Knitting for men; Sky Scarf Pattern

[Sky is the blue/cream one on the right.]
It's no secret that men are hard to please when it comes to handknits. As far as I know, there are several books on this topic, such as Men in Knits: Sweaters to Knit That He Will Wear and Never Knit Your Man a Sweater(Unless You've Got the Ring). Both books are very cleverly written, and most of the featured patterns are classic and practical.

If I summarize what I have learned over the years, there are a few basic, foolproof points.




1. Always ask before starting to knit. Most men do not wear a hand knitted tie.

2. Make him specify what he likes in great detail.

3. Use soft, basic, machine-washable yarn in safe/classic/boring colors that match his wardrobe.

4. Take measurements and modify the pattern for a tailored fit.

5. Get him to try the WIP at every stage.

That's all... and welcome, my friends, to add more to the list!

Men and women are from different planets, and the way we look at clothes and accessories reflect the differences. Women's fashion is composed of many elements--original ideas, ever-changing color palettes, fancy textures and shapes, decorative details, etc, etc. Men's fashion, on the contrary, is all about quality fabrics and fine tailoring.

How many sweaters, cardigans, and camisoles do I have? I don't know, I just keep buying more. And I always ruefully recollect the ones that I did not buy. How many sweaters and vests does Leopard have? Less than ten. And he always says no when I beg him to try a new one. But even Leopard likes a well tailored, hand knitted vest which he wears to work. Of course it took much longer than any of my sweaters to knit. But for me, it's rewarding to see him wearing it, knowing that it will accompany him for many years.

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Sky Scarf Pattern

You can download the free pattern here, in .pdf format, for personal and/or non-profitable use.

This is the hyperlink to the pattern downloading page:
http://www.savefile.com/files/708204

As usual, if you prefer copying and editing, just help yourself here:

SKY SCARF PATTERN

Iris G
The name of this scarf, as you may have guessed, comes from the colors. Knitted from three skeins of an Aran weight, easy-care yarn in a rib pattern, Sky makes an excellent guy’s scarf. [This one has seen 4 long winters already.] Use serious colors such as grey, black, and/or navy to make a dressy scarf, or pick some fun color for a playful one.

Skill Level
Easy

Finished Size
Length: 50 inches (127 cm)
Width: 6.5 inches (16 cm), unstretched

Materials
• Approximately 150 yards (135 m) of Aran weight yarn in color A; 77 yards (70 m) of aran weight yarn in color B. Shown in Filatura Di Crosa Zara Plus (wool, 77 yd/70m per 1.75oz/50g ball), 2 balls in #02 off-white, 1 ball in #04 light blue
• One pair size 8 (5 mm) needles, or size to obtain gauge

Gauge/Tension
14 stitches and 20 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) over Stockinette stitches

Abbreviations
k, p – knit, purl
st, sts – stitch, stitches
RS, WS – right side, wrong side

Scarf
With color A, cast on 30 sts.
Row 1 (RS): P2, k3, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k4, p2, k3, p2.
Row 2 (WS): K2, p3, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p4, k2, p3, k2.
Repeat the two rows for rib pattern throughout.
Work until piece measures 15 inches (38 cm) or until there are a few yards of A left, end with a WS row.
Join color B, work two rows with B.
Change to A and work two rows.
Repeat the above four rows twice more. Cut off A and work with B for 15 inches (38 cm), end with a WS row.
Join another ball of color A, work two rows with A.
Change to B and work two rows.
Repeat the above four rows twice more. Cut off B and work with A for 15 inches (38 cm).
Bind off in rib pattern.

Finishing
Weave in ends. Block lightly if desired.

Diagram


© Iris G 2007 – All rights reserved
Visit Iris at http://irisgknits.blogspot.com/ for more designs and discussions.