Bärentatzen Scarf

Ever since I knitted a brioche-lace combination for my Mum (see Luftbläschen Scarf) I wanted to do another project that incorporated both techniques.
So, here’s another scarf that combines the fluffiness of brioche with the elegance of lace - and because it’s brioche, it’s reversible. Once you get the hang of it, its fun to do - and I really like the result .

As to the name, the stitch pattern reminded me of certain piped chocolate biscuits that are tradional here, called Bärentatzen (which literally translates to bear claws, but American bear claws are a different bakery item). The photo at the end of this post shows Bärentatzen.

The pattern is available as a PDF

• on Ravelry, 
• on Loveknitting, 
• on Payhip and 
• on Gumroad.

It is 10 pages long and contains:

• the complete written patterns to knit this scarf
• a chart of the pattern repeats
• photo tutorials for the following stitches /stitch combinations
• brk4stdec: a double centred decrease in brioch
• brk2stLdec: a left-leaning decrease in brioche
• brk2stRdec: a right-leaning decrease in brioche
• sl1yo, yo, brk: i.e. a yarn-over between two stitches when knitting brioche
• kp1, i.e. knitting two stitches of the sl1yo, yo into the yarn-over of the row below
• yo, sl1yo, brk: also a yarn-over between two stitches in brioche, but in a different sequence to make the pattern look symmetrical on the other side
• pk1, i.e. knitting two stitches of the yo, sl1yo into the yarn-over of the row below

Skills you need to finish this scarf

• knitting brioche (in one color)
• a certain stamina while knitting - this is knitted in lace weight yarn and brioche, i.e. it grows extremely slow

Materials

• about 250 to 300 grams of Lace weight yarn (I used Wollmeise lace, colorway Hamam)
• 3.25 mm knitting needles
• 1 removable stitch marker (or a bobby pin) to do the 4st brioche decrease
• a tapestry needle to weave in ends

Cupcake Hat

I had the idea for this wavy hat for quite a long time - but it took me a while to actually do it (and I honestly don't know why :), and in my head I had the color distribution planned differently. But I am quite pleased with the result now.
I knitted this hat with leftover yarn (nearly one ball of each color) from a cowl (BFF Cowl designed by Ysolda Teague & tiny owl knits that I knitted back in 2012, a gorgeous Knitty.com pattern) and a pair of fingerless gloves (a DK version of my Short Wave Mitts). In the end, it was a game of yarn chicken, but fortunately I won :) (I would have frogged it and started it again with a shorter rim otherwise ...)

This hat is knitted sideways  with a chevron pattern and short rows. Starting with a provisional CO and ending with grafting gives it a seamless look.
The pattern is given in one size only, but there are explanations on how to adapt it to other sizes.

This work by Knitting and so on is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.






Materials

• 100 grams of DK weight yarn in two colors - 50 grams of each color
• 4mm knitting needles
• scrap yarn for provisional CO
• tapestry needle for grafting and weaving in end

Techniques

• Provisional CO: My favorite method for a provision CO is the crochet provisional CO - it is shown in this Youtube video by New Stitch a Day.
• Short rows with wrap and turn (w+t) - as shown in this YouTube video by Very Pink Knits. 
• Grafting in stockinette stitch (also called Kitchener Stitch): a way to seamlessly join two rows of live stitches - as shown in this YouTube video by WEBS America's Yarn Store.

Size and Gauge
The hat measures 23 cm from rim to crown and about 49 cm in circumference (unstretched).
For me, 8 ridges (16 rows) in garter stitch gave 5 cm in height and 11 sts in garter stitch gave 5 cm in width.


How to Adapts to Other Sizes
Height: The rows consist of a rim and (for the waves) of short parts A and B (with A = "kfb, k3, ssk" and B = "k2tog, k3, kfb"). So to adapt the height you can either make the rim bigger or smaller - by casting on more or fewer stitches. Or you can do more waves, by adapting the number of A and B parts. But you have to make sure, that you use A and B alternately.
Circumference: At the rim, there are 160 rows - or 80 ridges (9 in garter stitch and 1 in stockinette per section).
Using your gauge, calculate the number of ridges you need and round to the next value that is divisible by 8. The number you get is the number of ridges per section. So you need to adapt the number of ridges as given in the pattern. Knitting fewer ridges means not knitting the last row(s) of a section (according to your calculations). Knitting more ridges means making the following ridges shorter by 2 stitches per ridge.

Instructions

The pattern is a repeat of chevrons - and these chevrons consist of two parts - one that starts with an increase and ends with a decrease (A) and one the other way round (B).
Therefore, the following abbreviations will be used.
A = kfb, k3, ssk
B = k2tog, k3, kfb

Rows are started on WS – that way you change yarns at the crown of the hat (very close to on another), so you don‘t have to carry your (currently) unused yarn up or cut your yarns.

Section 1 (in C1):
pCO60 – and leave a tail long enough for grafting (about 1 meter)
R1 (setup row, RS): k12, pm, k6, pm, k6, pm, k6, pm, k6, pm, k6, pm, k6, pm, k6, pm, k6
Ri2: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, k4, w+t
Ri3: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, k2, w+t
Ri4: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, w+t
Ri5: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, k4, w+t
Ri6: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, k2, w+t
Ri7: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, w+t
Ri8: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x2, A, sm, k4, w+t
Ri9: (WS) k to 12 bef end, w+t, (RS) [A, sm, B, sm]x2, A, sm, k2, w+t
Ri10: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x2, A, sm, w+t
Ri11: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, B

Section 2 (in C2):
Ri12: (WS) sl1, p to last st, k1, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, k4, w+t
Ri13: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, k2, w+t
Ri14: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, w+t
Ri15: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, k4, w+t
Ri16: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, k2, w+t
Ri17: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, w+t
Ri18: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x2, A, sm, k4, w+t
Ri19: (WS) k to 12 bef end, w+t, (RS) [A, sm, B, sm]x2, A, sm, k2, w+t
Ri20: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x2, A, sm, w+t
Ri21: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x2, k4, w+t
Ri22: (WS) k all, turn, (RS) sl1, k11, sm, [A, sm, B, sm]x3, A, sm, B

Repeat ridges 12 to 22 6 more times in alternating colors.
Now you have  a total of 8 sections, i.e. 4 sections of each color

Put the stitches from your provisional cast-on on a needle, hold both needles right sides together, holding the needle with the last knitted row (in C2) in front - see picture on the right.

Use the yarn tail (in C1) to graft together in stockinette stitch.

Weave in ends.