Mrs Lear's Scarf

Mrs Lear's Scarf by Julia Temisevä

What is Being Made

Mrs Lear's Scarf is a warm, practical knitted scarf designed to evoke the character and family dynamics of Shakespeare's King Lear. The finished scarf measures 7 inches (18 centimeters) wide by 67 inches (170 centimeters) long, though the pattern allows for adjustable sizing. This piece combines functional warmth with literary symbolism, making it suitable for everyday wear while celebrating classical literature.

Design Concept and Symbolism

The scarf features a carefully structured cable and textured stitch arrangement with symbolic meaning. Two prominent columns of cables represent the two heads of the royal family, while three columns of textured stitches surround them to represent their three daughters. The feminine picot edges add refinement, creating a design that balances practicality with elegance—qualities the pattern associates with a practical queen managing family responsibilities. This pattern originally appeared in Defarge Does Shakespeare, ISBN 978-1-937513-70-2.

Techniques Used

Mrs Lear's Scarf requires intermediate knitting skills and involves several important techniques:

• Provisional cast on to establish stitches that can be worked from later
• Working intricate cables from chart, requiring the ability to read and follow cable pattern instructions
• Picking up stitches to create the finished edges
• Picot edge finishing to create the feminine decorative borders

Stitches Used

The pattern employs stockinette stitch as the primary base fabric, with gauge measured at 17 stitches and 21 rows over 4 inches (10 centimeters) in stockinette stitch. The design incorporates cable stitches arranged in two distinct columns and textured stitches in three surrounding columns. While gauge is noted as not critical to the pattern's success, variations in gauge will affect both the yardage required and the final dimensions of the finished scarf.

Materials and Yarn

Mrs Lear's Scarf is designed to be worked in Fyberspates Scrumptious DK, a DK weight yarn containing 55% merino wool and 45% silk. Each 100-gram skein provides 241 yards (220 meters) of yarn. The silk content contributes to the scarf's luxurious drape and sheen, while the merino provides warmth and elasticity. The combination of these fibers creates a yarn that is both practical for everyday wear and elegant enough for special occasions.

Difficulty Level

This pattern is rated as intermediate difficulty, suitable for knitters who have mastered basic techniques and are comfortable reading charts and working cable stitches. The required skills—provisional cast on, cable work, and picking up stitches—represent techniques that intermediate knitters typically encounter as they expand their repertoire beyond basic stockinette and simple colorwork.

Pattern Flexibility

The scarf's finished size is entirely adjustable according to the pattern notes, allowing knitters to customize length and width to suit their preferences or available yarn. This flexibility makes the pattern accessible to knitters working with different yardage amounts or seeking a different final garment size.