The Garter Stitch Scarf, Made Prettier

I’d guess just about every knitter has at one point or another knit a garter stitch scarf. It’s often one of the first things you knit because it’s an easy way to get comfortable with forming the knit stitch. You don’t have to think about shaping or even how much you’ve knit or how much you have left to knit because you can just keep going until it’s a good length, or you’re bored or run out of yarn.

But this take on the garter stitch scarf from NobleKnits shows you that the plain old garter stitch scarf doesn’t have to be abandoned as soon as you learn how to purl. This is still an easy project, but the yarn choice — a “railroad” yarn with a strand of wool running through the “track” for extra stability — makes it look fancier than it is.

Because this is a novelty yarn it’s a little harder to see your stitches than a plain wool would be, so I wouldn’t recommend it for your first knitting project, but when you’re on garter stitch scarf two or three and are looking for something a little different but still dead simple, this is the one for you.

[Photo via NobleKnits.]

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Just about anything you can make in fabric you can make in knitting, but there are some styles that you just don’t see that often translated into knitting.

For example, a button down collared shirt. This is a classic design, of course, and it looks great in a knit version, but it’s just not something you see much of.

Noma Ndlovu’s Guglethu shirt is the pattern to try if you want to knit your own button down shirt. This one is inspired by cashmere tops (though the sample was made out of yak yarn, not cashmere, and uses two strands of lace weight yarn held together) and includes lots of high-fashion details like double-knit cuffs, collar and shoulder seams.

It has a patch pocket on the front and 10 buttons including the button band and the cuffs.

The designer says you can also use a DK weight yarn held singly if you’d rather, and that the shirt looks good in a variety of yarns. There is another version on Ravelry that uses Berroco Remix Light, which is a mix of nylon, cotton, acrylic, silk and cellulose fibers. It has a more relaxed look but it still really pretty.

The pattern has 12 sizes, with a full bust measurement ranging from 32.35 to 72.25 inches, or 82 to 183.5 cm. The designer suggests 2 to 6 inches, or 5 to 15 cm, of positive ease when you pick your size. I could totally see knitting one that’s even bigger to wear more like a jacket, because I do that a lot with button down shirts I already own.

I love all the details on this shirt, which isn’t necessarily difficult to knit, but might introduce you to some things you’ve never knit before (like those cuffs with the plackets, or a shirt collar like this).

To learn more about this shirt and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself, head to Ravelry.

[Photo: Noma Ndlovu]

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