Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Ric Rac Rib Cowl

Craftsy has these mystery boxes they sell every few months. I'm a sucker for a good deal when it comes to yarn, so once in a while I pick one up. In the last box I received there were 2 skeins of Cascade Covington Yarn. I'm not a big fan of yarns that are acrylic blends (this one is 53% Wool/ 47% Acrylic), but this yarn was really quite lovely. It's a nice thick yarn, and I decided it was just the right yarn to try out a new stitch I've been meaning to learn. With 2 skeins (146.5 yards each) I decided that I had enough to make large cowl.



This is what the front side of the ric rac rib looks like:


The ric rac rib gives the garment a thick, springy feel. 


This is what the back side looks like. Still lovely enough to bee seen...just not as lovely as the front side:


I made the pattern up (not so tough with a scarf), but just in case you want to make one of your own I'm writing it down here. Be kind...I don't really write patterns.

The Ric Rac Rib Cowl

Materials
2 Skeins Cascase Covington Yarn
U.S. Size 10 1/2 needles
Waste Yarn (optional needed if using provisional cast-on)
Yarn Needle

Begin
Cast on 40 stitches.
Beginners can use a long tail cast on.
More advanced knitters can use a provisional method.  

Row 1 (right side): P1, *skip first stitch, knit into back loop of second stitch (leaving stitch on left needle), knit into front of first stitch (removing both stitches from left needle), p1, repeat from * to end of row.

Row 2 (wrong side): K1, *purl into second stitch (leaving stitch on left needle), purl into first stitch (removing both stitches from left needle), k1, repeat from * to end of row.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until your cowl reaches about 45" - 50" in length.

If you used a long tail cast on method -  bind off when your project reaches the desired length, sew the cast on and bound off edges together to form a circle. Weave in ends.

If you a provisional cast on - make sure to end with a wrong side row. Do not bind off. Join cast on and final WS row using a Kitchener stitch. Weave in ends. 

Notes
The Ric Rac Rib must be worked in multiples of 3 + 1. 
I steam blocked my scarf since the yarn was a blend of wool and acrylic.   


Like I said, I don't really write patterns, so if something is unclear, don't hesitate to ask.

Oh, and just in case you're wondering, this cowl is about to find a home with a friend of mine. Sometimes I start knitting things without a recipient in mind, but as the project takes form it starts to look like it would be perfect for someone. This was one of those times. As I started knitting, the colorway and pattern really felt like it would be perfect for my friend. 

1 comment:

Kelly Sas said...

Beautiful yarn and your scarf/cowl is beautiful too!