pattern © 2010 by Jennifer L. Jones

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After a lace project went horribly wrong, (no, I can't tell you about it, it's too traumatic) I wanted to do an easy bit of lace. And, it being summer at the time, I wanted small and light, too. I had recently impulse-bought one skein of a cotton/tencel blend, so I swatched a few different stitches until I found one that would work for a scarf with that small amount of yarn. It knits up quickly, so it'd be a good choice for a fast gift.

The leaf lace stitch has a somewhat wavy edge, by blocking it out into points it has an effect as if you had put a border around the edge, a nice touch that makes it seem more complex than it actually is. This would be a good first lace project for beginner lace knitters.

Finished Size: 5 x 41 inches

Yarn: DK/light worsted, approx. 109 yds.—sample knit with one skein of Classic Elite Premiere, Camelia

Gauge: 17 st per 4 inches in lace leaf pattern (Note: the wavy-edged nature of the pattern stitch makes an absolute gauge measure difficult; gauge was measured at narrow point of pattern stitch.)

Needle Size: 8 US / 5mm

Notes

This scarf has a tendency to curl. I'm not wild about the Premiere yarn, it sheds. A 100% natural fiber, especially wool, would probably hold a block better.

To make the pattern wider, cast on 8 more st for each extra repeat and work the section between the heavy vertical lines on the chart for each extra repeat.

Abbreviations

st = stitch

K = knit

P = purl

yo = yarn over (increase)

k2tog = knit 2 st together (decrease)

ssk = slip, slip, knit—slip st knitwise, slip 2nd st knitwise, put left needle back through st and knit them both together (decrease)

dbl dec = double decrease—slip 2 st together knitwise, k1, pass slipped sts over (decreases 2 st)

Pattern

Cast on 21 st.

Knit 2 rows.

Leaf pattern

Row 1: K2, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, dbl dec, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk, k2

Row 2 (and all wrong side rows): K2, p to last 2 st, k2

Row 3: K2, k2tog, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, dbl dec, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, ssk, k2

Row 5: K2, k2tog, yo, k5, yo, dbl dec, yo, k5, yo, ssk, k2

Row 7: K3, *yo, k2, dbl dec, k2, yo, k1; repeat from *, k2

Row 9: K3, *k1, yo, k1, dbl dec, k1, yo, k2; repeat from *, k2

Row 11: K3, *k2, yo, dbl dec, yo, k3; repeat from *, k2

Row 12: K2, p to last 2 st, k2

Repeat leaf pattern 16 times, then one more time ending with row 11.

Knit 2 rows.

Bind off.

Wash and block, pulling out scalloped edge into points and pinning into place until completely dry.