Indonesian Teak Scarf

 The two little carved teak betel jars above inspired the Indonesian Teak Scarf, a rich, textural exploration of creams, browns and black with beaded extensions on the ends. When wrapped around your neck twice and arranged so that the dangles hang at your throat, you'll have a piece of jewelry as well as a scarf. Wear it as a shawl or a head wrap, too. Mine, now two years old, has gone everywhere, served as the single item that dresses up plain black outfits and sometimes even convinces me I look chic. In Santa Fe, two women offered to buy it off my neck. Another version recently sold in a gallery in New York.

I've made several of these, each a little different. You will see slight variations of yarn or embellishments among the pictures and paintings I've posted here. This serves as an illustration how much scope for your creativity this design provides.

The instructions that follow are to guide you to creating your own Indonesian Excursions and include a color/texture map to better illustrate how the combination of simple stitches create the look. The instructions are primarily narrative as the emphasis on the technical aspects are more texture and color than complex stitch or pattern work. Follow the instructions while using map as a guide for color and yarn selection.

Materials:

You will need small amounts of brown, black and cream fibers in varying weights and textures, including eyelash and ribbon.

Though I tend to use high-end yarn, this piece will look equally stunning in any brand. If you can afford to buy a skein of Prism Stuff in Mink, which mixes multiple kinds of yarn in a single skein, it will provide you a wonderful array of textures in one package. Otherwise, dig into you stash and perhaps augment with a couple of stunner skeins like a thick, silky, ribbon yarn.

Brand names to seek for this project include Berroco, Trendsetter, Prism, Red Heart and Lion Brand, all of which have lovely textured browns available. Try to pick up something with just a hint of sparkle. I will often use plain cotton yarn mixed with a ladder yarn for the ends of the scarf materials easy to acquire yet look like little jewels when knit.

Other Materials: 

1 pair 4mm needles

1 pair 6mm needles

1 tapestry needle

An assortment of beads

Beading thread and beading needle

Here, gauge is not an issue. Liberate yourself!

*Tip1: You will be changing yarns often. To begin a row with a new yarn, gently hold the new yarn on the wrong side of your work (visually there should be no wrong side to this scarf but, for technical reasons, we'll make one) until you have it knitted snuggly into the first stitch. Loop the end of the new yarn across the back of the work, securing it in the next stitch you knit. This is called 'knitting in', however, I recommend you 'knit in' only two stitches worth and then, after finishing the scarf, go back to pick up those ends and weave them into your work with a tapestry needle. Scarves like to move about and ends that are not well secured with embarrass you in public like unruly children if you don't keep them well-secured.

Tip 2: When choosing colors think of balancing light, medium and dark tones. No other colorscape illustrates this balance better than this one because black is obviously the darkest, brown the medium, and cream the light. This is one of the reasons why the resulting combination is so often universally satisfying. If you add a touch of sparkle (my mantra), you will find the whole piece will lift to a lovely concoction of earthy sparkle. Redheads might go for copper or brass, blonds and brunettes for gold and silver-haired ladies for silver. Try Trendsetter Metal eyelash series for something special.

 Texture/color map: Notice how the drop stitches mixed with fringe and textured yarns give the piece a very earthy, organic look.

The Beginning:

The ends of the scarf are knit with 4mm needles in an alternating k1p1 (seed) stitch to provide the necessary strength to hold the dangle. A stitch is increased at the beginning and end of each row until the desired width is reached. Mine average 8 inches across.

Row 1: With smaller needles and a plain black yarn mixed with a ladder yarn, cast on three stitches.

Row 2: inc1, K1,p1,k1, inc1

Repeat row 2, while careful to knit all previous purl stitches and purl all previous knit stitches until the triangular scarf end measures approximately

8 inches.

Scarf Body:

With larger needles:

• Change yarns to eyelash mixed with another yarn and, while following the  color/texture guide provided, work 2 rows of garter stitch (knit both right side and reverse of row).
• Change yarns to a thick, textured, yarn and work another  2 rows garter stitch
• Change yarns to thinner yarn and work 1 row drop stitch: to make a drop stitch, begin the row with a knit stitch, wrap two lengths of the yarn around your needle and knit another stitch. Repeat until end of row. On the reverse, drop the wrapped loops from the needle and knit the stitch that follows as usual. Repeat until end of row. Gently comb the yarn with your fingers until it hangs straight,
• Change yarns to thick ribbon. Repeat 1 more drop-stitch sequence.
• Continuing with the ribbon, work two rows of seed stitch (k1p1)
• Change yarns to your thickest, most textured yarn and work 6 rows of garter stitch
• Change yarns to cotton mixed with ladder yarn and work 10 rows of simple open work: k1, yo, k2tog* repeat to end. On reverse knit all previous yarn-over loops.
• Change yarns to eyelash mixed with sparkle and knit two rows.
• Change back to ribbon yarn and make a three-wrap drop stitch.
• Knit next two rows with same ribbon
• Change yarns to textured yarn and work seed stitch for 10 more rows
• * Repeat sequence, varying the yarn as you go or strike out on your own with your own choices until your scarf reaches the desired length… Mine is 65 inches, end to end.

• Change yarns back to the same combination used to begin your scarf and resume, decreasing 1 stitch at the beginning of the next row and working the row in seed stitch (k1p1) with another decrease at the end of the row. Continue in seed stitch decreasing at the beginning and end of each row until you're down to the last 2 stitches. Slip 1 stitch onto right needle, knit 1 and pass slipped stitch over knit stitch. Bring the tail end of your yarn through the slipped loop, leaving a three inches tail and cut.

Beaded Dangles.

Have you ever been intrigued by beads? Now is your chance to experiment with this cache pot of wonders. Visit your local or online bead store and select beads that bring out the earthy mystery of this marvelous scarf you've created. I use Africa brass, jasper, Zuni fetishes, smoky quartz, leopard-spotted jasper, shells, even buttons. Seed beads are often sprinkled along the strand for textural interest. The more variations in size and shape you use, the more intriguing your strand.

Be sure to use beading thread when stringing these treasures. Beading thread is stronger and often waxed to make beading easier.

To begin, cut a 12in length of beading thread, drop one seed bead over one end, double the strand and thread both ends through your needle. The little bead will serve to secure the larger beads you'll be adding. Now, study your cache and select a bead you'd like to be seen the most—the bottom anchor for your dangle. You can see the kind of selections I've made in the photos. String your beads to the desired dangle length and then secure the strand flush against the tip of your scarf by making a series of fortifying stitches and knotting the thread invisibly deep into the knitted fiber. Cut. Knot cut ends. Cut again so that no strings show. Repeat for other end. Add as many strands as you'd like. Mine have gone up as high as 4.

Possible online sources for beads:

http://www.firemountaingems.com/

  From top to bottom: a Chinese bamboo carved bead, smoky quartz bead, slice of amber, a seed bead, two more slices of amber, two strands of seed beads threaded through the holes of a carved wooden button, a carved tiger eye bead, one square seed beed, 1 round seed bead, a stack of shell beads, black ebony, a seed beed plus the beginning started seed bead.