2014 Mystery Knit-a-Long: Clue 1

Welcome to the beginning of our mystery knit-a-long! Over the next four months you'll receive new clues to make a fun, textured scarf. We'll complete two different patterned sections a month, at a nice relaxing pace. We talked about donating our finished scarves to charity (either Sally Kate Winters or SafeHaven) when finished, so that we weren't frantically completing charity knitting during November this year! So pick a worsted weight yarn in your stash that would make for a good charity scarf--or cast on two (one to donate, and one for you!). This will be a great project for new knitters, as it will give you plenty of practice with new stitches. Plan to bring your finished work to each meeting to show off, or ask for help on that month's pattern!

Materials:
Size 8 needles
400 - 450 yards of worsted weight yarn
Stitch markers
Row counter

Section #1
Cast on 30 sts.

Knit 6 rows.

Note: The first 3 stitches and the last 3 stitches are the border edges and will be knit on every row. The middle 24 stitches are pattern stitches.

Pattern:
Row 1: (RS) K3, *P1, K3, repeat from * to last three stitches, K3.
Row 2: K3, *K1, P5, K1, P1, repeat from * to last three sts, K3.
Row 3: K3, * K2, P1,K3 P1, K1, repeat from * to last three sts, K3.
Row 4: K3, *P2, K1, P1, K1, P3, repeat from * to last three sts, K3.

Work pattern 12 times total. It should be about 6” long.

Work 6 rows in straight knitting, aka stockinette.

Section #2
Abbreviations:
yo (yarn over): Bring yarn between needles to the front, then over the top of right needle before working next stitch.
k2tog (knit 2 sts together): knit 2 sts together as one (1 st decrease)
ssk (slip, slip, knit): slip 2 sts, one at a time, as if to knit. Slide left needle through the front loops of these two
sts, from left to right, and then knit them together in this position. (1 st decrease)
skkp: slip one knitwise, K2, pass slipped stitch over the 2 knit sts and off the needle (one st decrease)
RS = right side
WS = wrong side

Notes: Row 1 adds one extra stitch per repeat (so if you have 30 stitches, you’ll have 33 after you knit Row 1.
Then in Row 3 those extra stitches will be decreased and you’ll be back to your original number.

Pattern:
Row 1: (RS) K3, *k3, yo, skkp, yo, k2, repeat from * to last 3 sts, k3.
Row 2 and all even rows, K3, purl across to last 3 sts, k3.
Row 3: k3, *k3, k2tog, yo, ssk, k2 repeat from * across to last 3 sts, k3.
Row 5: k3, *k2, k2tog, yo, k1, yo, ssk, k1, repeat from * to last 3 sts, k3.
Row7: k3, *k1, k2tog, yo, k3, yo, ssk, repeat from * to last 3 sts, k3.

Repeat these 8 rows five times, then knit Rows 1 – 3 one more time.

Knit 6 rows in stockinette (knit all rows).