Whit's Knits: Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf

It seems that many of us have two reasons to knit and that these reasons are the opposite of each other! We, on the one hand, choose projects for their monotony, knowing that mindlessness and repetitive motion put us in a meditative state that even a yogi might admire.

And, on the other hand, we love a challenge, knowing that when a pattern activates our minds and surprises our expectations the result is an elated sense of achievement. Here's a pattern for when you're in that kind of a mood!

The Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf takes traditional entrelac knitting, which involves lots of small triangles and squares, and gives it a modern look with a blown-up scale and a pared-down style. Omitting all those squares, you'll knit just the first and last rows of entrelac, ending up with eleven big triangles in all. Pretty fascinating and definitely fun!

And if you're unfamiliar with the mysteries of entrelac, you'll perhaps come to the pleasant realization that those two opposite reasons we knit sometimes become one. As your mind whirrs with wonder, you may have to suspend your disbelief and relax your skepticism. You may, in fact, just have to take a leap of faith into the unknown!

The secret behind this scarf's spectacular glow is a new yarn from the wizards at Alchemy. Tweedy is a very lightweight blend of cotton, silk and mohair, loosely spun into a beautiful cocoon of hand dyed color! Each skein has in common a creamy white strand of cotton so that colors blend subtly together, shifting from shade to shade as if lit by the sun!

The Materials

• 4 skeins of Alchemy's Tweedy, 31% mohair, 20% silk, 49% cotton. These colors are, from the left: Platinum, Magnolia, Silver and Teardrop. 
• A US #5, 24 or 32 inch circular needle.
• A Size F (4 mm) crochet hook

We love our palette of soft ballet tones but could hardly resist some other gorgeous combinations! From denim blues to sunshine yellows to smokey grays, here are some other great color ideas:

These are, from the left, Platinum, Pale Blue Eyes, Moonstone and Cornflower Blue.

These are Platinum, Canary, Michelle's Marigold and Harvest Moon.

And these are Platinum, Magnolia, Pewter and Asiatic.

The Pattern

Gauge

6 stitches = 1 inch in garter stitch (unblocked)

Finished Size

7 inches wide and 78 inches long (blocked)

Colors

For this version, here's how I assigned the colors:

Color A - Magnollia (light gray)

Color B - Teardrop (pink)

Color C - Platinum (cream)

Color D - Silver (medium gray)

Begin - Triangle #1

With Color A, cast on 300 stitches.

Row 1 (wrong side): K1, turn the work.

Row 2 (right side): Repeat Row 1.

Row 3: K2, turn.

Row 4: Repeat Row 3.

Row 5: K3, turn.

Row 6: Repeat Row 5.

Row 7: K4, turn.

Row 8: Repeat Row 7.

Continue in this pattern, working one additional stitch from the cast on edge at the end of every wrong side row. End with the wrong side row that brings your stitch count to 60. Do not turn the work. (60 stitches on the right needle and 240 stitches on the left needle)

Cut Color A.

Triangle #2

Change to Color B. Work as for the first triangle, working the cast on stitches...

*Row 1 (ws): K1, turn.

Row 2 (rs): Repeat Row 1.

Row 3: K2, turn.

Row 4: Repeat Row 3.

Continue in pattern, working an additional cast on stitch at the end of every wrong side row and knitting to the end of the current color on every right side row. Do not work any of the previous triangle's stitches.

Work until there are 60 stitches of the current color, ending with a wrong side row. Do not turn. Cut the yarn.**

Triangles #3, 4, and 5

Change to Color C and repeat from * to **.

Change to Color D and repeat from * to **.

Change to Color B and repeat from * to **, except this time, turn the work at the end so the right side is facing you.

Triangle #6

Now that you have worked the whole cast on and have formed five triangles, you will work in the other direction, knitting more triangles that in the end will create a rectangle. Magic!

Triangle #6 is really a half a triangle and is worked over the 60 stitches of Triangle #5.

Change to Color A.

Row 1 (rs): K1, turn the work.

Row 2 (ws): Knit into front and back (kfb), turn. (1 Color A stitch increased)

Row 3: K1, ssk (1 stitch of Color A together with 1 stitch of Color B), turn. (1 Color B stitch decreased)

Row 4: Kfb, k1, turn. (1 Color A stitch increased)

Row 5: Knit to last stitch of Color A, ssk, turn. (1 Color B stitch decreased)

Row 6: Knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1, turn. (1 Color A stitch increased)

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until there are 30 stitches of Color A and 30 stitches of Color B, ending with a right side row.

Next Row (ws): Knit to last 3 stitches, ssk, k1, turn. (1 Color A stitch decreased)

Next Row (rs): Repeat Row 5.

Repeat the last two rows until two stitches of each color remain, ending with a right side row. Turn the work.

Next Row (ws): K2tog, turn.

Next Row (rs): Slip, slip, slip, k3tog. 1 stitch remains.

Cut Color A.

Triangle #7

Change to Color C and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #5. (60 stitches total)

*Turn the work.

Row 1 (ws): Knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1, turn. (1 Color C stitch decreased)

Row 2 (rs): Knit to last stitch of Color C, ssk (1 stitch of Color C together with 1 stitch of Color D), turn. (1 Color D stitch decreased)

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until two stitches of each color remain, ending with a right side row. Turn the work.

Next Row (ws): K2tog, turn.

Next Row: Slip, slip, slip, k3tog. 1 stitch remains.

Cut Color C. **

Triangles #8, 9, and 10

Change to Color B and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #4. (60 stitches total)

Repeat From * to ** of Triangle #7 section, substituting "Color C" with "Color B" and "Color D" with "Color C".

Change to Color A and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #3. (60 stitches total)

Repeat From * to ** of Triangle #7 section, substituting "Color C" with "Color A" and "Color D" with "Color B".

Change to Color D and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #2. (60 stitches total)

Repeat From * to ** of Triangle #7 section, substituting "Color C" with "Color D" and "Color D" with "Color A".

Triangle #11

This final triangle is another half triangle, this one worked a little differently than the first.

Change to Color C and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #1. (60 stitches total)

Turn the work.

Row 1 (ws): Knit all 60 stitches, turn.

Row 2 (rs): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1, turn. (2 stitches decreased)

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until four stitches remain, ending with a right side row.

Next Row (ws): Knit, turn.

Next Row (rs): Ssk, k2tog, turn. (2 stitches)

Next Row: K2tog. (1 stitch)

Cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.

Crochet Edge

With Color A and the right side facing you, start at the right bottom corner of the scarf and make 28 single crochets (sc) along the short end of the scarf.

Chain 1 to turn the corner and make 30 sc along the edge of the first triangle. Continue along the long side of the scarf, making 59 sc for each triangle, until the last one. Make 30 sc along the edge of the final triangle.

Chain 1 to turn the corner and make 28 sc along the other short end of the scarf. Chain 1 and slip stitch into the cast on edge to finish. Cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.

Now weave in the ends and gently block your scarf. You're all done!