To Catch a Mermaid

From shoreline strolls to evenings out with friends, To Catch a Mermaid adds an airy, effortless layer and a touch of seaside magic.

Worked from short edge to short edge, this dreamy scarf begins in smocked twisted 2x2 ribbing before the purl stitches are dropped away to create an open, net-like fabric full of drape and texture. Finished with tassels along each short edge, the resulting open-work evokes fishing nets, shifting sand ripples, and perhaps something that might just be capable of catching a mermaid.

This scarf is ~62”/ 157.5cm long and ~15½”/ 39.5cm wide. 

Materials:

488y/ 446m of Malabrigo Susurro, 50% Mulberry Silk, 25% Linen, 25% Merino Wool, 325y/ 297m; 100g/ 3½ oz. Sample shown in Rosalinda.

Tools:

US 5 (3.75mm) knitting needle in size necessary to obtain gauge; crochet hook; tapestry needle.

Gauge:

24 sts and 32 rows in 4”/ 10 cm in stockinette stitch. Please note gauge is not critical; the width and length change dramatically when the stitches are dropped. 

Stitches & Abbreviations:

K – Knit 

K2tog tbl – Knit 2 stitches together through the back loops – 1 st decreased.

Ktbl – Knit through the back loop

P – Purl 

Ptbl – Purl through the back loop

Sl – Slip 1 st purlwise with yarn in front, then move yarn to the back and knit the next st

Smock6  –

1)     Insert the right-hand needle from front to back through the space between the 6th and 7th stitches on the left-hand needle. 

2)     Wrap the yarn around the right-hand needle as if to knit and pull up a long loop. 

3)     Place this loop onto the left-hand needle, keeping it slightly snug. 

4)     Knit the new loop together with the first stitch on the left-hand needle through the back loops (k2tog tbl).

5)     Work the next 5 sts in pattern: ktbl1, ptbl2, ktbl2.

St(s) – Stitch(es)

Yo – Yarn over