Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

It seems that many of us have two reasons to knit and that these reasons are the opposite of each other! We, on the one hand, choose projects for their monotony, knowing that mindlessness and repetitive motion put us in a meditative state that even a yogi might admire.

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

And, on the other hand, we love a challenge, knowing that when a pattern activates our minds and surprises our expectations the result is an elated sense of achievement. Here’s a pattern for when you’re in that kind of a mood!

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

The Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf takes traditional entrelac knitting, which involves lots of small triangles and squares, and gives it a modern look with a blown-up scale and a pared-down style. Omitting all those squares, you’ll knit just the first and last rows of entrelac, ending up with eleven big triangles in all. Pretty fascinating and definitely fun!

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

And if you’re unfamiliar with the mysteries of entrelac, you’ll perhaps come to the pleasant realization that those two opposite reasons we knit sometimes become one. As your mind whirrs with wonder, you may have to suspend your disbelief and relax your skepticism. You may, in fact, just have to take a leap of faith into the unknown!

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

The secret behind this scarf’s spectacular glow is a new yarn from the wizards at Alchemy. Tweedy is a very lightweight blend of cotton, silk and mohair, loosely spun into a beautiful cocoon of hand dyed color! Each skein has in common a creamy white strand of cotton so that colors blend subtly together, shifting from shade to shade as if lit by the sun! -Whitney

Update: December 2014

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

We made a cozy winter version of our Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf in Purl Soho’s very own Flax Down (NOTE: No longer available)! Read all about it here!

Designed by Purl Soho designer, Whitney Van Nes.

Share your progress and connect with the community by tagging your pics with #PurlSoho, #PurlSohoBusyHands, #PurlSohoJustTrianglesEntrelacScarf. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho
  • 4 skeins of Alchemy’s Tweedy, 31% mohair, 20% silk, 49% cotton. Each skein is 225 yards/ 34 grams; approximately 900 yards required. These colors are, from the left: Platinum, Magnolia, Silver, and Teardrop.
  • A US 5 (3.75 mm), 24 or 32 inch circular needle
  • A Size F (4 mm) crochet hook

We love our palette of soft ballet tones but could hardly resist some other gorgeous combinations! From denim blues to sunshine yellows to smokey grays, here are some other great color ideas:

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

These are, from the left, Platinum, Pale Blue Eyes, Moonstone and Cornflower Blue.

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

These are Platinum, Canary, Michelle’s Marigold and Harvest Moon.

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

And these are Platinum, Magnolia, Pewter and Asiatic.

Gauge

24 stitches = 4 inches in garter stitch (unblocked)

Size

7 inches wide x 78 inches long (blocked)

Notes

For this version, here’s how I assigned the colors:

Color A – Magnolia (light gray)

Color B – Teardrop (pink)

Color C – Platinum (cream)

Color D – Silver (medium gray)

Pattern

NOTE: This pattern is also available as a printer-friendly PDF. Just click here.

Begin – Triangle #1

With Color A, cast on 300 stitches. We used a basic Long Tail Cast On.

Row 1 (wrong side): K1, turn the work.

Row 2 (right side): Repeat Row 1.

Row 3: K2, turn.

Row 4: Repeat Row 3.

Row 5: K3, turn.

Row 6: Repeat Row 5.

Row 7: K4, turn.

Row 8: Repeat Row 7.

Continue in this pattern, working one additional stitch from the cast on edge at the end of every wrong side row. End with the wrong side row that brings your stitch count to 60. Do not turn the work. (60 stitches on the right needle and 240 stitches on the left needle)

Cut Color A.

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

Triangle #2

Change to Color B. Work as for the first triangle, working the cast on stitches…

*Row 1 (wrong side): K1, turn.

Row 2 (right side): Repeat Row 1.

Row 3: K2, turn.

Row 4: Repeat Row 3.

Continue in pattern, working an additional cast on stitch at the end of every wrong side row and knitting to the end of the current color on every right side row. Do not work any of the previous triangle’s stitches.

Work until there are 60 stitches of the current color, ending with a wrong side row. Do not turn. Cut the yarn.**

Triangles #3, 4, and 5

Change to Color C and repeat from * to **.

Change to Color D and repeat from * to **.

Change to Color B and repeat from * to **, except this time, turn the work at the end so the right side is facing you.

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

Triangle #6

Now that you have worked the whole cast on and have formed five triangles, you will work in the other direction, knitting more triangles that in the end will create a rectangle. Magic!

Triangle #6 is really a half a triangle and is worked over the 60 stitches of Triangle #5.

Change to Color A.

Row 1 (right side): K1, turn the work.

Row 2 (wrong side): Knit into front and back (kfb), turn. (1 Color A stitch increased)

Row 3: K1, ssk (1 stitch of Color A together with 1 stitch of Color B), turn. (1 Color B stitch decreased)

Row 4: Kfb, k1, turn. (1 Color A stitch increased)

Row 5: Knit to last stitch of Color A, ssk, turn. (1 Color B stitch decreased)

Row 6: Knit to last 2 stitches, kfb, k1, turn. (1 Color A stitch increased)

Repeat Rows 5 and 6 until there are 30 stitches of Color A and 30 stitches of Color B, ending with a right side row.

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

Next Row (wrong side): Knit to last 3 stitches, ssk, k1, turn. (1 Color A stitch decreased)

Next Row (right side): Repeat Row 5.

Repeat the last two rows until two stitches of each color remain, ending with a right side row. Turn the work.

Next Row (wrong side): K2tog, turn.

Next Row (right side): Slip, slip, slip, k3tog. 1 stitch remains.

Cut Color A.

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

Triangle #7

Change to Color C and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #5. (60 stitches total)

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

*Turn the work.

Row 1 (wrong side): Knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1, turn. (1 Color C stitch decreased)

Row 2 (right side): Knit to last stitch of Color C, ssk (1 stitch of Color C together with 1 stitch of Color D), turn. (1 Color D stitch decreased)

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until two stitches of each color remain, ending with a right side row. Turn the work.

Next Row (wrong side): K2tog, turn.

Next Row: Slip, slip, slip, k3tog. 1 stitch remains.

Cut Color C. **

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho

Triangles #8, 9, and 10

Change to Color B and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #4. (60 stitches total)

Repeat From * to ** of Triangle #7 section, substituting “Color C” with “Color B” and “Color D” with “Color C”.

Change to Color A and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #3. (60 stitches total)

Repeat From * to ** of Triangle #7 section, substituting “Color C” with “Color A” and “Color D” with “Color B”.

Change to Color D and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #2. (60 stitches total)

Repeat From * to ** of Triangle #7 section, substituting “Color C” with “Color D” and “Color D” with “Color A”.

Triangle #11

This final triangle is another half triangle, this one worked a little differently than the first.

Change to Color C and with the right side facing you, pick up 59 stitches along the left side of Triangle #1. (60 stitches total)

Turn the work.

Row 1 (wrong side): Knit all 60 stitches, turn.

Row 2 (right side): K1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches, k2tog, k1, turn. (2 stitches decreased)

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 until four stitches remain, ending with a right side row.

Next Row (wrong side): Knit, turn.

Next Row (right side): Ssk, k2tog, turn. (2 stitches)

Next Row: K2tog. (1 stitch)

Cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.

Crochet Edge

With Color A and the right side facing you, start at the right bottom corner of the scarf and make 28 single crochets (sc) along the short end of the scarf.

Chain 1 to turn the corner and make 30 sc along the edge of the first triangle. Continue along the long side of the scarf, making 59 sc for each triangle, until the last one. Make 30 sc along the edge of the final triangle.

Chain 1 to turn the corner and make 28 sc along the other short end of the scarf. Chain 1 and slip stitch into the cast on edge to finish. Cut the yarn and pull it through the remaining stitch.

Finish

Now weave in the ends and gently block your scarf. You’re all done!

Just Triangles Entrelac Scarf | Purl Soho