Making up for lost time

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.