Cat Bordhi explains what the Mobius shape is and demonstrates it with a strip of paper. She then demonstrates her way of casting onto 47" circular needles looped twice but only crossed once to begin knitting a Mobius-shaped scarf.

Mobius Cowl Scarf

Materials:

Fleece Artist 4-ply cashmere (100% cashmere, 50 g/ 170 m), 1 skein
47" circular needles, U.S. size 10 (6 mm) (or size needed to obtain gauge)
tapestry needle
stitch marker

Gauge: 12 sts = 4" (10 cm)
Finished size: 27" circumference, 10" width

Abbreviations:
k knit
k2tog knit 2 stitches together
MCO Mobius cast-on
p purl
p1f&b purl once into the front and once into the back of the same stitch (an increase)
yo yarn over

Mobius cast-on:
MCO 80 sts as follows:
Place a slipknot on the middle of the 47" needle's cable, with the needle ends hanging down like an upside-down U. With your right hand, take the left needle and circle it counterclockwise, placing it in front of and against the slipknot (which is in the middle of the cable). The right side of the upside-down U remains hanging down and is ignored during the Mobius Cast-On (MCO) process.

Your right hand holds the needle (which is pointing to the left) and the slipknot against the cable, so the slipknot cannot slip around. Tension the yarn and cable in your left hand by using your index finger to hold the yarn up high and your remaining three fingers and thumb to firmly grasp the cable and yarn. You should see a triangle: its base is the cable, the yarn forms the right side and your left hand is the left side. It is easiest to work with a large triangle, with the base several inches long.

Step 1: Continuing to hold the slipknot firmly against the cable with your right hand, which is also holding the needle, point the needle at yourself, then dive under the cable and up inside the triangle. Lean on the yarn and swing right back the way you came, bringing the scoop of yarn with you. In other words, retrace your path, ending in the position you began (starting position).

Step 2: Continuing to hold the slipknot firmly against the cable with your right hand, which is also holding the needle, point the needle up and over the yarn, then down behind it to bring a scoop of yarn back to starting position. This is essentially a yarn-over.

Have a look: there are two stitches on the needle and two on the cable below. The first one on the cable is the slipknot. To count MCO stitches, count only the stitches on the needle. Never count the stitches on the cable below, although they will be knitted. Since the slipknot is on the cable, it is not counted.

Repeat steps 1 and 2 over and over until the required number of stitches is cast on. For an MCO of 80, repeat steps 1 and 2 until 80 sts are on the needle and 80 on the cable below.

Begin to knit:
Before continuing, check to be certain there is only one crossing of needle and cable. Place a marker on right needle. Knit the first stitch, which is the slipknot. The first 79 stitches will alternate between being mounted with the front leg first (as you are probably used to) and the back leg first. Knit into the leg that comes first. When the marker appears beneath your needles on the cable below, you have completed the 79 stitches, and from now on all stitches will appear mounted "normally" with the front leg first. The next stitch is formed by the double sides of the slipknot as it loops down around the cable below. Knit this stitch as if the double sides are one strand. Continue knitting until the marker reappears in between your needles, announcing that you have completed your first round.

Be clear about this before going on:
Each time the marker appears in between your needles (not on the cable below), you are at the end of a round.

Begin diagonal lace pattern:
*Yo, k6, k2tog. Repeat from * to end of round.
Knit one round.
Repeat last two rounds 10 more times.

Lace edging:
Round 1: *[Yo, k1] 2 times, [yo, k2tog] 3 times. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: Knit.
Round 3: *Yo, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 4: Knit.
Round 5: *Yo, k2tog, repeat from * to end of round.
Round 6: Knit.

Garter edge:
Round 1: *P1f&b, p3. Repeat from * to end of round.
Round 2: Knit.
Bind off loosely.

Blocking:
The cashmere cowl will self-block as you wear it. With wear, the yarn will bloom to produce a lovely halo.
You can use the Mobius technique and your felting skills to produce this lovely bag.

Felted Mobius Swirl Bag

Materials:

Fleece Artist Kid Aran (100% kid, 50% wool, 250 g/ 400 m), 1 skein
1 braid Fleece Artist multicolor sliver
1 yd. smooth contrast-color waste yarn (there will be enough yarn to make 3 bags)
47" circular needles, U.S. size 11 (8 mm) (or size needed to obtain gauge)
felting needle and piece of foam
tapestry needle
stitch marker
round balloon

Gauge: 12 sts = 4" (10 cm) (before felting)

Abbreviations:
k knit
k1f&b knit once into the front and once into the back of the same stitch (an increase)
k2tog knit 2 stitches together
MCO Mobius cast-on
p purl

Begin handle and rim:
MCO 56. Before continuing, check to be certain there is only one crossing of needle and cable. Place a marker on right needle. Knit the first stitch, which is the slipknot. The first 55 stitches will alternate between being mounted with the front leg first (as you are probably used to) and the back leg first. Knit into the leg that comes first. When the marker appears beneath your needles on the cable below, you have completed the 55 stitches and from now on all stitches will appear mounted "normally" with the front leg first. The next stitch is formed by the double sides of the slipknot as it loops down around the cable below. Knit this stitch as if the double sides are one strand. Knit the next 27 stitches. Let regular yarn dangle while you use waste yarn to knit next 28 sts. Slide the 28 waste yarn sts back onto left needle. Now knit back across the 28 waste yarn sts on left needle, using regular yarn. (A line of waste yarn is now sandwiched in between rows of regular yarn. Later you will remove the waste yarn and knit the bag with the stitches left behind.) The marker now reappears in between your needles, announcing you have completed the first round.

Be clear about this before going on:
Each time the marker appears in between your needles (not on the cable below) you are at the end of a round.

Continue handle and rim:
Knit 5 rounds. Bind off. You have now completed the handle as well as the rim of the bag.

Bowl of bag:
Pick up (but do not knit) the 56 stitches held by waste yarn, working on the side with purl bumps, picking up first one column and then the second. Pull out a length of cable before picking up the second column, so you can make a U-turn with the needle. Remove waste yarn. You will knit with regular yarn from here on. To continue, keep a loop of cable pulled out like a single Mickey Mouse ear at the beginning of each round, so that the remaining cable creates a short circular needle that suits your circle of knitting. Beginning at one corner, place marker, *k 28, pick up and k 2 extra stitches in next corner, repeat from * once (60 sts). *Knit 2, k 1 f&b, repeat from * to marker. (80 sts) Knit 12 rounds. *Knit 6, k 2 tog, repeat from * to marker (70 sts). Knit 4 rounds. *Knit 5, k 2 tog, repeat from * to marker. (60 sts) Knit 4 rounds. *Knit 4, k 2 tog, repeat from * to marker (50 sts). Knit 4 rounds. *Knit 3, k 2 tog, repeat from * to marker (40 sts). Knit 1 round. *Knit 3, k 2 tog, repeat from * to marker (32 sts). Knit 1 round. *Knit 2, k 2 tog, repeat from * to marker (24 sts). Knit 1 round. *Knit 1, k 2 tog, repeat from * to marker (16 sts).

Finishing:
Cut tail of yarn. Use tapestry needle to thread tail through all 16 sts and pull tightly closed, sewing end securely. Weave in all ends and if there are any weak spots, especially near the handles, weave extra yarn through these areas to strengthen them before felting.

Felting:
Place bag in washing machine with a pair of jeans or tennis shoes or a half-dozen tennis balls. Set machine for low, hot water, on a regular (not gentle) cycle, and add two teaspoons of detergent. Set a timer and check on the progress every few minutes. Reset the machine to continue agitating (don't let it rinse) until the bag is the size you like. Pull it out and rinse by hand, then press between towels to remove excess water. Now pull, push and pat the bag into desired shape, giving the handle a good stretch and finger-pressing it smooth. Blow up a balloon inside the bag (this makes it nice and round) and let dry.

Needle-felting the swirl:
Use a felting needle to attach a swirling path of multicolored sliver to the dry bag, placing the piece of foam beneath the surface where you are needle-felting. Let the swirl travel from one side up the handle and down into the bag. Remember, this bag has only one surface, and the swirl demonstrates this!

Next: Getting Started

RESOURCES :

Colorsong Yarn (U.S.)
Website: www.colorsongyarn.com

Baadeck Yarns (Canada)
Website: www.baadeckyarns.com

GUESTS :

Cat Bordhi
Website: www.catbordhi.com