Posy Scarf

This scarf adds delicate flair to outfits calling for a touch of knitted lace! It is worked flat, from one short edge to the other, and with a decorative picot border on all sides. You begin with a picot cast on, then work picot edge stitches at the start of specified rows during the project, and finally you end with a picot bind off.

Each picot is created by casting on and then immediately binding off stitches to create a small bump of fabric. To slowly increase your overall stitch count while working the cast on edge, you will cast on more stitches than you bind off in each picot. Conversely, to slowly decrease your overall stitch count during the bind off edge, you will bind off more stitches than you cast on in each picot. When working the edge picots during the rows of the scarf, the cast on and bind off stitches cancel each other out, which maintains a consistent overall stitch count.

If the right side of your project is facing you while making picots, the KNITTED cast on method is used. If the wrong side of your project is facing, the PURL cast on method is used instead (insert your needle and wrap your yarn as if to purl, rather than as if to knit, to create each new stitch).

You can easily adjust the length of your scarf if desired – simply work more or less repeats than specified of the 32-row main lace patterning. Note that this will affect your yardage requirements.

Finished Measurements

Length: 70.75” / 180cm

Width: 8” / 20.5cm

Measurements are approximate and are taken when the scarf has relaxed after blocking.

Yarn

Sport weight / 5ply yarn, approximately 521yds / 477m / 165g.

Please note that your yardage requirements may vary depending on any modifications you make to the length of the scarf, any differences in gauge, and the type of yarn you use (fibre content, ply, etc.).

Sample used Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 5ply (100% wool, 632yds / 578m per 200g), 1 ball in colourway Silver.

This yarn has since been discontinued, but similar substitute yarns would be Patons Bluebell Merino 5ply, or Bendigo Woollen Mills Classic 4ply (all 3 yarns have a crepe construction, with somewhat similar yardages). Any other sport weight or heavy fingering weight yarns to which you have access, with good stitch definition and that aren’t too busy in colour, would work well with the pattern. You could even try using a strand of laceweight mohair yarn held together with a strand of light fingering weight yarn to make the equivalent of a sport weight yarn. Have fun experimenting with different options!

Needles

Suggested size: US size 4 / 3.5mm

This scarf is knit flat and can be worked on straight or circular needles, depending on your individual preference.

Notions

Fixed and removable stitch markers (these are optional for marking your lace repeats and the right side of your work), scissors, tape measure and tapestry needle. Also, the use of blocking wires and blocking mats is recommended for stretching your scarf to the desired measurements and shape after wet blocking. However, if you don’t have these tools, you can stretch out your scarf just by using T-pins or other rust-resistant pins on top of any flat, self-healing surface, such as a mattress.

Gauge

21.25 stitches x 34.75 rows = 4” / 10cm square in charted lace pattern, knit flat and relaxed after blocking.

While an exact gauge isn’t necessary for this project, any variations may affect the size, yardage requirements and drape of your scarf.

Abbreviations

( ): repeat instructions within brackets the specified number of times

BO: bind off

CO: cast on

k: knit

KPES: Knit Picot Edge Stitch (cast on 2 stitches using knitted cast on method, bind off 2 stitches knitwise, leave remaining stitch on right-hand needle)

kwise: knitwise (as if to knit)

k2tog: knit the next 2 stitches together (1 stitch decreased)

LH: left-hand (needle)

p: purl

p1 elongated: purl next stitch by wrapping yarn twice around right-hand needle. The extra wraps are dropped from the needle in the following row.

PPES: Purl Picot Edge Stitch (cast on 2 stitches using purl cast on method, bind off 2 stitches purlwise, leave remaining stitch on right-hand needle)

pwise: purlwise (as if to purl)

rep: repeat

RH: right-hand (needle)

RS: right side (the front of the work)

sl: slip

sl1 k2tog psso: slip 1, knit 2 together, pass slipped stitch over (slip the next stitch knitwise to right-hand needle, knit the following 2 stitches together, then pass the slipped stitch over the knitted together stitch) (2 stitches decreased)

sl1 kwise wyib: slip 1 knitwise with yarn in back

sl1 pwise wyif: slip 1 purlwise with yarn in front

ssk: slip, slip, knit (slip the next stitch knitwise to right-hand needle twice, slip both stitches back to left-hand needle and knit together through the back loops) (1 stitch decreased)

st / sts: stitch / stitches

Wrap 3: With yarn in back, slip next 3 sts without twisting them to right-hand needle, dropping extra wraps in the process. (Wrap yarn around to front of work, slip stitches to left-hand needle, wrap yarn around to back of work, slip stitches to right-hand needle) twice. Ensure that you are wrapping the yarn below the level of your needle tips, and that the 3 stitches remain untwisted throughout. The Wrap 3 is now completed. Bring your yarn behind the Wrap 3 to work subsequent stitches.

WS: wrong side (the back of the work)

wyib: with yarn in back

wyif: with yarn in front

yo: yarn over (wrap working yarn around right-hand needle as if to knit) (1 stitch increased)

DIRECTIONS

Picot Cast On: *CO 3 sts using purl cast on method, BO 1 st pwise, sl st on RH needle back to LH needle without twisting it; rep from * until you have 42 sts on LH needle, CO 1 st using purl cast on method. (43 sts)

Set Up Row 1 (WS): P1, knit to last st, sl1 pwise wyif.

Set Up Row 2 (RS): Knit to last st, sl1 kwise wyib.

Set Up Row 3 (WS): Same as for Set Up Row 1.

Set Up Row 4: KPES, knit to last st, sl1 kwise wyib.

Set Up Row 5: PPES, knit to last st, sl1 pwise wyif.

BEGIN CHARTED INSTRUCTIONS, OR CONTINUE WITH WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS

Row 1 (RS): K13, k2tog, yo, k12, k2tog, yo, k13, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 2 (WS): P1, k5, *(p1 elongated) 3 times, k11; rep from* once more, (p1 elongated) 3 times, k5, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 3: KPES, k5, *Wrap 3, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; rep from * once more, Wrap 3, k5, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 4: PPES, k5, *p3, k11; rep from * once more, p3, k5, sl1 pwise wyif.

32-ROW MAIN LACE PATTERNING REPEAT

Row 5 (RS): K5, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k4; rep from * once more, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k4, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 6 (WS): P1, k4, *p2, k1, p2, k9; rep from * once more, p2, k1, p2, k4, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 7: KPES, k3, *k2tog, yo, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k7; rep from * once more, k2tog, yo, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k3, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 8: PPES, k3, *p2, k3, p2, k7; rep from * once more, (p2, k3) twice, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 9: K3, *(k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k5; rep from * once more, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k2, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 10: P1, k9, (p2, k5) 3 times, p2, k9, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 11: KPES, k3, *k2tog, yo, k3, (yo, ssk) twice, k3, k2tog, yo; rep from * once more, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, k3, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 12: PPES, k10, p2, k3, p2, k7, p2, k3, p2, k10, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 13: K3, *k2tog, yo, k5, (yo, ssk) twice, k1, k2tog, yo; rep from * once more, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, ssk, k2, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 14: P1, k11, p2, k1, p2, k9, p2, k1, p2, k11, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 15: KPES, k10, yo, ssk, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k2tog, yo, k7, yo, ssk, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k2tog, yo, k10, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 16: PPES, k12, p3, k11, p3, k12, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 17: K6, *k2tog, yo, k4, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3; rep from * once more, k2tog, yo, k6, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 18: P1, k12, (p1 elongated) 3 times, k11, (p1 elongated) 3 times, k12, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 19: KPES, k4, *k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3, Wrap 3, k3; rep from * once more, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k4, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 20: PPES, k12, p3, k11, p3, k12, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 21: K6, *k2tog, yo, k4, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; rep from * once more, k2tog, yo, k6, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 22: P1, k12, p3, k11, p3, k12, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 23: KPES, k10, k2tog, yo, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k7, k2tog, yo, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k10, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 24: PPES, k11, p2, k1, p2, k9, p2, k1, p2, k11, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 25: K10, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k5, (k2tog, yo) twice, k1, (yo, ssk) twice, k9, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 26: P1, k10, p2, k3, p2, k7, p2, k3, p2, k10, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 27: KPES, k3, *yo, ssk, k3, (k2tog, yo) twice, k3, yo, ssk; rep from * once more, yo, ssk, k3, k2tog, yo, k3, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 28: PPES, k9, (p2, k5) 3 times, p2, k9, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 29: K5, *yo, ssk, k1, (k2tog, yo) twice, k5, yo, ssk; rep from * once more, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k4, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 30: P1, k3, *p2, k3, p2, k7; rep from * once more, (p2, k3) twice, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 31: KPES, k3, *yo, ssk, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k2tog, yo, k7; rep from * once more, yo, ssk, yo, sl1 k2tog psso, yo, k2tog, yo, k3, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 32: PPES, k4, *p2, k1, p2, k9; rep from * once more, p2, k1, p2, k4, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 33: K5, *yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k3, k2tog, yo, k4; rep from * once more, yo, ssk, k1, k2tog, yo, k4, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 34: P1, k5, *(p1 elongated) 3 times, k11; rep from * once more, (p1 elongated) 3 times, k5, sl1 pwise wyif.

Row 35: KPES, k5, *Wrap 3, k3, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k3; rep from * once more, Wrap 3, k5, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 36: PPES, k5, *p3, k11; rep from * once more, p3, k5, sl1 pwise wyif.

Repeat Rows 5–36 another 18 times more, or until lace patterning reaches desired length.

Row 37 (RS): K13, k2tog, yo, k12, k2tog, yo, k13, sl1 kwise wyib.

Row 38 (WS): P1, k41, sl1 pwise wyif.

END CHARTED INSTRUCTIONS

Finishing Row 1 (RS): KPES, knit to last st, sl1 kwise wyib.

Finishing Row 2 (WS): PPES, knit to last st, sl1 pwise wyif.

Finishing Row 3: Knit to last st, sl1 kwise wyib.

Finishing Row 4: P1, knit to last st, sl1 pwise wyif.

Picot Bind Off: CO 2 sts using knitted cast on method, BO 5 sts kwise, sl st on RH needle back to LH needle without twisting it, *CO 2 sts using knitted cast on method, BO 4 sts kwise, sl st on RH needle back to LH needle without twisting it; rep from * to last st, CO 2 sts using knitted cast on method, BO 3 sts kwise.

FINISHING

Break yarn and draw through final st to secure. Weave in loose ends of yarn. Check care instructions for your yarn and, if appropriate, soak scarf in lukewarm water with wool wash added for 15–20 minutes. Squeeze out excess water and roll scarf up in-between two towels so you can further press any water out, then unroll scarf and lay it on a flat, self-healing surface such as blocking mats or a mattress. Stretch the scarf as it dries using blocking wires and / or T-pins. You may need to reblock the scarf over time, as knitted lace fabrics will scrunch up with use.

CHART

Begin and end chart as directed in written instructions. Chart is worked from right to left for a RS row, from left to right for a WS row, and always from bottom to top. Sections within a border (purple, red or blue) are repeated continuously until you reach the specified number of sts before the end of a row.

Work Rows 1–4 once, then work Rows 5–36 a total of 19 times (or the desired number of repeats) to create the main lace patterning of the scarf. To finish off the lace towards the end of the scarf, work Rows 37–38 once.

Share your projects with us on social media using #TheSweaterCollective, and enjoy your completed Posy Scarf!