Sideways Knitting:
Most people are familiar with knitting a scarf from one end to the other, casting on a small number of stitches and working many, many rows.
But it's also possible, and really interesting, to knit a scarf sideways, casting on a large number of stitches and working just a few rows to get your scarf done.
This scarf uses a different color yarn on each row (repeated randomly throughout) and uses the tails of each strand as fringe.
Materials:
- six to 12 or more spare balls of yarn, similar or contrasting colors, tennis ball size or smaller, about 400-500 yards total (can be slightly varying weights
- one size 13 US circular needle with the longest cable you have
- scissors
Gauge:
11 stitches and 24 rows per 4 inches (2.75 stitches and 6 rows per inch) in Garter Stitch. Gauge is not critical.
Size:
Finished size is 4.5 inches wide and 7 feet long without the fringe.
Instructions:
- Leaving a tail about 10 inches long, cast on 200 stitches using the wrap cast on, or another method of your choice that doesn't require a long tail. Cut the yarn at the end of the cast on, leaving a tail of about 10 inches.
- Join a new yarn, leaving a tail of about 10 inches, and knit 1 row. Cut yarn, leaving a 10-inch tail.
- Continue in this manner, changing yarn each row and leaving tails at each end, until width measures 4.5 inches or width of your choice.
- Bind off in another color, again leaving tails.
- Tie tails in bunches of 3 or 4 to secure edges. Trim to the same length if desired.
How I Made My Scarf:
My scarf is all different shades of blue, with some gray, purple and black thrown in. It's almost all medium weight wool, because that's what I have a lot of in my house, but there are a couple of heavier yarns and some thinner ones, which I knit with two strands held together.
The striping is random and most of the yarns repeat a couple of times through the scarf. I like the look of the "tassels" with varying lengths of yarn, but you can make them consistent if you like.
You can also knit this in a bunch of different colors rather than the all-in-the-color-family style I used.
