The Spin Off editorial staff is pleased to offer a special end-of-year surprise for our subscribers—a colorful scarf to usher in the New Year with a bang. We are grateful for our readers, and hope you’ll find joy in the act of spinning and knitting as the calendar turns over to a brand-new start!
Susan Z. Douglas created this scarf after writing “The Curious Colorist: Small-Batch Dyeing for the Dabbler” in Spin Off Spring 2023. The article was accompanied by a group of brilliantly colored swatches worked in a slipped-stitch technique. Susan developed those design seeds into this two-sided, self-fringed scarf, and we are thrilled to share it with you here.
Spin Off subscribers can find the full pattern below, or use the link at the bottom of the page to download a PDF of the full article and pattern.
—Editors
If small-batch dyeing exercises have left you rich in miniskeins of many colors, then this stitch pattern can be your payoff. It’s a bit sneaky. Even a seasoned knitter might be fooled into thinking it is worked with a stranded knitting technique, but it derives its punch from easy slip stitches alternating with plain rows.
Why “Small Change”? First, a small change to a rather unexciting knitting pattern—as happened when I first explored this motif and shifted from four rows of each color to two—is a fascinating way to explore color design. Second, this scarf pattern uses up minimal amounts of individual colors of yarn—small change in terms of yarn capital.
The scarf is worked in a fun pattern on one side and stripes on the reverse.
Color Placement and a Note about That Screaming Color
As mentioned in my article “Slipped-Color Exploration” (Spin Off, Spring 2023), value is important to make this pattern effective. For the patterned side, I generally used light colors for the solid-color rows and dark colors for the slipped-stitch rows.
Above all, though, my objective was to have fun and enjoy seeing the juxtapositions of lots of colors. There is one really bright color in my scarf. Do you see it? This color is a personal favorite of mine on its own, but I paused after knitting it into the scarf. It was so loud next to the other colors. There’s a pop of color, and then there’s a scream for attention. I considered ripping out that stripe and replacing it with a safer, quieter color, but then I thought, “Nah, where’s the fun in that?” I plugged my ears and let it scream.
Susan’s “screaming” color and a multitude of others that are subtle only by comparison
Spinning Notes
This pattern can be easily adapted to other yarn weights and color sequences. Here, I used DK and sportweight
The Spin Off editorial staff is pleased to offer a special end-of-year surprise for our subscribers—a colorful scarf to usher in the New Year with a bang. We are grateful for our readers, and hope you’ll find joy in the act of spinning and knitting as the calendar turns over to a brand-new start!
Susan Z. Douglas created this scarf after writing “The Curious Colorist: Small-Batch Dyeing for the Dabbler” in Spin Off Spring 2023. The article was accompanied by a group of brilliantly colored swatches worked in a slipped-stitch technique. Susan developed those design seeds into this two-sided, self-fringed scarf, and we are thrilled to share it with you here.
Spin Off subscribers can find the full pattern below, or use the link at the bottom of the page to download a PDF of the full article and pattern.
—Editors
If small-batch dyeing exercises have left you rich in miniskeins of many colors, then this stitch pattern can be your payoff. It’s a bit sneaky. Even a seasoned knitter might be fooled into thinking it is worked with a stranded knitting technique, but it derives its punch from easy slip stitches alternating with plain rows.
Why “Small Change”? First, a small change to a rather unexciting knitting pattern—as happened when I first explored this motif and shifted from four rows of each color to two—is a fascinating way to explore color design. Second, this scarf pattern uses up minimal amounts of individual colors of yarn—small change in terms of yarn capital.
The scarf is worked in a fun pattern on one side and stripes on the reverse.
Color Placement and a Note about That Screaming Color
As mentioned in my article “Slipped-Color Exploration” (Spin Off, Spring 2023), value is important to make this pattern effective. For the patterned side, I generally used light colors for the solid-color rows and dark colors for the slipped-stitch rows.
Above all, though, my objective was to have fun and enjoy seeing the juxtapositions of lots of colors. There is one really bright color in my scarf. Do you see it? This color is a personal favorite of mine on its own, but I paused after knitting it into the scarf. It was so loud next to the other colors. There’s a pop of color, and then there’s a scream for attention. I considered ripping out that stripe and replacing it with a safer, quieter color, but then I thought, “Nah, where’s the fun in that?” I plugged my ears and let it scream.
Susan’s “screaming” color and a multitude of others that are subtle only by comparison
Spinning Notes
This pattern can be easily adapted to other yarn weights and color sequences. Here, I used DK and sportweight [PAYWALL] yarns that resulted from dye explorations. However, you could use yarns of different weights, explore combinations of solids and gradient colors, and more. The yarn for the front of the scarf should be a heavier gauge than the yarn for the back, and you might also need to lengthen or shorten the scarf to accommodate gauge changes. The pattern repeat is 6 stitches, making length an easy modification.
MATERIALS
Fiber 7 oz wool, assorted colors. I used over 35 colors of yarn that were dyed in the wool, blended, or dyed in the yarn.
Yarn 2-ply or 3-ply; DK weight (about 1,200 ypp; 11 wpi), assorted colors, about 450 yd total (slip-stitch pattern). 2-ply or 3-ply; sportweight (about 1,700 ypp; 14 wpi), assorted colors, about 350 yd total (striped back). Note: Each 2-row color stripe uses about 12 yd; slip-stitch rows use a bit less.
Needles Size 6 (4.0 mm) 32" circular (cir) or long enough to accommodate the stitches; second cir in same size or smaller to hold sts while grafting. Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.
Other Supplies Markers (m); smooth waste yarn for provisional CO; tapestry needle.
Gauge 19 sts and 48 rows = 4" in patt with heavier yarn; 19 sts and 36 rows = 4" in St st and thinner yarn. Note: The slip-stitch pattern will appear to be 36 rows to 4", but it takes working 48 rows of the chart to get there. Exact gauge is not critical to the success of this project.
Finished Size About 6¼" x 56" plus 7" fringe.
Visit spinoffmagazine.com/spin-off-abbreviations for terms you don’t know.
NOTES
- The scarf is knitted lengthwise from a provisional cast-on. The slip-stitch pattern side is worked first in the heavier yarns, continuing to plain stripes on the back side in lighter-weight yarns. The front and back are joined lengthwise using Kitchener stitch.
- The pattern repeat is 6 stitches. Two slipped stitches are worked at each edge along with 5 sts to be raveled later. An additional 5"–6" of yarn at each edge is used with the raveled yarn for fringe.
SCARF
With cir needle and using a provisional method, CO 284 sts.
Begin with the heavier yarns.
Row 1 (RS) With your first choice of color and leaving a 6" tail for fringe, k5, place marker (pm), k2, pm, k270, pm, k2, pm, k5—284 sts.
Row 2 and all even-numbered rows There are two options for even rows: working in the round from RS or working flat from WS.
To work in the round (RS): Slide sts to the right. Allowing 6" extra yarn at each end for fringe (12" total), work foll Slip Stich chart. Break yarn, leaving 6" tail for fringe. Slide sts to the right.
To work flat (WS): Turn work. Leaving a 6" loop (12" total), work foll Slip Stitch chart. Break yarn, leaving 6" tail for fringe. Turn.
Note: If working from RS, slip stitches with yarn in back; from WS, slip stitches with yarn in front.
Rows 3–8 Changing colors before each odd row, work following the chart. Allow 6" extra yarn at the beginning and end of each color change.
Rep Rows 1–8 to desired scarf width ending on Row 4 or Row 8.
BACK
Continuing on the same needle, change to thinner yarn and work 2-row stripes in St st to match the desired scarf width. Continue to slip the 2 sts between m on even rows, work the 5 fringe sts at each end every row, and add extra fringe yarn at each end. Work only one row of the final stripe color.
FINISHING
Remove waste yarn from provisional CO, placing live sts onto extra cir needle. Drop the last 5 sts from either end of both needles and leave them unworked. Using the final stripe color and leaving 11" extra yarn for fringe, graft the final row to the beginning using Kitchener st. Break yarn, leaving an 11" tail.
FRINGE
The scarf is now a long, open tube with yarn strands at the short ends.
Ravel the 5 sts at either end row by row as you make the fringe. Twist each of 2 yarn ends in a pair in the same direction as the ply twist until they kink, then twist those 2 yarns together in the opposite direction. Make a very loose overhand knot to keep the fringe from unfurling. Continue along the open edges of the scarf. The tube is now fringed but still open at the ends.
Yarn ends tranformed into cabled fringes
To close the tube, take a twisted fringe from the patterned side and a twisted fringe from the plain-stripe side, remove the temporary knots, add more twist in the same direction to each fringe, and then twist them together in the opposite direction to form a cabled fringe. Tie a loose overhand knot. There will be about 4 single fringes on the front to every 3 on the back, so cable some of the front fringes with an adjacent fringe as needed to keep the cabled fringes at an even density. Repeat on the other end of the scarf so both ends are closed with cabled fringe.
Make a template or use a ruler to make each cabled fringe the same length, move the temporary knot to that spot, tighten the knot, then trim about 1/2" after the knot.
Spin Off subscribers can log in below to get a PDF copy of “The Curious Colorist: Small-Batch Dyeing for the Dabbler” and the Small Change Scarf pattern to knit.
The Curious Colorist: Small-Batch Dyeing for the Dabbler and the Small Change Scarf PDF Download
Click here to get the PDF download of The Curious Colorist: Small-Batch Dyeing for the Dabbler and the Small Change Scarf pattern.
Remember the old toy commercials that urged kids to collect ʼem all? Now retired and living in Maine, Susan Z. Douglas loves all the colors, and her goal is to collect ʼem all.
