Fibonacci Scarf

Feza “Kid Mohair”, Shades of Orange 85% Mohair, 8% Nylon, 7% Polyester, 2 balls;
South West Trading Company “Melody”, Arizona Sunrise, 65% Rayon, 35% Nylon, 1 ball.
Notes: I began this scarf with a single ball of Kid Mohair and the cable cast on, which pulled in a little too much for my liking. I knitted for 9” and liked what I saw, so I went back to the shop where I’d purchased it for a second ball. And in the bin just across the aisle, cooing seductively, was the “Melody”. I went home and carefully frogged the scarf. I was able to save all but the cast-on stitches and the first row.

Yarn Bra or old nylon stocking
Notes: This is the first project where I’ve used a Yarn Bra. I didn’t know such things existed until after my half-knit-up ball of “Melody” imploded. Much knitting time lost to impatient untangling and childbirth words. Not pretty. Use something to contain the yarn and preempt frustration.

Knitting needles
Notes: I knit these on Clover bamboo 6’s. I knit very loosely. You might be happier with an 8, a 9, or a 10. The “Melody” tended to stick at the cable join on the rows of double-wrapped stitches. [I used to have Susan Bates Quicksilver needles in every size, which were extruded and lovely and have been decimated by moves and a child who was fond of chewing on them – she is now an adult and has apologized profusely. They would have been perfect for this project.] You might be happier using Addi’s or the new KnitPicks. At this writing I own neither.

Getting down to business:
With one strand each of “Kid Mohair” and “Melody”, cast on 40 sts in your preferred method. I used the backwards-loop cast on, and it made the bottom edge flare out. [See notes at bottom of pattern.] Long-tail cast on might be just about right, but you know your own preferences.

Slip the first stitch as if to purl. Knit across row. Repeat until you have three ridges on the right side of the scarf. Mark the right side to preempt another sort of frustration: you will be counting these ridges to determine when to do the long rows, and it’s easy to do a ridge too many or one too few. You’d still produce an interesting fabric, but the Fibonacci effect would be muddled.

Next row [always on the right side of the fabric unless you’ve messed up somewhere]: Slip the first stitch as if to purl. For each of the next 39 knit stitches, wrap the yarn twice around the needle. This will make these stitches approximately twice as long as the rest and relieve the tedium of never-ending garter stitch. On the next row, slip the first stitch as if to purl. Knit across row. Every few stitches, tug on the fabric to lengthen and straighten the stitches. Count your stitches; you should still have only 40.

This is the Fibonacci pattern for this scarf:
Three ridges, long row.
Eight ridges, long row.
Five ridges, long row.
Thirteen ridges, long row.

Repeat until scarf is as long as you want it, or you run out of yarn or patience. Bind off. Fringe if you like. Block lightly [if you must]; this is a lush and lofty fabric, and you don’t want to crush its spirit. Prepare to hear compliments vastly out of proportion to the simplicity of the project!

One last comment: I went back and carefully picked out the cast-on and bound it off properly. Much better!

© [me] 2006. May not be copied for commercial use.