The Elsdale is a café in the heart of Montréal's effervescent Quartier Beaubien. From the sidewalk, through Monstera leaves and Ficus trees sitting on large window sills, you can see freelancers working on their laptops or new moms sipping on a latte. In the back, cute notepads and other paper goods are yours to buy for your impromptu moment of inspiration, you know, the one that happens when you have nothing to write on. It's unpretentious, approchable, trendy : the Elsdale Café is the kind of place you get excited to go to.
I never go in, though. My therapist's office sits right on top of it, so, every Tuesday morning, I get to glance inside just a little bit.
The Elsdale Scarf is a lightweight neck accessory worked from both ends separately then grafted in the middle. This transitional piece, knit with two entire skeins of fingering weight yarn, elevates any Spring or Fall look. The simple ribbing variation, the stockinette body, the lace pattern and the finishing techniques render an enjoyable knitting experience for the seasoned knitter and a formative one for the adventurous beginner.
MATERIAL
Yarn
2 skeins of Riverside Studios Supersock (80 % Merino, 20 % nylon) (100 g/383 yards) or any sock yarn with similar or more yardage.
Needles
At least 16” US 2 ½ (3 mm) needles, or size needed to obtain gauge.
Notions
Stitch markers, tapestry needle.
GAUGE
32 sts = 4” (10 cm) in Stockinette St, washed and blocked. Row gauge is not that important for this pattern.
FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
13” (33 cm) x 69” (1,75 m) after blocking.
ABBREVIATIONS
Bef : before
CO : cast on
Dec : decrease
K : knit
K2tog : knit two together
L : left
Inc : increase
M : marker
M1 : make one
P : purl
Patt : pattern
P2tog : purl two together
Rep : repeat
RS : right side
Rw : row
Sl : slip
Ssk : slip slip knit
St : stitch
WS : wrong side
STITCHES
M1 RS(WS)
Pick up the bar between the last stitch you just knit(purl) and the one you are about to knit(purl), from front to back. Then k(p) into the back of the stitch.
You are ready to cast on!
Ribbing
Using your preferred stretchy CO, CO 105 sts.
Row 1 and every rw : *K2, p1*, rep from * to * until end of rw.
Work in ribbing patt until piece measures 2” (5 cm) from CO edge, ending with a WS rw.
Dec rw (RS) : (K2, p1) 2 times, place m, k3, (k2tog, k4) 3 times, (k2tog, k5) 7 times, (k2tog, k4) 3 times, k2tog, k2, place m, p1, (k2, p1) 2 times.
14 sts dec, you now have 91 sts on your needle.
Stockinette band
WS : (K2, p1) 2 times, p to m, (p1, k2) 2 times, p1.
RS : (K2, p1) 2 times, k to m, (p1, k2) 2 times, p1.
Work in established patt until piece measures 5” (12,5 cm) from CO edge, ending with RS rw.
Inc rw (WS) : (K2, p1) 2 times, p6, (m1, p13) 5 times, m1, p7, (p1, k2) 2 times, p1.
7 sts inc, you now have 97 sts on your needle.
Treillis lace
Start working in Treillis lace pattern over the sts between the m.
Work the entire chart 5 times. Be attentive! Lace is also worked on WS rws 2 and 6!
Dec rw (RS) : (K2, p1) 2 times, k6, (k2tog, k12) 5 times, k2tog, k6, (p1, k2) 2 times, p1.
6 sts dec. You now have 91 sts on your needle.
Stockinette body
WS : (K2, p1) 2 times, p to m, (p1, k2) 2 times, p1.
RS : WS : (K2, p1) 2 times, k to m, (p1, k2) 2 times, p1.
Continue to work in established Stockinette patt until all the yarn from the first skein is used, leaving a 30” tail, ending with a WS rw. Put on st holder or scrap yarn. *Tip : I use a longer circular needle and leave the first half on the scarf on the unused portion of the cable.
Rep same steps to make the second half of the scarf, leaving a 10” tail at the end of the Stockinette body, ending with a WS rw.
FINISHING
Align both ends of Stockinette body, live sts facing each other, WS against WS. Using the 30” tail, graft both ends. Refer to the following tutorial to figure out how to graft knit and purl sts. You will need it to graft the selvedges in patt.
Weave in ends, wet block to measurements.
