Treasury of Knitting Patterns, as follows:

Set-up Row 3 (right side): k2, m1l, k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k2, m1r, k2 (15 stitches)

Set-up Row 4 and all wrong-side rows: k2, purl until you have 2 stitches left in row, k2

Set-up Row 5: k2, m1l, k2, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k2, m1r, k2 (17 stitches)

Set-up Row 7: k2, m1l, k4, yo, k2tog, yo, slip 2 stitches together knitwise-k1-p2sso (sl2-k1-p2sso), yo, k4, m1r, k2 (19 stitches)

Set-up Row 9: k2, m1l, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1, m1r, k2 (21 stitches)

Set-up Row 11: k2, m1l, k1, (k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k1) twice, m1r, k2 (23 stitches)

Set-up Row 13: k2, m1l, k3, (yo, k2tog, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k3) twice, m1r, k2 (25 stitches)

Set-up Row 15: k2, m1l, (k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo) twice, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, m1r, k2 (27 stitches)

Set-up Row 17: k2, m1l, (k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k1) twice, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, m1r, k2 (29 stitches)

Set-up Row 19: k2, m1l, (k2, yo, k2tog, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k1) three times, k1, m1r, k2 (31 stitches)

Set-up Row 21: k2, m1l, k2, (yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k1) three times, k1, m1r, k2 (33 stitches)

Set-up Row 22: k2, purl until you have 2 stitches left in row, k2

Knit set-up rows 3 - 22. Now we'll discontinue our increases, and move to our main pattern, as follows:

Row 1 (right side): k4, (k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1) three times, k5

Row 2 and all wrong-side rows: k2, purl until you have 2 stitches left in row, k2

Row 3: k4, (yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k3, yo, k2tog) three times, yo, ssk, k3

Row 5: k3, yo, (sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, yo) three times, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k3

Row 7: k4, (k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk) three times, k5

Row 9: k4, (k2, yo, k2tog, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k1) three times, k5

Row 11: k2, k2tog, yo, (k1, yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo) three times, k1, yo, ssk, k2 

Knit rows 1 - 12 until piece measures at least 51" (you could add 12" or so to that number, or more, if you want a longer scarf) and you've just finished row 8 of the pattern. Now, it's time to begin our decreases for the other end of the scarf. So let's continue like so:

Decrease Row 1 (right side): k2, ssk, (k2, yo, k2tog, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k1) three times, k1, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 2 and all wrong-side rows: k2, purl until you have 2 stitches left in row, k2

Decrease Row 3: k2, ssk, (yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k1) twice, yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 5: k2, ssk, (yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3) twice, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 7: k2, ssk, k3, (yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso,yo, k3) twice, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 9: k2, ssk, (k1, yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo) twice, k1, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 11: k2, ssk, k1, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k1, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 13: k2, ssk, k4, yo, k2tog, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k4, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 15: k2, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, yo, sl2-k1-p2sso, yo, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, k2

Decrease Row 17: k2, ssk, k2, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k2, k2tog, k2

Knit decrease rows 1 - 18. Then we'll knit the following finish rows:

Finish Row 1 (right side): k2, ssk, knit until you have 4 stitches left in row, k2tog, k2

Finish Row 2: k2, purl until you have 2 stitches left in row, k2

Knit finish rows 1 & 2 until you have 7 stitches left and you've just completed row 2 of the pattern. Then we'll knit the following final row:

Final Row (right side): k2, sl2-k1-p2sso, k2

Bind off loosely, tuck in ends, and block.