Beginner Knits: Infinity Scarf Pattern

Last year sometime I saw an advert on TV for a series called "The Art of Knitting". You could buy a magazine which came with instructions, a pair of knitting needles and some wool to start you off. The idea was that each week a new magazine came out and each week you complete a knitted square which by the end of the series could be sewn together to make a blanket. I decided to give it a go as I had previously done some knitting as a child but never took it up seriously as my mum lost patience teaching me (mostly due to the fact that I am left-handed and couldn't get the hang of doing everything backwards). Anyway, I am lucky enough to work with some very talented crafty people at my work, so they said they would steer me in the right direction. 

So I go and buy the first issue, only $2.50--- a bargain! Until I read the fine print "throw complete in 90 issues" Seriously?! That's nearly 2 years work! Not to mention that the regular price of each issue was about $10, so that makes for a long and expensive throw! So I decide on a change of plan, once I get the basic stitches down, I will make a scarf. There can't be anything much simpler than a scarf!

Which brings me to the point of this post! I went to Spotlight to get my wool. Being an absolute novice, I had no idea what to pick out, so I thought I would just pick something I liked the look of. And sure enough I happened upon this little beauty--

A soft black wool with shiny sequins! Right up my alley! And complete with a pattern on the back of the ball band. Could it be any simpler! 

The pattern is very simple so even a real beginner like me didn't have (much) trouble following along. 

The pattern is as follows:

Signorina Infinity Scarf

3x 50g balls "Moda Vera" Signorina

1 pair 4mm knitting needles (I actually used 4.5mm as that was what I had from my magazine)

Scissors

Yarn Needle

Tape measure

Approx size 16cm x 135cm circumference (or as long as you want it really)

Tension

19 sts x 27 rows to 10cm over pattern using 4 mm needles

(I actually have no idea what this means. I just cast on and away I went)

Abbreviations

beg = begin/ing; cont = continue;

K = knit; B = purl; patt = pattern;

sts/s = stitch/es;

Instructions

Cast on 30 sts

Row 1: (K3, P3) to end

Rows 2 and 3: As row 1.

Row 4: (P3, K3) to end.

Rows 5 & 6: As row 4.

These 6 rows for patt. Cont in part until work measures 135cm from beg. Cst off. 

Sew cast off and cast on ends together creating a circle. Sew in ends.

I just have to make a comment about the abbreviations here. What is the point of writing such abbreviated instructions for such a simple pattern! Surely it would take less time to write it out in full??!! This is my bug bear with knitting I think. 

What you end up with is a pattern almost like a checker board with little squares. The pattern is very forgiving in that I made quite a few mistakes and some squares are more like rectangles but it's barely noticeable for the whole scarf. 

It did take me a reeeeeaaaaalllyyyy long time to complete it as the constant switching of the pattern is slow work. Also sometimes I'd get a little lost as to which pattern or knit/purl stitch I was doing. The sewing together of the ends in this wool is good to because you can't see my very average stitches. I am not a perfectionist by any means! I think of myself as a messy creator, if it overall looks good, then it's good enough for me. I think it took me approximately 6 months (or even more) to finish it as I did start late in the Winter last year (2012) and then picked up again in Autumn this year (2013) to finish off. 

But it was well worth it as I have been wearing it CONSTANTLY in the freezing Wellington winter. I've just finished a 2nd one for my sister! Much quicker 2nd time round too!