Two Diagonal Scarves - Miles

This is Part 1 in a series on Two Diagonal Scarves - Miles and Flora.
The full series is Part 1 and Part 2.

Scroll down further for outlines on how to knit the Miles Scarf.

Miles Scarf (Side A on left; Side B on right)

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Pattern: Miles Scarf (pseudo pattern below)
Yarn: Lion Brand Wool-Ease, mushroom color, 2 balls
Needles: 5 mm (US8)

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I finished this scarf two weeks ago and it has taken me this long to actually sit down and blog about it. I've also finished the Flora Scarf too, and will blog about it soon.

I needed a break from cable knitting because I suspect it has something to do with the wrist pain I've been experiencing. I thought it was time to do an easy, almost mindless knitting, knit purl type scarf. I wanted something with a diagonal theme to it and found several while browsing through my stitch dictionaries. I settled on this one for Miles, pattern # 61 from NKSL, which looked interesting, offering a bit of texture yet plain enough to be a "manly" scarf. It's perfect for the guy who doesn't want anything too fussy. Although it is not reversible, I find the back side not entirely unattractive. Yes, I know I could choose to do a knit purl pattern that runs diagonally and is completely reversible, but where is the fun in that? It's odd, I actually like the back side a little more than the front side. Here are photos of both sides. Side A is the one with the purple watermark. Side B is the one with the red watermark. Which side do you prefer? Can you tell which side is the "right" side and which is the "wrong" side?

Miles Scarf (Side A)

Miles Scarf (Side B)

As you can see, I am not above using acrylic/wool blend yarns that you can find at places like Jo-Ann or Michael's. I actually like acrylic/wool blends like Lion Brand Wool-Ease and Plymouth Encore. However I wasn't sure about this mushroom color Wool-Ease because it felt more scratchy than any other Wool-Ease I had used in the past. I think it might have something to do with the flecks of black that runs through the yarn. Also, I noticed that the label says it is 86% acrylic / 10% wool /4% rayon. I could have sworn that all the other Wool-Ease I used in the past were 80% acrylic / 20% wool. I'd take a guess that the black flecks make up the 4% rayon in the yarn. I wonder if I would like this mushroom color more if the yarn were softer.

See? I'm not limited to knitting cable scarves. I have a couple of other easy knit/purl type scarves too: Asherton Reversible Scarf; Winterbourne Scarf; Seeded Rib Reversible Scarf; Pythagorean Reversible Scarf.
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MILES SCARF
© Designed by S.M. Kahn, April 2008
Smariek Knits -=<>=- http://smariek.blogspot.com

YARN, NEEDLE & GAUGE:

Lion Brand Wool-Ease (worsted weight yarn), about 400 to 500 yards (more if you want a longer scarf)

5.0 mm (US8)

Guage is not critical. Use a needle size appropriate for the yarn you are using. Thicker yarn & larger needles will give you a larger scarf. Thinner yarn & smaller needles will give you a smaller scarf.

NOTES:

K = Knit

P = Purl

Wrong side even numbered rows can be read as: Work stitches as they present themselves. Viz. knit the knit stitches and purl the purl stitches.


PATTERN INSTRUCTIONS:

Cast on 42 stitches (or 33 stitches for narrower scarf, or 51 stitches for wider scarf).

Knit 4 rows.

Row 1: K3, * K1, P1, K3, P4 *, K3
Row 2: K3, * K4, P3, K1, P1 *, K3
Row 3: K3, * P1, K1, P1, K3, P3 *, K3
Row 4: K3, * K3, P3, K1, P1, k1 *, K3
Row 5: K3, * P2, K1, P1, K3, P2 *, K3
Row 6: K3, * K2, P3, K1, P1, K2 *, K3
Row 7: K3, * P3, K1, P1, K3, P1 *, K3
Row 8: K3, * K1, P3, K1, P1, K3 *, K3
Row 9: K3, * P4, K1, P1, K3 *, K3
Row 10: K3, * P3, K1, P1, K4 *, K3
Row 11: K3, * K1, P4, K1, P1, K2 *, K3
Row 12: K3, * P2, K1, P1, K4, P1 *, K3
Row 13: K3, * K2, P4, K1, P1, K1 *, K3
Row 14: K3, * P1, K1, P1, K4, P2 *, K3
Row 15: K3, * K3, P4, K1, P1 *, K3
Row 16: K3, * K1, P1, K4, P3 *, K3
Row 17: K3, * P1, K3, P4, K1 *, K3
Row 18: K3, * P1, K4, P3, K1 *, K3

Repeat rows 1 to 18 for pattern.

Knit 4 rows.

Bind off. Weave in ends.

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Stitches used in this scarf include:
Garter Stitch, BW 1 pg 10
Pattern # 61, NKSL pg 42
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This is Part 1 in a series on Two Diagonal Scarves - Miles and Flora.
The full series is Part 1 and Part 2.

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