Rabbit Tracks

I originally submitted this to the Knitlist, an online knitters’ group.

Rabbit Tracks lace pattern: this is a variant of the traditional feather and fan, done here in an angora blend. This is an easy pattern for beginners: it’s very graceful, it’s very simple, and it repeats quickly, so that if you happen to make a mistake it’s easy to catch, as it shows up right away.; And the wrong side rows are straight-across purling.

A nice extra touch is to begin each right side row with k1, yo, k2tog, then continuing in the pattern, and ending each right side row with ssk, yo, k1; this creates edges that better match the more solid areas of the pattern. I didn’t do it here because I was afraid I wouldn’t have enough yarn. On subsequent projects, however, I’ve added it in and quite liked the effect. (Ed. note 3/13/08: Or, more simply, add 2 to the cast-on count, and knit one plain stitch to each side–coming back and looking at the pattern quite a bit later, it really needs it.) Click down to rest of the story.

Pattern InstructionsTwo balls of Welcomme L’Angora 80, which is 80% angora and 20% lambswool, 100 yards and 20 grams each. Makes a scarf about 8 ½” x64″. Any fluffy angora blend of roughly the same weight and yardage will do just fine.Cast on 25 stitches on size 11 needlesRow 1 and all wrong side rows: purl.

Row 2: *K1, ssk, (yo, k1) 3 times, yo, k2tog*, repeat, end k1.

Row 4: *K1, ssk, k5, k2tog*, repeat, end k1.

*Dec. 22, 2004 update–okay, now it’s later. And here’s the story: I made this scarf, and then sent the pattern to the Knitlist. I got an email from an editor asking if they could use it for the Accord Publishing’s Knitting-Pattern-A-Day 2005 calendar, and I said sure. My teenage daughter then suggested putting it up on my own website, which she would help set up. And did. So this is what started it all.

And for nearly a year I kept my mouth shut. Two days ago, I called my mom to wish her a happy 74th birthday. Her response made it clear she hadn’t opened her birthday present–she’d taken it from the mailman and put it under the tree, assuming it was for Christmas. Um, read the card, Mom. Yes, as a fellow December baby I know better than to use Christmas wrapping paper for a birthday present, except that in my house it’s okay because I collect Christmas paper at the post-holiday sales and use it year-round to wrap my husband’s and kids’ birthday presents. They use it, so I do, too. Fair is fair.

So I got to sit there on the phone, 3000 miles away, while Mom got her present back out from under there and opened it up. First the calendar (turn to my birthday page, Mom, sorry, I think yours had already been requested by someone else.) Then open the other present. The original scarf.

Mom loved it. Mom’s a knitter. Mom’s also a mom. Mom was thrilled. Go Mom.

And happy 74th!

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© Copyright Alison J. Hyde 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. All rights reserved.

Note to yarn store owners, there having been problems with copyright violations: you do not have my permission to print out copies of my patterns in your stores. Individuals only may print out copies at home for their own private and personal use. Questions may be addressed to me at spindyeknit AT gmail DOT cahm.