DIY Network

Savvy Knit Scarves From "Carol Duvall Show" episode CDS-1507F

By Carol Duvall

	Figure A

If you love to knit, this project just might be for you. If you are a beginning knitter, this project is for you. And if you are GOING to learn to knit, this project is for you. And even though these are all knit scarves, the kind we associate with outdoors and cold, that is not the case any more. Knit scarves are being worn everywhere these days from New York where winter is cold to Los Angeles where winter is warm.

These scarves are all knit. There is no purling. There are no fancy stitches. There is nothing but plain knitting. The reason these might be of interest to accomplished knitters is the yarn that is used for knitting some of them. It’s gorgeous. And the reason these might be of interest to beginning knitters is that they are so easy that even you can make something useful and pretty.

In some cases I mention the needle size and yarn used. In others, I did not. My choices are all arbitrary. Knit up some sample swatches with different needle sizes to decide what look you prefer (figure A).

You will need various yarns, knitting needles and scissors.

SCARF #1

This was the gold colored scarf that I wore. It was a relatively short scarf, but it was so soft it could be worn in several different ways: just straight across the back of the neck and hanging down each side on the front...one side hanging straight down and the rest wrapped around the neck and hanging in back...wrapped around the neck with both ends hanging in the back...folded in half crossways, placed around neck then pull the loose ends thru the folded loop. this is the "in" way these days for both long and short scarves.

yarn: Pezuche from Suss Designs - 100% rayon
needles: size #6 or #7

Cast on 20 to 25 stitches and knit to end of skein of yarn. Finished scarf measured 3-1/4" x 47".

SCARF #2
This is the long black scarf with multicolored dots worn by Amy

yarn: Prisma by Filatura DiCrosa Italy (2 skeins, 82 yds. each)
needles: #15

Cast on 10 sts. and knit to desired length. Our scarf measured 5" x 78".

SCARF #3
Long multicolored scarf dark (blue, black, purple) with 10-inch fringe

yarn: one skein of Chameleon by Online*
needles: #17
*This was a BIG skein because the yarn was so fat and fluffy.

Cast on 10 stitches. Knit to end of skein saving just enough for fringe if desired. The fringe was made by cutting twenty 20-inch lengths. Fold a length in half and pull the folded end through one of the stitches at the end of the scarf. Pull the two ends through the loop and pull to tighten the loop. Repeat across the row.

SCARF #4
White fuzzy scarf...very soft, very warm

yarn: two balls of Eskimo by Filatura DiCrosa of Italy
needles: #11

Cast on 15 sts. Scarf is approximately 45 inches long and 6 inches wide.

SCARF #5
This was the burgundy sparkle yarn scarf. This scarf is very soft and drapes beautifully. The sparkle is subtle and adds to its elegance. Fringe is made like that for scarf #3 except that four strands of yarn were pulled through together. The strands are 5 to 6 inches long after knotting. It feels as good as it looks. Completed scarf measures 6 inches wide by 45 inches long, plus 5-1/2 inches of fringe on each end.

yarn: two balls of Gala yarn from Suss Designs
needles: #8

Cast on 25 sts. Knit.

SCARF #6
This scarf was made with variegated yarn with lavender, dark lavender, medium blue ad pea green as the main colors. Yarn was also varied in thickness, from 1/4-inch thick then twisted until only a fraction of an inch, perhaps 1/16 inch thick. Corresponding colored yarn in a thick eyelash type yarn.

yarn: one skein of Hiphop by Borrocco
one ball of Zap by Borroco (multicolored eyelash type yarn)
needles: size #8

Cast on 16 sts. with the fuzzy yarn and knit for approximately 16 rows or 4-1/2 inches. Add the non-fuzzy yarn. Knitting with both yarns, continue across the row decreasing 4 sts. by knitting two sts. together four times at equally spaced intervals. Drop the fuzzy yarn and continue knitting with the heavier yarn on the remaining 12 sts. until scarf is approximately 73 inches long, including the fuzzy end. Pick up the fuzzy yarn and knit with the two yarns across the row adding 4 evenly spaced stitches as you go. Drop the variegated yarn and continue knitting on the 16 sts. for another 4 inches. Cast off.

SCARF #7
A most interesting but difficult to describe scarf. The yarn used was hardly yarn at all. It was rather a thin strand of yarn fibers with little "puffs" of yarn every few inches. The "puffs" were orange, purple and green. The resulting scarf was, however, very attractive as well as interesting.

yarn: "Explosion" by Plymouth (2 balls)
needles: #15
stitches: 15

Completed scarf measures 5" x 38".

SCARF #8
Cherryl’s black, brown and white scarf
yarn: one skein Vamos by G.G. H. (Germany)

SCARF #9
This yarn was a combination of light and dark brown twisted together then wrapped with a thread of black. I added a strand of black eyelash yarn and knit this scarf lengthwise.

needles: #11
stitches: 100

The completed scarf measures 3" x 43". As mentioned on the show, I was unhappy over the fact that the completed scarf curved slightly so that it did not hang straight down each side when placed around my neck. Some liked the look and thought I had done it intentionally. I didn’t. I had obviously cast on tighter than I knit the rest of my work. Jan Isherwood, the lady who owns my local yarn shop, suggested I should simply use a size larger needle for casting on. In this case I should have used a #13 needle for casting on and returned to the #11 for the remainder of the scarf. A great suggestion.

Scarf #10
This yarn is quite beautiful and saves you the trouble of picking out three or four complimentary yarns because it is already a combination of yarns.

I unwound several inches and discovered that it is not only three strands of yarn placed side by side, but two of the strands were already a combination of two strands twisted together. So, in total, there were actually five strands, one of which contained a touch of metallic sliver that gave a bit of sparkle to the completed scarf. One strand was a fine mohair, which gave a look of airiness. I loved it!

yarn: Show Stopper by Ironstone
needles: #17
stitches: 100

P.S. The company that makes this wonderful yarn now has it available in a cotton version. I've not yet tried it but I'm guessing that it does not have quite the airy look that the version with mohair has, but on the other hand it probably would not shed as the mohair is inclined to do.

	Figure B
	Figure C
	Figure D
	Figure E
	Figure F

Scarf #11
This is definitely a WOW! scarf...one that you would wear forever. Knit entirely of pure silk ribbons, it is fun to make and wonderful to wear. Cherryl selected eight complimentary colors of ribbon, but this is a personal choice. You might prefer to use only a few.

Cherryl purchased eight different 40-yard spools of the ribbon (figure B) at a price of $25* each, so obviously this is a fairly expensive investment. However, this was enough ribbon for two scarves made in the manner suggested. To make the scarf:

1. Place all of the spools of ribbon into a bag. Without looking pick one of the spools out of the bag. Cut off a length of the ribbon (it is best not to cut off less than one yard.} Put spool aside.

2. Without looking select another spool of ribbon from the bag. Again cut off a length of the ribbon but do not attempt to make it the same length as the one before. Make it shorter or longer but not the same. With an overhand knot, attach one end of this ribbon to one end of the first ribbon leaving ends of 3 to 4 inches (figure C).

3. Continue in this manner, selecting ribbon after ribbon without looking and tying the ends of the cut lengths together. When all eight spools have been used, put them back in the bag and start over. Repeat the process several more times until you have a good length of knotted-together ribbon (figure D) and start knitting. Continue to cut, knot together and knit until you have a scarf of the desired length. Cherryl’s measured 3" x 69". To each end she then added 12-inch lengths of ribbon for fringe (figure E).

*The cost of the eight spools of ribbon came to $200, which made each scarf $100. The ribbon is also available in 44-inch lengths at Needle World (see Resource information following).

Should you prefer something less expensive, you can either make a shorter scarf or use satin ribbon available at your craft store. This too can be very pretty, at exactly half the price however there is, of course, a difference between the satin and pure silk. You might try knitting a swatch to see how you like it (figure F). Remember, you can always pull it out and tie a package!

RESOURCES :
Pezuche yarn for scarf #1, Gala yarn for scarf #5
Suss Designs
Suss Cousins - owner
7350 Beverly Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Website: www.sussdesign.com

Prisma by Filatura DiCrosa Italy for scarf #2
Eskimo by Filatura DiCrosa of Italy for scarf #4
Explosion by Plymouth for scarf #7
Show Stopper by Ironstone for scarf #10
The Yarn Market
Jan Isherwood - owner
254 S. Benzie Blvd.
PO Box 87
Beulah, MI 49617
Phone: 231-882-4640
Website: www.theyarnmarket.com

Chameleon by Online for scarf #3
Hiphop by Borrocco and Zap by Borroco for scarf #6
Vamos by G.G. H. for scarf #8
combination of yarns for scarf #9
combination of ribbons for scarf #11
Needleworld
Lynn Foster - owner
4321 Woodman Ave. Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Phone: 818-784-2442
E-mail: needleworld@needleworld.com
Website: www.Needleworld.com