Horseshoe Cable Muffler

Horseshoe Cable Muffler

Where do I start with this one? How about at the very beginning, back when my sister and I were wee little girls and loved to play nothing more than "Old Days," where we dressed up in Little House on the Prairie-worthy thrift store clothes and pretended to be princesses-turned-scullery-maids, or occasionally scullery-maids-turned-princesses. And how is this relevant? Well, because the Horseshoe Cable Muffler is exactly the type of piece that we would have relished back then, with its rustic color and snuggly, old-timey aesthetic. Of course, this cowl/scarf isn't just relegated to the past, as you can dress it up three different ways for a very modern look. As a note, however, if you're planning to use it mainly as a scarf, you will need extra yardage of your yarn and you'll want to continue the piece longer than I made it for the best effect.

The end of the muffler.

Yarn: Skacel Alpaca Seta (75% Baby Alpaca, 18% Silk, 7% Nylon; 137 yards [125 meters]/50 grams); #11 Lemon Grass Twist - 2 skeins

Needles: One set of straight needles in size US 6, two double pointed needles (dpns), also in size US 6, and a size US 8 or larger needle for your provisional cast on

Notions: Tapestry needle, cable needle (cn), stitch holder

Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches

So let's get started!

Using a provisional cast on and your larger needles, cast on 38 stitches. Then switch to your size 6 needles and we'll move straight to our pattern. You'll need the following terminology to continue:

cable front (cf): transfer next 2 stitches to cn and hold in front, k2, k2 from cn

cable back (cb): transfer next 2 stitches to cn and hold in back, k2, k2 from cn

Now let's get to it! As you'll notice, you'll be slipping three stitches at the beginning and end of each right side row. This will create a little i-cord edging, which will give the piece a more finished look (and, as a note, you can go ahead and pull the yarn tight behind the slipped stitches - that's what gives it that i-cord look!).

Rows 1 & 3 (right side): slip 3 stitches with yarn in back (sl3 wyib), k10, p2, k8, p2, k10, sl3 wyib

Rows 2, 4, 6, & 8: p13, k2, p8, k2, p13

Row 5: sl3 wyib, k10, p2, cb, cf, p2, k10, sl3 wyib

Row 7:  sl3 wyib, k10, p2, k8, p2, k10, sl 3 wyib

Knit rows 1 - 8 until piece measures roughly 37" (or desired length - longer if you want to use it mostly as a scarf) and you've just finished row 8 of the pattern. Now, slip the first 19 stitches so that you can transfer the last 19 stitches to a stitch holder to work later. Return the original 19 stitches to your needle and work the following decrease rows (in preparation for the I-cords at the end):

Decrease Row 1 (right side): ssk, k6, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k6, k2tog

Decrease Row 2: purl

Decrease Row 3: ssk, k4, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k4, k2tog

Decrease Row 4: purl

Decrease Row 5: ssk, k2, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k2, k2tog

Decrease Row 6: purl

Decrease Row 7: ssk, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k2tog

And now that you have 3 stitches left on your needle, transfer to your dpn and work 12" in an i-cord. Bind off loosely. Transfer the remaining 19 stitches on this end of the muffler to your needles and complete in the same way, and then return to your provisional cast-on and work the 38 stitches in the same way as well (divide into 2 sets, reduce, and then make your i-cords). Tuck in ends and block.