Mauve and Mustard Scarf

Mauve and Mustard Scarf
I know, I know. I didn't mention the purple.
It must feel so alone.

In my mind, Mauve and Mustard is a children's story in which our protagonist, a glasses-wearing, pigtail-sporting, 10-year-old pipsqueak named Mauve, learns to love mustard. Or maybe owns Mustard, because he's her potbellied pig. Yes, that's it, and not only are Mauve and Mustard a dynamic duo who thrive on recreating scenes based on the life of the last empress of Russia, but they also love to knit. In fact, Mustard even balls Mauve's yarn, the very yarn with which she makes this double-pointed, three-color, slightly-technical scarf.

Yarn: Lang Yarns Yak (50% Yak Wool, 50% Merino Extrafine; 142 yards [130 meters]/50 grams); #0065 Raspberry - one skein (color A), #0050 Mustard - one skein (color B), & #0066 Plum - one skein (color C)

A better look at the pink connect-y part. Well, kinda.

Needles: One pair of needles in size US 8

Notions: Tapestry needle

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches in stockinette

So let's make a scarf! Using your color A yarn, then, cast on 39 stitches loosely, and then we'll move straight to our pattern, as you'll find below. Oh, and if you need any help with your intarsia color changes, you can find a video after the jump! :)

Row 1 (wrong side): using color A, k1, p12; then, switch to color B and p13; then, switch to color C and p12, k1

Row 2: using color C, k1, m1l, k11; then, switch to color B and k6, slip 2 stitches together knitwise-k1-pass 2 slipped stitches over (sl2-k1-p2sso), k6; then, switch to color A and k11, m1r, k1

 

Knit rows 1 & 2 until your piece measures roughly 11" along the center line and you've just finished a right side row. Then, we're going to do some short row shaping, as follows, using your color A yarn. As such, you can clip the tails for your color B & C yarns, since you're done with them for now.

Anyway, we'll begin with a few transition rows, which you'll find below. Again, this will all be worked with your color A yarn.

Short Transition Row 1 (wrong side): k1, p20, w&t

Short Transition Row 2: k3, w&t

Knit these two transition rows, and then we'll continue to work short rows as follows:

Short Row 1 (wrong side): purl until you reach wrapped stitch; purl wrapped stitch, then p1, w&t

Short Row 2: knit until you reach wrapped stitch; knit wrapped stitch, then, k1, w&t

Knit these two rows until you've just completed a wrong-side row on which you wrapped the sixth stitch from the end of the row. Then, continue as follows:

Short Row 3 (right side): k12, sl2-k1-p2sso, k12, w&t (37 stitches)

Short Row 4: purl until you reach wrapped stitch; purl wrapped stitch, then p1, w&t

Short Row 5: k13, sl2-k1-p2sso, k13, w&t (35 stitches)

Short Row 6: purl until you reach wrapped stitch; purl wrapped stitch, then p1, w&t

Short Row 7: k14, sl2-k1-p2sso, knit until end of row (33 stitches)

Complete short rows 1 - 7. Then knit the following two rows:

Row 1 (wrong side): k1, purl until you have one stitch left in row, k1

Row 2: (ssk) 7 times, k1, sl2-k1-p2sso, k1, (k2tog) 7 times (17 stitches)

Complete these two rows. Then transfer remaining 17 stitches to a scrap of yarn to hold for later while we begin the second half of the scarf. It begins, as did the first, with a loose 39 stitch cast on with your color A yarn. And then we'll continue as follows (the same as we did before!):

Row 1 (wrong side): using color A, k1, p12; then, switch to color B and p13; then, switch to color C and p12, k1

Row 2: using color C, k1, m1l, k11; then, switch to color B and k6, slip 2 stitches together knitwise-k1-pass 2 slipped stitches over (sl2-k1-p2sso), k6; then, switch to color A and k11, m1r, k1

Knit rows 1 & 2 until your piece measures roughly 45" along the center line and you've just finished a right side row. Clip the tails to your color B & C yarns. Then, we'll do the same short row shaping we did on the first end, also with our color A yarn, the instructions for which I've repeated below:

Short Transition Row 1 (wrong side): k1, p20, w&t

Short Transition Row 2: k3, w&t

Knit these two transition rows, and then we'll continue to work short rows as follows:

Short Row 1 (wrong side): purl until you reach wrapped stitch; purl wrapped stitch, then p1, w&t

Short Row 2: knit until you reach wrapped stitch; knit wrapped stitch, then, k1, w&t

Knit these two rows until you've just completed a wrong-side row on which you wrapped the sixth stitch from the end of the row. Then, continue as follows:

Short Row 3 (right side): k12, sl2-k1-p2sso, k12, w&t (37 stitches)

Short Row 4: purl until you reach wrapped stitch; purl wrapped stitch, then p1, w&t

Short Row 5: k13, sl2-k1-p2sso, k13, w&t (35 stitches)

Short Row 6: purl until you reach wrapped stitch; purl wrapped stitch, then p1, w&t

Short Row 7: k14, sl2-k1-p2sso, knit until end of row (33 stitches)

Complete short rows 1 - 7. Then knit the following two rows:

Row 1 (wrong side): k1, purl until you have one stitch left in row, k1

Row 2: (ssk) 7 times, k1, sl2-k1-p2sso, k1, (k2tog) 7 times (17 stitches)

Complete these two rows. Transfer remaining 17 stitches to one needle, and the 17 remaining stitches from the first half of the scarf to another. Finally, graft both ends together using the Kitchener stitch, tuck in ends, and block.