Bear with me, I'm dealing with a yarn ball, a sock knit-along, and a double secret probationary project, so nothing terribly creative or clever this post. That said, it's finally time for the big reveal. I worked on Wavewalker for knitty.com, but I'm pretty sure if they don't take the pattern I'm allowed to do what I want with it. So I figure why not post on my blog? If you read this, here, have a free pattern. Without further ado...
Wavewalker
I
always knew I'd end up back at the ocean at some point. My parents
immigrated to Providence, RI, for grad school, and some of my fondest
early memories are of rocky shores with unpronounceable names. After
7 years in landlocked St. Louis, I decided enough's enough and took a
job in North Myrtle Beach, and my first view of the waves off Cherry
Grove Pier was all the selling point I needed. I still rely on my
weekend morning walk by the waves as the equivalent of a session in a
therapist's chair. But the knitting patterns were an unexpected
perk.
Wavewalker
came to me on one of my walks. I was looking down at the tidelines
and the way the waves carved a diamond-shaped lattice pattern into
the sand as they receded. Then it occurred to me that I was thinking
about lace. What?!? Must implement pattern, now! Several hours of
waste yarn and grubby/salty/sandy fingers later, a scarf mock-up was
done.
The
finished product incorporates patterns reminiscent of the furrows on
the water itself, the sand lattice, and the scalloped curves of wave
edges. It's worked up in a deep blue yarn with metallic threads
pointed out by my trusty enablers at Knit 'n Purl in Myrtle Beach
upon my request of “find me something worsted-minus that says
'ocean.'” You might recognize the Faucett stitch from Franklin
Habit's “Stitches in Time” column, as well as a variation on the
wave edging from Mindy Wilkes' Holden Shawlette (pattern available at
Knit 'n Purl). The sand lattice is essentially a modified arrowhead
lace and fairly easy to memorize. Length can be adjusted by varying
the amount of rib stitch and sand lattice repeats. Blocking is
necessary for the lace panels at each end, but more or less optional
for the main scarf body.
Wrap
it around your neck in squally weather or an inland winter. Or make
one for a friend as a portable reminder of waves on sand, without the
grit...and salt...and wetness. And you can carry it through airport
security.
SIZE
One
size/variable length.
FINISHED
MEASUREMENTS
Width: 8
inches at center, 16 inches at scalloped edge
Length: 48 inches
MATERIALS
Cascade
Sunseeker [47% cotton/48% acrylic/5% metallic, 237 yd/217 m per 100 g skein]; color:
07 (not named on my label, but it's a dark blue with green metallics); 2 skeins
1
set US #7-8/4.5-5 mm single-point needles (circulars or extra-long
dpns work as well)
GAUGE
24
sts/24 rows = 4" in stockinette stitch
15
sts/16 rows = 4" in brioche/rib stitch
Note:
gauge is not important in this project so long as it covers the neck
in question in a reasonable fashion.
PATTERN NOTES
Scarf
is worked in 2 halves, with the first half worked from the middle to
the lace edge, and then the second half picked up from the live
stitches of the cast-on row and worked middle to edge from there.
Brioche/rib
stitch: *yo, sl1, k2tog, rpt from * to end.
For
yo at beginnings of rows, bring yarn to front of needle before
working sl1.
See
charts for lace panels. On each lace chart row, slip the first
stitch purlwise, work row as charted, and knit the last stitch. This
forms your slip-stitch border.
Note:
the first row of the wave chart will feel weird/unintuitive because
of where the previous yarnovers were. Don't panic. Just count your
stitches and all will be well by the next RS row.
Picot
bind-off: using knit cast-on, co 2 sts, bo 4 sts. Repeat to end.
PATTERN
First half:
Using
waste yarn, co 33 sts.
Knit
1 row in main yarn.
Work
in brioche/rib stitch until piece measures 12 inches or desired
length.
Lace
panel:
On
next row (will become RS row), work row 1 of sand lattice chart.
Work
sand lattice chart 3 times.
Work
rows 1-8 of sand lattice chart one more time.
Work
rows 1-6 of transition chart. 61 sts.
Work
rows 1-14 of waves chart. 75 sts.
Knit
2 rows.
Edging:
Bind
off using picot bind-off.
Second
half:
Pick
up live sts from co edge (33 sts).
Work
in brioche/rib stitch until half measures 12 inches or desired
length.
Repeat
lace panel and edging for second half.
FINISHING
Weave
in ends. Block.
Actually, I'm not sure I'm allowed to talk about it. First rule of Fight Club? Something like that, I suppose. What's amusing is that I chose a sock project. I'm supposed to hate socks, or at least strongly dislike them. Though "chose" might not be the appropriate term. More like got goaded into it by the promise of bamboo-silk yarn and the possibility of winning a pair of lace circulars. So without further ado, for those of you participating in the Focus Pocus KAL this January, this was my contribution.
That and I needed something to keep my hands and brain busy while planning other projects that are...more secret? Also two-at-a-time knitting eliminated my second sock syndrome excuse. Plus I needed something portable for interview trips. Oh, and a hank of sock yarn isn't as annoying to untangle while hand-balling than, say, a very large blob of laceweight. I meant to hand-ball that hank. Now I can tell sock 1 and sock 2 apart. Yeah, I'll keep telling myself that...
Work
rows 1-8 of sand lattice chart one more time.
