Shetland Lace Sampler Scarf

Pattern: A sampler of some stitches from the Shetland Lace Workshop

Yarn: Knitpicks Alpaca Cloud, 100% baby alpaca, double strand. Color is Horizon.

Needles: US #6

Finished Size After Blocking: 60 inches long, 7.5 inches wide

This is the scarf before blocking. Or, as Liz says it, before dressing.





Starting from the end of each tail:

• 3 horseshoe patterns with even rows purled
  
• 2 horseshoe patterns with even rows knit
  
• 1 horseshoe pattern with even rows purled
  
• 12 new shell patterns with even rows purled
  
• 8 new shell patterns with even rows knit
  
• 4 new shell patterns with even rows purled
  
• 2.5 chequered acre pattern with even rows purled

I thought varying the stockinette and garter backgrounds in the horseshoe and new shell patterns was going to look pretty. It hardly shows at all. A totally wasted effort except I learned not to do it again.

This was my first attempt at blocking anything so loose and limp. I need better tools - some good pins and maybe some wires.

I also need to keep the dogs out of the room. Pappy walked on the scarf while it was drying on a towel on the floor and some stitches snagged in his toenails. Fortunately, the yarn didn't break and no permanent damage was done.

The back of the neck part of the scarf is the trellis pattern flanked on both sides by the rosebud pattern.

I charted this trellis and rosebud pattern combination and am totally happy with the way it came out. Just a simple thing, but the kind of thing that Liz encourages us to do in the Shetland Lace Workshop. Play around with the stitch patterns, the yarn, different sized needles, charting, and most important, HAVE FUN.

I'm having fun! Thanks Liz and Elaine.