My leftover Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage inspired me to create a pattern especially to use it up. I hope you like it! My friend Julia came up with the name for me, thanks so much! I was feeling a bit stuck and she suggested the name as the colour reminded her of a beautiful blue day after the rain.
The pattern calls for worsted weight yarn, but in reality it could be knit up in any weight, and the DK yarn that is common here in New Zealand would be fine in this. I used 4.5mm needles, but DK weight on 4mm would work up fine.
You can use the pattern as below or it will be available as a PDF download on Ravelry too – I’m just uploading the pattern now.
After the Rain Scarf by Sheryl Greenfield
Materials: 100g Worsted Weight yarn or DK weight yarn
Sample is knit in Madelinetosh Tosh Vintage, colourway Baltic.
4.5mm Needles
Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in reverse stocking stitch
Length: approximately 37 inches or 95cm.
Abbreviations:
K: knit
P: purl
Ssk: slip two stitches onto right needle then knit them together by inserting left needle through both stitches at once
K2tog: knit into two stitches at once
Sl1: slip one stitch onto the right needle without knitting it
Psso: pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch on the needle, decreases the number of stitches on the needle.
Inc4: into the next stitch knit, then purl, then knit, then purl, and then finally knit the stitch – so the one stitch is now five stitches
M1: Knit into the back of the bar between the current stitch and the stitch on the needle
Instructions:
Cast on 35 stitches and knit three rows even.
Row 4 and 6 (RS): (p2, k1, p2) repeat to end
Row 5 and 7(WS): (k2, p1, k2)
Row 8: (p2, k1, p2, m1) p2, k1, p2 (41 stitches)
Row 9: (k2, p1) k2
Row 10: (p2, k1) p2
Row 11: as for Row 9
Row 12: (p2, k1, p2, inc4) p2, k1, p2 (65 stitches)
Row 13, 15 and 17: (K2, p1, k2, p5) k2, p1, k2
Row 14 and 16: (p2, k1, p2, k5) p2, k1, p2
Row 18: (p2, k1, p2, ssk, k1, k2tog) p2, k1, p2 (53 stitches)
Row 19: (k2, p1, k2, p3) k2, p1, k2
Row 20: (p2, k1, p2, sl1, k2tog, psso) p2, k1, p2
Row 21: k2, p1 (k5, p1) k2 (41 stitches)
Row 22: p2, k1 (p5, k1) p2
Repeat rows 21 and 22 until approximately 2/3 of your yarn is used up or the scarf is 2/3 of the desired length.
Cast on for second end and knit as to row 22.
Repeat rows 21 and 22 until second end is 6 inches long. You can make this section longer for a longer scarf.
Then work across 19 stitches in pattern, p2tog
Turn and work back across these 20 stitches in pattern. Repeat until this section is 3 inches long.
Cut yarn and work remaining 20 stitches in pattern, repeating until this section matches the other side. Then, working a wrong side row, knit in pattern across these 20 stitches. Cast on 1 stitch and work across the other 20 stitches. Work three more rows or until your yarn is nearly run out or scarf reaches desired length.
Using both sets of live stitches, graft the two halves of your scarf together. It is easiest to do this on the reverse of the scarf where most of the stitches are knit stitches. Make sure to graft the purl stitches in reverse to preserve the pattern on the front of the scarf.
Wet block by washing and pinning out in shape to dry.
Shortly Stitches 
It is beautiful sheryl!!!!!!!!!!!!! welldone!
gorgeous, goes so well with your hat!
Lovely lovely! Another fab pattern. Can’t wait to try it sometime soon.
I agree with what everyone else says, it’s beautiful, and lovely of you to offer it as a free pattern too. Who takes your photos too, is it somehow you? They are always so fab!
It’s VERY pretty. Thanks so much for sharing!
I love it! Thanks for sharing it! I’ve got it in my Ravelry faves.
Very pretty! You should share it on the Madeline Tosh group on Rav…. (if you haven’t already :-))
This is a pretty scarf but there are a few errors in the pattern. At the end of row 12 there is an error. I think that it was supposed to be k2 p1 k2, to finish the row. The 2nd error is in row 18. Should be Row 18: (p2, k1, p2, ssk, k1, k2tog) p2, k1, p2 (53 stitches).
Hi
This is a lovely scarf. I am a new knitter with lots of crochet experience. I can figure out the instructions…should there be more purl stitches between the knit stitches in rows 4-7? Thanks.
It is correct as written, but please read my reply to Charlotte, which writes these rows a different way – I hope it helps.
I started making your scarf, I think it is very pretty, but I am having a problem with row 8. If you follow the pattern instructions, after the m1 it will not continue with the knit 1 vertical row that runs all the length of the scarf. I understand that I am supposed to loose every other one of the vertical k1 rows but it will not continue with the other vertical rows. Help!Thanks, Charlotte
HI, I recently posted a question about the rain scarf. I see where you responded to another knitter telling her to see your answer sent to me, however I have not recived it and cannot read it on your page. Would you please respong again, Thanks Charlotte
Hi, I am also a new knitter (well, returning to knitting after a 10 years pause from being taught it as a tween) but I have lots of crochet experience.
I am having the same problem as Charlotte. When I reach row 8, it messes up the k1, p2/p1, k2 pattern. I tried doing it you way, and then I tried doing it my way,a nd I’ve had to restart the entire project twice now. Can you please tell us exactly how to work row 8? (I would really love to make a scarf like this for myself!
Thank you!
I’ve just posted a tutorial post to my blog which will hopefully help with any confusion over Row 8. Sorry for the delay.
Sheryl – I’ve been knitting a long time, but usually just use the ‘old’ kinds of yarns – not into the new good stuff yet. Can you tell me what the yarn is that you show at the top of this blog? Thanks
Hi Leta, the yarn at the top of the blog is all sock yarn, and it is all NZ yarn too – all three balls are Vintage Purls – the pink and green were dyed by her, and I did the purple myself. Gorgeous stuff – and it’s such an old picture that I can say I have actually knit up all three balls too! The pink and green became socks – the pink is Dolce, the green became a lovely pair of Kai-Mei socks (pattern by Cookie A), and the purple was a wee shawlette, which is so super soft and squishy.
There are so many delightful yarns out there, I hope you get to play with some of them – they really are a joy to knit with.
Thanks for the info. I am looking forward to trying new yarns.
Hi Sheryl,
Lovely pattern, and I’m almost finished, but having a massive problem with the grafting! I’ve only grafted stocking stitch before, and I can’t get the ribs to line up. I’ve been doing it with the WS facing out, so most are K stitches. Then a p on front needle then a k on the back needle, then kp on front, pk on back. I’m sure I’m doing it the right way around but the rib is 1/2 a stitch out of alignment. Have you got a tip for this?
Thanks.
Hi Annabel
Unfortunately you’re right, there is no way to avoid being a half stitch out in grafting rib. Excellent article explaining it is here: http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/knits/archive/2011/12/15/grafting-in-pattern-part-2-top-to-top.aspx
Hello, I’m new to knitting, and I don’t understand how you inc 4 on row 12, could you please help?
Hi
If you’re quite new to knitting you might not have done a ‘kfb’ or ‘knit front and back’ increase – where you knit into the front and then into the back of a stitch… this is similar in that you keep using the same stitch to knit and purl into *without* dropping it from your left needle – so you knit, then purl, then knit, then purl, then knit, THEN you finally drop that stitch and move onto the next one.
I hope this helps!
Sheryl
Ohhhh, I see! Thank you so much :D.