Wild Strawberry

By Kate Blackburn

In Britain, you’ll find wild strawberries in hedgerows and grassland, their tiny white flowers visible from April to July. The leaf lace pattern is reminiscent of the leaves of these little plants, and the rich pinky red of the yarn brings to mind the fruit that will soon be available for picking.

Knit this pattern as a stole to cover up your shoulders on a summer evening, or use just one skein for a simple scarf.

Photographs: Kate Blackburn

Size
Scarf (Stole)
Approximate finished dimensions after blocking: 19cm/7½ inches x 170cm/68 inches (37.5cm/15 inches x 170cm/68 inches)

Size shown: Stole

Requirements
Yarn: 1(2) skein(s) Fleece Artist Italian Silk (100% silk, 300m/100g) in colour: Fruit Punch
Needles: 3.75mm/US5 circular or straight needles, or size needed to obtain correct tension
Notions: stitch markers (optional)

Tension
24 sts and 28 rows = 10cm/4inches in stocking stitch

Pattern Notes
Directions are given for the scarf first, with the stole in brackets.
Charts show both right and wrong side rows. Read from right to left for odd numbered rows, and from left to right for even numbered rows.
The spaces in each chart separate the different parts of the pattern (edging, leaf pattern, etc). You may find it helpful to place a stitch marker at each point where there is a space in the chart to mark your place in the pattern.

Lace cast on: make a slipknot at one end of the yarn. *Insert needle, wrap yarn round and pull through as if to knit, but place the new loop onto the left-hand needle. Repeat from * to end.

Abbreviations
m1b: make one stitch by using backward loop cast on - make a loop with the yarn and place it on the needle backwards.

The standard list of Inside Loop abbreviations can be found here.

Instructions
*Cast on 33(65)sts using lace cast on.

Scarf only: work four rows of garter stitch.

Both sizes: following Chart A(B), work 21(10) full pattern repeats, and then one more repeat finishing at the end of row 9(19). Slip stitches onto a spare needle** and then work the second half in the same way from * to **.

Finishing
With wrong sides facing, graft the two pieces together. Weave in ends. Soak in lukewarm soapy water, rinse and blot gently. Block to required measurements on a flat surface, pinning out the edges of the stole to form points. Unpin when dry and wear!

About the Yarn
Fleece Artist is based in Nova Scotia, Canada and have a huge range of yarns just as beautiful as their Italian silk. It is available in the UK from Purlescence.

Inside Loop readers can enjoy a special discount while this issue is live, see our Featured Business article for details.

About the Designer
Kate Blackburn is trying to make 2008 her Year of Lace. Read about her efforts on her blog, Confessions of a Graveyard Gypsy.

Contact Kate