the riotously colored zig-zag knitted scarf i started about a month or so ago is still in progress! i've been knitting away at it this week like a fiend.
it's one of those mindless sort of knitting projects that i love. the stitch pattern is ridiculously easy to knit as well as remember, there's no need to refer to any written instructions. i do like the challenge of doing special, complicated knitting stitch patterns in my knitting from time to time, but i REALLY, REALLY enjoy simple ones that are easy to remember, like this one, and the feather and fan stitch like i used on this scarf from a while back. both are stitch patterns that look complicated but aren't. they both provide a lot of visual interest and lovely texture.
fun fact about this here zig-zag scarf? i'm using little bits of yarn from my stash to make it...so far i haven't used a yarn twice. gives you an idea of the ridiculous amount of yarn hanging around in the ye olde bits and bobbins atelier. :P all the yarns are either jumper weight, sport weight, or worsted (most are the latter).
i'm making it up as i go along, adding colors and textures in as i feel like it, thinking, "hmm, i haven't used blue yarn in a while, better add some in again". i'm embracing the insanity. goes along with what i like to think is part of my fashion ethos: calculated craziness and clearly colorful.
i'll probably be finishing it soon. i'm thinking it would be cute as a sort of medium size scarf, that i can tie once at the neck for a big shot of color.
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as far as a pattern, there's not much of one.
i'm a freestyle knitter to a great degree...i often don't use patterns. i just *knit*.
but here's the pattern, for anyone interested:
amount of yarn: unknown. several balls total? it's your call. however you want to stripe it.
needle size: i used a US 7, but use what works for you and your yarn. maybe a US 8 or 9? again, it's your call.
the stitch pattern is a multiple of 14 stitches, plus 2. you can add/subtract to the multiple by any multiple of two for thinner or wider zig zags.
i also added 5 stitches to each side of the scarf, for a garter stitch border (total of 10 extra), and separated them from the edge with stitch markers. you could eliminate this, but i think scarves look better when they have a border of some kind...they look "finished" to me.
start off with a couple rows of garter...your choice. something like 3-5 rows, for a little border at the end of the scarf.
stitch pattern:
row 1: (WS) k5, PM, purl to marker, PM, k5.
row 2: (RS) k5, slip the marker, k1, inc (by knitting into front and back of st), k4, sl 1, k1, psso, k2tog, k4, *inc in each of the next two stitches, k4, sl 1, k1, psso, k2tog, k4; rep from * to last 2 sts, inc in next stitch, k1, slip the marker, k5. row 3: (WS) k5, slip the marker, purl to marker, slip the marker, k5.
row 4: repeat row 2.
you can make wider or thinner rows by say, adding 4 more rows of a color, or just doing two...get it? so for the wider stripes i did 8 rows, and the thinner ones, only 4.
there is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the pattern of my stripes or the colors. i put a thicker stripe in when i felt like it, and added colors as i felt like it. of course, you could plan yours out. i wanted something organic and chaotic. you're the boss. make it your own! no need to copy mine explicitly! the neat thing is that if you use bits from your stash, the yarn mix is a direct reflection of you and what colors and textures you favor...and thus, it's a complete original!
make the scarf as long as you'd like.
finish off with the same number of rows you started with, in garter stitch only (k every stitch), and bind off all stitches. hide all the ends of yarn, too, of course.
you're done!