Snakegrass

When I was little, my dad took me on hikes on his parents’ farm in Minnesota. We rambled through woodsy bits, up the hill, across the rockslide, and through tall grassy meadows. I remember him handing me stalks of snakegrass (aka horsetail, aka puzzlegrass, aka Equisetum) and showing me how the segments can be taken apart and put back together.

This design reminds me of the stacked branching structure of snakegrass. One edge is serrated; the other edge undulates smoothly. Each tier grows organically from the previous tier.

Snakegrass is worked flat. The pattern is achieved by alternating colors and slipped stitches. The finished item may be worn as a scarf, or grafted to form a long cowl.

The 60-row pattern is charted; full written directions are also provided.