Knitting for the Spring

I have two weather apps, one of which shows the weather in our Florida house and the other in our Sweden home and they both said the temperature was 26 degrees this morning! Of course, I soon saw that one app was in Celsius while the other one was in Fahrenheit and really it was -3ºC outside here in Sweden – quite a difference.

However, it was beautifully warm last week so we really can’t complain and it is wonderful to see the cherry trees breaking into flower. Spring is here at last!

But what to wear…. the perennial problem for this time of year. In the end, layering really is the key and one of the things I always like to have on hand is a lightweight scarf. Warm enough to keep any lingering chills away but still light enough to carry around if it’s not needed for the moment.

Last time, I mentioned a scarf I had just knitted using the Petersfield Scarf pattern. This is a reversible scarf using Granite Stitch from our Reversible Knitting Stitches book. I have used this stitch a lot recently and love the feel and texture it brings to such a range of garments.

I worked the original Petersfield Scarf with two ends of a sportweight yarn to give extra warmth and insulation for a cozy winter scarf. However, for this new version I followed the same basic design but using only a single strand for a lighter-weight result.

For the yarns, I selected Quince & Co Chickadee Sportweight in Colour #105 Glacier for the main pale blue colour, and the marginally thicker Phoebe DK in Colour #82 Nova for the contrasting white stripes. 

I worked a good-sized tension square to start, then did some quick maths to calculate the number of stitches to cast on. I wanted to keep it nice and wide so made this 25cm/10 ins wide like the large size in the original pattern. I find this a pleasing width, as you can scrunch it up to give extra warmth when you need it, but it can also be spread over your shoulders for a light extra layer.

I really love the way this has knitted up and I have used it lots already. I can see me using this all the time until the warmer weather settles in for good.
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It certainly shows how you can easily modify a pattern for a thinner version for the next season. Have a look in your patterns and see which ones you could try in a different weight of yarn. You might be surprised at how different the finished result can be!

I also made a warm beanie hat with the yarns held double for a wonderfully co-ordinated set.  That’s the beauty of using thinner yarns – they can be so easily worked alone or doubled up to make a range of items. Have a look here for more ideas for working with doubled yarns. This is such a great technique for this time of year and well worth trying if you haven’t done so before.

I am now knitting a rib sweater, also in blue and white but with a slightly stronger palette and in a DK weight. That is going to be another good transitional piece I think. It certainly looks as though it’s going to be chilly here for a few more weeks yet.
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Until next time – Happy Spring Knitting!

Moira

Last Blogpost: Introducing the Petersfield Beanie Hat

Our book: Reversible Knitting Stitches
My website: www.wyndlestrawdesigns.com

Many thanks to my husband Tim for his photo of the first cherry blossoms appearing in our local town square in Sweden. To see more of his photos, please see his Flickr site.

Keywords: Mens patterns, Ladies scarves
scarf, mens scarf, ladies scarf, striped scarf, reversible scarf, scarves, hat and scarf set, spring knitting, spring accessories, Granite Stitch,