Blue State Scarf

During the 2004 election cycle, I was just getting back into my knitting obsession that had fallen by the wayside while I was in college. I was basically knitting scarves and other flat things that were quick and easy and made me proud to be a knitter. So I was about to sit down and watch the second Presidential debate. I know it was a Thursday night because my husband was busy and I watched it by myself (which is fine with me since I like to heckle the television). I wanted something to do with my hands while I watched what I guessed would be a rather stressful couple hours of television. I had a skein of bulky yarn (Wool Ease Thick and Quick to be precise) and a set of size 13 straight needles. That and about two hours were all I needed to create this super-simple but really lovely scarf.

Oh, and about the name? Well, as you can see, it's a blue scarf. The color I used is called denim.

Supplies

• One skein bulky or super bulky yarn, about 100 yards (the yarn I used is actually 106 yards)
• Size 13 needles
• Crochet hook to weave in ends

Directions

Cast on 12 stitches. Gauge is not important, but you want the scarf to be wide enough that it covers you warmly.

Knit every row until you are almost out of yarn. Cast off. Weave in ends. Enjoy.

About this project

I usually don’t bother with blocking for scarves because they are meant to be kind of flowy and uneven. But this scarf is so short, stubby and square that you might care that it look symmetrical.

All you have to do in order to block this project is to rinse it gently in the sink. You don’t want it soaking wet, but it needs to be damp enough that you can stretch it and the yarn will follow you.

Place a thick towel or two on the floor, bed, table or other wide, open space you have. Tug the scarf gently but firmly to relax the fibers a little bit. Lay the project down on your towel and consider how you might need to shape it to make it square.

Wet yarn will allow itself to be pushed, pulled and straightened, so you can take this opportunity to make sure the sides are straight and that the scarf is the same length all the way down.

Once you have stretched and pulled to your satisfaction, simply allow the scarf to dry. It will stay in pretty much the same position that you worked it into. Blocking is a great way to hide a multitude of sins, so keep this in mind for other projects, too.

Other projects with this design

You probably know that I’m not the first person in the world to devise a pattern for a garter stitch scarf. It’s one of the first patterns in a lot of knitting books. That’s because it offers instant (or almost instant) gratification and a decent amount of time to practice the knitting stitch.

To get more mileage out of this basic pattern, change the type of yarn and the size of needles. Make it instead with a couple of skeins of Fun Fur or eyelash yarn and size 10 needles.

Or try two pieces of yarn held together, such as a basic wool yarn and a novelty yarn. Use the size needles recommended on the larger weight yarn, and just hold the two pieces together while you knit. Whatever kind of yarn you use, get at least 100 yards of yarn to make a medium-length scarf.

Remember that the garter stitch doesn’t have to be boring just because it is basic!

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