Vichy Scarf

By Category: Knitting and Design

Asymmetric Scarf/Shawl from Vichy

Here I am in Vichy, in early winter, staying inside as much as possible… and thankfully I brought some yarn and some 5.5mm circular needles!

Vichy Asymmetric Shawl

This shawl is very straightforward:  there is a six-row set-up, then a four-row repeat.  The shawl starts in one corner and you can just keep going until it’s the length you like or you run out of yarn.  You’ll want to reserve about 24 yards for the garter stitch cast off.

Yarn:  I used two half-balls of Butterfly yarn color #14 from Hobbii.  This color-changing yarn moves from deep blues to forest green, and I wanted just the blues;  of course, I’m using the rest for a further shawl!  The yarn tends to unravel easily, so wind into balls in opposite directions (so that when you knit the shawl, it will have the same colors at each end, changing colors in the middle.). If you use a different color-way, you may just want to knit through one full ball (200g/500m), or more for a larger scarf.

Needles:  5.5mm circular needles, or use whatever creates a supple fabric with a yarn you like

Gauge:  not important

NOTE:  Throughout the work, every right side [RS] row starts with k1fb (make one forward and back. Every wrong side [WS] row starts with slipping first stitch purlwise, and knitting the last two stitches.

Cast on and set up:

Using your favorite method, cast on three stitches.  Then…

  1. [RS] K1fb, k2. (4 stitches)

  2. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, knit to end.

  3. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (5 stitches)

  4. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, p1, k2.

  5. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (6 stitches)

  6. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, p2, k2.

  7. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (7 stitches)

  8. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, p3, k2.

  9. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (8 stitches)

  10. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, p4, k2.

  11. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (9 stitches)

  12. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, p5, k2.

  13. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (10 stitches)

  14. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, p6, k2.

  15. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (11 stitches)

  16. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, p7, k2.

  17. [RS] K1fb, knit to end. (12 stitches).  STOP!  Pay attention because we’re going to change pattern!

Repeat section:

  1. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, knit to end – this creates the ridge before the lace row.

  2. [RS] K1fb, then* y/o, k2tog* to end -1; knit final stitch.  This is the lace row.

For the next ten rows:

  1. WS, slip 1 purlwise, k1, purl to end -2, k2.

  2. RS k1fb, knit to end.

Repeat this 12-row section until the scarf is big enough or it looks like you’re running out of yarn.  Each repeat section will END with stitches = (X x 6) +1, or 13, 19, 25, 31, 37, 43, 49, and so on.

Completion:

  1. [RS] K1fb, then* y/o, k2tog* to end -1; knit final stitch.

  2. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, k1, purl to end -2, k2.

  3. [RS] K1fb, knit to end.

  4. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, knit to end (forming ridge).

  5. [RS] K1fb, knit to end.

  6. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, then *y/o, PURL two together* to end -2, k2.

  7. [RS] K1fb, knit to end.

  8. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, knit to end (forming ridge).

  9. [RS] K1fb, knit to end.

  10. [WS] Slip first stitch purlwise, knit to end (forming ridge).

  11. Cast off loosely.

Sew in ends, and you’re done!

And here, as always, is the .pdf for download:  Vichy Asymmetric Shawl Pattern