by Kristi Porter

I've always been enamored by the idea of traditional anniversary gifts. One is paper, two is cotton, five is wood, seven is wool.... And if you take an additive approach, then every anniversary can be a knitted (or knitting) gift: silk + wool = 19, wool + wood + paper + paper (yarn, needles, and a two-page pattern?) = 14, and so on. The traditional gift for the tenth anniversary is tin. Hmmm.

Sometimes inspiration comes when you least expect it. Corrugated metal, manhole covers, and diamond-stamped metal plates started jumping out at me and their textures and repetitive patterns seemed natural to knitting.

So this scarf, knit in a yarn with a metal component that gives it a unique form and structure, with a stitch pattern inspired by stamped and corrugated metal, is my 10th anniversary gift to Knitty. Here's to many happy returns of the day!

And just so you know--thirteen is lace.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Width: 6 inches
Length: 64 inches

MATERIALS
Yarn
Habu Textiles A-20 Silk Stainless Steel [69% silk, 31% stainless steel; 311 yd/300 m per o.5 oz cone]; color: 3 Gray; 2 cones

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #9/5.5 mm straight needles, or size needed to approximate gauge

Notions
Yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

This yarn is unique thanks to its stainless steel content. The pattern can be knit with a more traditional wool yarn, but the result will be quite different. Habu also has a selection of other fibers blended with stainless, should you wish to experiment.

M1: Insert left needle, from front to back, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit and the following stitch; knit into the back of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

M1P: Insert left needle, from front to back, under the horizontal strand which lies between the stitch just knit and the following stitch; purl into the back of this loop. 1 stitch increased.

Smocking Stitch
(Over a multiple of 6 sts plus 3)
Row 1 [RS]: K3, [p3, k3] to end.

Rows 2 and all even rows [WS]: P3, [k3, p3] to end.

Row 3 [RS]: As Row 1.

Row 5 [RS]: *Insert RH needle between 9th and 10th st on LH needle and draw through a loop, slip this loop onto LH needle and k2tog with next st, k2, p3, k3, p3; rep from * to last 9 sts, "insert" RH needle at end of row, pull up a loop and put it on the LH needle and k2tog with next st, k2, p3, k3.

Row 7 [RS]: As Row 1.

Row 9 [RS]: As Row 1.

Row 11 [RS]: K3, p3, *insert RH needle between 9th and 10th st on LH needle and draw through a loop, slip this loop onto LH needle and k2tog with next st, k2, p3, k3, p3, rep from * to last 3 sts, k3.

DIRECTIONS
First Ruffle
With a single strand of yarn, CO 55 sts.

Row 1 [RS]: K5, [p5, k5] to end.

Row 2 [WS]: P5, [k5, p5] to end.

Rep these 2 rows 5 more times.

Body
Set-up row 1 [RS]: K2tog, k1, ssk, [p2tog, p1, p2tog tbl, k2tog, k1, ssk] to end. 33 sts.

Set-up row 2 [WS]: Add in a second strand of yarn; p3, [k3, p3] to end.

Work Smocking Stitch until scarf measures approximately 60 inches, ending with Row 10 of the pattern pattern.

Second Ruffle
Cut 1 strand of yarn and make second ruffle with a single strand only.

Set-up Row [RS]: (K1, m1) twice, k1, [(p1, m1p) twice, p1, (k1, m1) twice, k1] to end. 55 sts.

Row 1 [WS]: P5, [k5, p5] to end.

Row 2 [RS]: K5, [p5, k5] to end.

Rep these 2 rows 5 more times.

Bind off.

FINISHING
Weave in ends. Do not block using conventional methods: you can easily form this scarf with your hands to change the shape.

Kristi has been involved with Knitty since its start in 2002. She had a design featured in the first issue, "Haiku*", and took on the role of Knitty's first technical editor. These moves led directly to her current work as a designer -- and author of four knitting books -- as well as her principal work as a freelance technical editor for major publishers and independent designers. You can find her on Ravelry and Twitter.

Kristi would like to thank her daughters for their willingness to model, Suzanne Pineau for knitting quickly, beautifully and cheerfully, Siobhan Arnold for photography, and Thrift Trader for allowing us to use their location.

*Editor's note: The model for Haiku is the same Ella you see at the very top of this page. And here's Zoe in another of her mom's designs from one of our very early issues. This is how we know a decade has really passed. We only hope we've grown 10 years older as gracefully as Kristi's girls have.