An unseasonal drop-stitch scarf

by Stephanie on 2 July 2010

in Knitting,Making clothes

drop-stitch scarf on knitting needles

It’s been a sunny 25 degrees for the last week and I’m getting ready for a holiday in Turkey so I’ve decided to start knitting a scarf. A thick woollen scarf is not something I will be needing in Turkey – not at all – oh well.

I’m really pleased with the look of the scarf so far. It’s knitted using two balls of leftover Rowan Big Wool on 8mm needles. The stitch is drop stitch, sometimes called ladder stitch or sea foam stitch.

Drop stitch scarf – basic instructions

Cast on 16 stitches
Foundation row: K1, P2, K1, yfwd, K1, P2, K2, P2, K1, yfwd, K1, P2, K1
18 stitches

Row 1: P1, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P1
Row 2: K1, P2, K3, P2, K2, P2, K3, P2, K1
Row 3: P1, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P1 (same as row 1)
Row 4: K1, P2, K3, P2, K2, P2, K3, P2, K1 (same as row 2)
Row 5: P1, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P1 (same as row 1)
Row 6: K1, P2, K1, drop stitch, K1, P2, K1, yfwd, K1, P2, K1, drop stitch, K1, P2, K1.
Unravel dropped stitches back to row where they started.

Row 7: P1, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P1
Row 8: K1, P2, K2, P2, K3, P2, K2, P2, K1
Row 9: P1, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P1 (same as row 7)
Row 10: K1, P2, K2, P2, K3, P2, K2, P2, K1 (same as row 8)
Row 11: P1, K2, P2, K2, P3, K2, P2, K2, P1 (same as row 7)
Row 12: K1, P2, K1, yfwd, K1, P2, K1, drop stitch, K1, P2, K1, yfwd, K1, P2, K1.
Unravel dropped stitch back to row where it started.

These 12 rows form the pattern. When you’re getting to the end of the scarf, stop knitting after row 5 of the pattern.

Final row: K1, P2, K1, drop stitch, K1, P2, K2, P2, K1, drop stitch, K1, P2, K1. Unravel dropped stitches back to row where they started.

16 stitches
Cast off

Update – finished scarf and download of pattern

The scarf’s now finished – see ‘Gneissic’ drop stitch scarf for pictures and a free pattern to download.

{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }

T December 1, 2010 at 6:03 pm

Quick question! How do you unravel dropped stitches back to the row they started? May be a stupid question but I’m not the best knitter!

Thanks soo much!

Reply

Stephanie December 1, 2010 at 8:35 pm

Hi T,

When you get to end of row 6 or row 12, you’ll have an extra stitch sitting there off the needles. You push this loop through the stitch below and keep doing the same thing, working your way back down the rows until you run out of stitches. You’ll be left with a sort of ladder effect where the yarn goes straight across rather then being twisted up into stitches.

Does this make sense? Let me know how you get on – it’s hard to put into words but I could try taking a picture of it.

Stephanie

Reply

mary December 28, 2013 at 12:56 am

Looking for a scarf for bulky yarn that I had left over. I just knitted the first 6 rows of the pattern and I love it already. It is a simple pattern that looks quite difficult. Many thanks.

Reply

Stephanie December 30, 2013 at 4:48 pm

Thanks Mary. I like the pattern because it looks much more complicated to knit than it really is.

Steph

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