Knitting the Sophie Scarf by PetiteKnit

Four years after everyone else, I decided to knit a Sophie scarf (short version). This was not on my to-do list, but I quickly looked for a pattern that would allow me to use up the yarn I had initially ordered for my Taylor hat (which ended up being the wrong weight), while I waited for my next order to arrive.

It turned out to be the perfect small project to practice a few knitting techniques and get back into the rhythm of knitting.

Supplies

Yarn

For this first scarf, I used Friends Wool in Arctic Blue (77).

And I still have the following colors in my stash:

• Friends Wool in Cranberry (42)
• Friends Wool in Dark Denim (81)
• Friends Wool in Cognac (17)

I opted for a 4.5 mm circular needle (instead of the 3.5 mm recommended in the pattern), since my yarn was 50g for 100 m.

Knitting Tools

• Bamboo circular needles
• A row counter clicker
• Stitch markers
• A small crochet hook (to pick up dropped stitches)
• A kitchen scale (to weigh my yarn halfway through)
• A tapestry needle(for weaving in ends)
• Foam blocking mats
• Wool wash

Useful Techniques

• Knitting the first 4 rows
• Weighing your yarn, marking the wrong side, decreasing
• Picking up a dropped i-cord
• Fixing an i-cord edge
• Weaving the ends

Tips & Tricks

• Do not forget to put your yarn in front before slipping the last 3 stitches of each row!

• Use your clicker at the end of each row. Don't forget to make an increase or a decrease when the clicker shows 7 (while you're working on row 8). Reset your clicker at the end of row 8.

• Add a stitch marker at the end of row 8. It will help you tremendously if you make a mistake and need to frog a few rows. It will also allow you to make sure you make your increases (or decreases) on the same side every time, and ensure you have a perfect triangular shape in the end.

• Weigh your yarn before starting the decreases to make sure you'll have enough to finish knitting the second half of your scarf.

• Block your finished project: soak your knitted scarf in lukewarm water with knit wash (I use hair conditioner) for 10-15 minutes; gently wring out excess water, then roll the scarf in a towel and step on it so it absorbs as much water as possible; pin your scarf to the desired measurements on a piece of foam and let it air dry.

Review

Since I don't knit often, I feel like I'm relearning every time I start a new project. And this one was no exception — I frogged the scarf almost ten times before I got the hang of it.

I keep learning that mistakes are part of the process and help me understand how the stitches are formed. Once I finally started using stitch markers at the end of every row featuring an increase, and once I learned how to pick up i-cord stitches after frogging a few rows, I managed to fix my mistakes and keep going instead of frogging everything and starting over.

This ended up being the perfect small project to get back into knitting, and I might already be planning to start another one. Which color should I make next: red, orange, or dark blue?

Have you ever made a Sophie scarf? If you have tips or tricks that made your life easier, I’d love to hear them.