Ribbed Leaves Lace Scarf

This lovely pattern was on display at my shop, Unique One in Camden, Maine for years, and it was always very popular. It is a reversible pattern, which made it great for a scarf. It is basically ribbing with some left and right leaning decreases and a few eyelets thrown in to make it look lacy. Because the left and right decreases are done over ribbing, you have to use a cable needle to move the stitches to be next to each other so the ribbing  won't be discomposed.

It was originally knit with 3 skeins of Frogtree Fingering Weight Alpaca (215 yards/skein), now sadly discontinued. Alpaca made it feel luxurious, soft, and drapey, but you could use 645 yards of any type of fingering weight yarn, even bamboo or tencel or silk or cotton!

I have made one change to the original pattern in that I have started it with two rows of ribbing, as the way it was originally written was a little tricky to do on the first row, and I ended it with two rows of ribbing also to make it symmetrical.  Have fun!

 

Ribbed Leaves Lace Scarf

Materials: 645 yards (589.79 meters) light fingering weight yarn; US size 6 (4.00mm) needles, cable needle, tapestry needle

Finished size: 72 inches (182.88 cm) long X 7.5 inches (19.05 cm) wide

Directions:

Cast on 66 sts. Work K 1, P 1 ribbing for two rows. Work in Ribbed Leaves pattern as follows:

Rows 1, 3, 5, and 7 (RS): * K 1, P 1, yo twice, [K 1, P 1] twice, K 1, R2dec, [P 1, K 1] 5 times, P 1;  from * to end.

Row 2 and all WS rows: Work in K 1, P 1 rib, working double yo's as 2 stitches (i.e., K1, P1).

Rows 9, 11, 13, & 15: * [K 1, P 1] six times, L2dec, [K 1, P 1] twice, K 1, yo twice, P 1; repeat from * to end.

Row 16: Work as for Row 2.

Repeat these sixteen rows for Ribbed Leaves pattern.

Work in Ribbed Leaves pattern until scarf measures just shy of 72 inches long, or desired length. Work 2 rows K 1, P 1 ribbing. Bind off loosely. Weave in ends. 

Abbreviations used:

K = knit

P = purl

yo twice = yarn over twice (wrap the yarn two times around the needle; treat this as a knit stitch AND a purl stitch in the next row)

R2dec (Right decrease) = with yarn in front, slip the purl stitch to the  right hand needle, slip the knit stitch to the cable needle and hold it in front, slip the next purl stitch to the right hand needle, slip the knit stitch on the cable needle back to the left hand needle (2 knit sts are together now),  slip the 2 purl stitches back to the left hand needle, purl 2 together, knit 2 together

L2dec (Left decrease) = with yarn in back, slip the knit stitch to the right hand needle knitwise, slip the purl stitch to the cable needle and hold in back, slip the next knit stitch to the right hand needle knitwise, slip the purl stitch from the cable needle back to the left hand needle (knit stitches and purl stitches are together now), knit two stitches together through the back loops, purl two stitches together