If you have mastered the knit and purl, or at least feel competent, and want to create some effects that will give your knitting a bit of pizzazz here is a list of a few things you can easily do. These techniques will give a great deal of variety without needing to be "fitted".
Frilly edge
You are making a scarf, but want to try something different, cast on two or three times as many stitches as you normally would, knit for about two inches. Then knit two stitches together across the next row, or rows, until you have the amount of stitches on the needles that you normally have. The knitting two together acts like a basting stitch in sewing that you gather together to make a ruffle. This is a picture of a hat using this frilly edge.
Lacy Edge
Staying with the scarf theme, but know that you can use these simple edgings on hats, sweaters, cuffs for mittens, gloves or socks. Make a lace edge, cast on the usual number of stitches for your scarf, but add or subtract a stitch to give yourself an even number of stitches.
- Row 1 & 2 Knit
- Row 3 Knit one stitch, *yarn over, knit two together across the row* repeating the instructions between the asterisks, ending with a knit stitch.
- Row 4 Knit
Repeat rows 3 and 4 for as long as is pleasing to you.
Knit purl rows
One thing about scarves is that scarves knit in one row knit, one row purl, tend to roll into a tube, no matter how much blocking you do. And all knit rows (or garter stitch) scarves do not always show off the yarn you are using. My simple answer to this to knit every row for five rows, then purl a row, then knit a row, (repeat the knit purl rows until you have a smooth fabric, say 4 or 6 rows in total), ending with a purl row, then knit 5 more rows. Continue in this manner until the scarf is as long as you'd like. The mixing up of the garter stitch with the stockinette will keep the scarf from rolling.
Happy knitting!
