The Knit Guru

I made the authentic prop-replica pattern for Bofur’s scarf, and while it is wonderful, it isn’t necessarily the most infinitely wearable scarf. Because of its loose gauge, it is tricky to knit, and doesn’t hold it’s shape too well.

So I’ve adapted the pattern for everyday wear. This has a slightly tighter gauge from smaller needles, and increased rows to compensate for lost length. Do read the whole pattern here before starting, as the tips at the end are what make it easy and neat in my opinion.

You will need:
Size 8mm knitting needles
One ball each of Grey, Bluey-grey and Copper DK yarn (or buy the mithril yarn from Stansborough in Takahe, Raupo and Kokako)

Cast on 28 stitches in the bluey colour. Carry the tail across the back of the knitting as a kind of darn-as-you-go method.
Knit 24 rows
Change to copper. Knit 44 rows.
Change to grey. Knit 60 rows.
Change to blue. Knit 32 rows.
Change to grey. Knit 24 rows.
Change to copper. Knit 42 rows.
Change to blue. Knit 18 rows. Cast off.

Wash the finished scarf in warm water, wool wash and a little fabric softener for about 10 minutes by hand.

Squeeze out water with a towel.

Hang towel over a door or the washing line and drape scarf over the top. Clip a few pegs or clips to the ends to weigh it down. Leave to dry completely.

Super simple. But totally follow these tips for making it awesome.
1. Carry the yarn tails across the first line of the colour change to avoid darning them in at the end. After washing, just chop of the bit that dangles free, and the rest will be well attached in.

2. Slip the last stitch of every row to get a neater edge. The only exception is on the first row of a colour change where I recommend knitting to the end completely, then slipping the first stitch on the following row. This does keep the rows very neat.

3. Only use 100% wool. It works the best for getting the right look and a slight felting effect in the washing stage.

4. In the colour change rows, knit 1 stitch (which had been slipped at the end of the previous row. Then tie the two ends of the old and new colour together. This will create a knot between the first 2 stitches where it will never be seen.

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