Icicle Scarf

Icicle Scarf by Susan Pandorf

Project Overview

The Icicle Scarf is an intermediate-level knitted accessory designed by Susan Pandorf and published by Sunflower Designs. This downloadable PDF pattern creates a delicate, lace-textured scarf suitable for knitters with some experience. The design is categorized as a quick knit project, making it an accessible intermediate pattern for those looking to expand their lace knitting skills.

What Is Being Made

The Icicle Scarf is a narrow, elongated knitted scarf measuring 7 inches wide. The pattern offers two length options: 48 inches or 96 inches, allowing crafters to choose between a standard scarf length or an extended wrap-style version. The finished piece features an elegant lace pattern that creates an openwork design reminiscent of delicate ice formations.

Materials Required

This scarf project requires minimal materials, making it an efficient use of yarn:

• Yarn: 1 skein (150 yards) of Artyarns Beaded Mohair and Sequins in color 178
• Needles: Size 8 (US) needles
• Yarn Weight: The pattern accommodates 3-ply and 4-ply yarn weights, providing flexibility for yarn substitution

Knitting Techniques and Stitches

The Icicle Scarf employs fundamental lace knitting techniques that create an intricate, openwork fabric. The pattern is built on an eight-row repeating lace sequence that forms the visual foundation of the design.

Key Stitches and Techniques Used:

• Knit Stitch (K): Basic knit stitches form the foundation and edge stitches of the pattern
• Purl Stitch (P): Purl stitches create texture variation within the pattern rows
• Yarn Over (YO): This technique creates the characteristic holes and openwork in lace knitting, adding visual interest and airiness to the scarf
• Knit Two Together (K2tog): A right-leaning decrease that balances the yarn overs and maintains stitch count
• Slip, Slip, Knit (SSK): A left-leaning decrease used to create symmetrical decreases in the lace pattern
• Slip 2, Knit 1, Pass Slipped Stitches Over (S2KP): A centered double decrease that creates a distinctive visual element in the lace pattern, with the center stitch appearing on top

Pattern Structure

The lace pattern consists of eight rows that repeat throughout the scarf construction. Rows 1 and 5 are worked entirely in knit stitches, establishing a solid foundation. Rows 2, 4, 6, and 8 feature edge stitches with a purl section in the middle, creating definition. Rows 3 and 7 contain the primary lace motifs, utilizing yarn overs and decreases in specific sequences to form the delicate openwork design. The first and last stitch of each row are maintained as edge stitches for a neat selvage.

Gauge and Finished Dimensions

The pattern specifies a gauge of 6 stitches per 1 inch when measured in the blocked lace pattern. This gauge measurement is essential for achieving the correct finished dimensions of 7 inches wide by either 48 or 96 inches long, depending on the chosen length option.

Design Inspiration

The Icicle Scarf draws thematic inspiration from Christina Rossetti's 1872 poem In the Bleak Mid-Winter, evoking imagery of frost, snow, and winter's crystalline beauty. This literary reference informs the delicate, icy aesthetic of the lace pattern and the scarf's overall design concept.