sheep geek

Pattern: The Hubby Approved Neck Warmer by Danielle Landes (me)

Materials:
Yarn: Jade Sapphire – 6 ply cashmere: 1 skein
Needles: Size 5US, or size that gets you the ball band’s gauge
1 wood button, sewing needle, and thread
1 darning needle

CO 21 sts (I used a cable cast on)
Work every row: *K2, P1, repeat from *.
Once it’s about 22 inches long create a 3 stitch button loop – work the first 9 sts in pattern, cast off the next 3 sts, work remaining 9 sts in pattern. Next row work first 9 sts in pattern, cast on 3 sts using the backward loop method, work remaining 9 sts in pattern. Continue to work in established pattern for another 4 inches and cast off. Weave in all ends and wet block the neck warmer. Measure 4 inches from your cast on and sew your button onto the center ridge.

Notes:
This neck warmer is meant to have the tails tucked into your jacket for added warmth.

Formula for any scarf using this stitch pattern, and some tips:

Use any yarn that you would consider a little luxury. Handpainted yarns will work well with this stitch pattern.
Use the needles that get you the yarn’s reccomended gauge, unless otherwise noted.
This would make a beautiful long scarf.

The rib pattern is called ‘Farrow Rib’.
Cast on a multiple of 3 sts;
Every row: *K2, P1, repeat from *.
Work to desired length, or until you’re a meter away from the end of your yarn; cast off.
Weave in ends.
Block your scarf so that the yarn fluffs up.

*Cashmere has a tendancy to fluff out once it’s been washed. The only reason why I wanted a fairly narrow scarf was because it’s a relatively heavy weight cashmere, so it’s going to be really warm.

*If I were doing this in wool; I’d choose a merino; I would use almost 400 yards and cast on 27 sts. For wool scarves I like something a bit wider, that can be folded.

*If I did this in alpaca, I’d go down a needle size from the recommended size, and cast on 24 sts. Alpaca loses it’s shape in ribbing after a few wears, one way to get around that when it comes to ribbing, is to knit at a smaller gauge. Alternatively, you could do twisted knit stitches every other row. Both ways would keep the stitches in place, without too much of a battle.