Because I still have so much yarn left

It's quite scary to realise the amount of yarn that I have left (3 balls, 100g for each ball).

Though I have plans to make a matching hat, I still haven't really found a design that I like and one that isn't too challenging a beginner like me. I think after making a hat I'd be able to make mittens and still have at least a ball of yarn left.

But right now my hands are itching again as I surf around the net for a hat design that I like to match with my scarf. So I decided to do a small project first.

I think the lace pattern just looks so sweet in this shade of pink!

At the very very beginning I was thinking of making a headband for myself (and then if it turns out nice, for my friend as well). I got a free, downloadable pattern for lacy headbands from KnitPicks and chose pattern C, the Sheraden Ann Headband. Then as I was working on it, I realise that it's actually kind of wide for my small head. So I decided to make it into a pouch for my new Creative Zen MP3 player instead since I have been dropping it accidentally

I just love this lace pattern. Hopefully I'll be able to find a nice hat pattern with this lace pattern!

DIY: Young Hearts Scarf

And so it's finally done!

Actually I finished the scarf about more than a week ago but I just simply never got to blog about it.

So, this is it. My first official project, my pride and joy, the one that is going to set the standards for future projects!

I added those cute, mini pom-poms at the end of each edge which really increased the attractiveness of the scarf. As the scarf is not exactly very long, only 1 ball of yarn is used to knit the scarf (excluding the pom-poms). So this leaves me with 3 extra balls of yarn (=.=). But luckily, I had plans to make a matching hat.

The scarf wasn't supposed to be this skinny(as can be seen from the first post), but the pattern made the sides fold in such that the scarf became half the breadth but double the original thickness. I'm not sure if I can block the scarf because I used a 100% acrylic yarn. Oh well, but I think that it's a blessing in disguise because this makes the scarf warmer and looks nicer!

So here goes, the pattern for Young Hearts Scarf:

Yarn: Patons Smoothie DK in colour 1025
Needles: 4mm single pointed needles

Cast on 3 stitches

Increasing
Row 1: M1, K3, M1
Row 2: purl all
Row 3: M1, K5, M1
Row 4: purl all
Row 5: M1, K7, M1
Row 6: purl all
Row 7: M1, K9, M1
Row 8: purl all
Row 9: M1. K11, M1
Row 10: purl all
Row 11: M1, K13, M1
Row 12: purl all
Row 13: M1, K15, M1
Row 14: purl all
Row 15: M1, K17, M1
Row 16: purl all
Row 17: M1, K19, M1
Row 18: purl all

Hearts Pattern
Row 1: K3, (P1, KI) 8 times, K2
Row 2: K3, P15, K3
Row 3: K3, (P1, K6) 2 times, P1, K3
Row 4: K3, (P6, K3) 2 times
Row 5: K3, P1, K4, P2, K1, P2, K4, P1, K3
Row 6: K3, P4, K2, P3, K2, P4, K3
Row 7: K3, P1, K2, P2, K5, P2, K2, P1, K3
Row 8: K3, P2, K2, (P3, K1) 2 times, K1, P2, K3
Row 9: K3, P1, K1, P2, K2, P3, K2, P2, K1, P1, K3
Row 10: K3, P3, K4, P1, K4, P3, K3
Row 11: K3, P1, K3, P2, K3, P2, K3, P1, K3
Row 12: K3, P15, K3

Continue knitting until you have reached half of your desired length for the scarf, then:

Row 12: K3, P15, K3
Row 11: K3, (P1, K6) 2 times, P1, K3
Row 10: K3, (P6, K3) 2 times
Row 9: K3, P1, K4, P2, K1, P2, K4, P1, K3
Row 8: K3, P4, K2, P3, K2, P4, K3
Row 7: K3, P1, K2, P2, K5, P2, K2, P1, K3
Row 6: K3, P2, K2, (P3, K1) 2 times, K1, P2, K3
Row 5: K3, P1, K1, P2, K2, P3, K2, P2, K1, P1, K3
Row 4: K3, P3, K4, P1, K4, P3, K3
Row 3: K3, P1, K3, P2, K3, P2, K3, P1, K3
Row 2: K3, P15, K3
Row 1: K3, (P1, KI) 8 times, K2

*note that it is actually just the reverse of the previous pattern. this is to make sure that your hearts will not be facing upside down when you wind your scarf around your neck


Notice how the hearts are actually still right-side up even though I folded the scarf?

Decreasing
Row 1: k2tog, k17, k2tog
Row 2: purl all
Row 3: k2tog, K13, k2tog
Row 4: purl all
Row 5: k2tog, K9 k2tog
Row 6: purl all
Row 7: k2tog, K5, k2tog
Row 8: purl all
Row 9: k2tog, K1, k2tog
Row 10: purl all


Bind off

*pom-poms are optional. but for those interested in adding them, you can find instructions for making pom-poms here