What we today call the coffee break originated in Stoughton, WI in the late 19th century with the wives of Norwegian immigrants. The stripes (or color breaks) of this scarf represent the breaks from work normally associated with the term coffee break. And the unevenness of the stripes represents the difference in the way coffee breaks are taken from company to company and office to office. Unroasted coffee beans are green in color, which was the inspiration for the yarn chosen for some of the stripes. Who knew knitting could teach us so many fun facts?
Skill Level: Easy
Size: 5” wide x 66” long.
Gauge: 16 sts and 24 rows = 4” [10 cm] in IODK in pattern
Materials
Yarn:
Plymouth Yarn Coffee Beenz (75% Acrylic, 25% Wool; 214 yards [196 meters]/100 grams): 9231 White Greenhouse (A), 1 skein; 9045 Fern (B), 1 skein.
Needles: US size 8 (5.0 mm): straight needles.
Notions: Tapestry needle.
Abbreviations
Full twist – twist both yarns 360° around each other bringing yarns back to their original positions
Half twist – twist both yarns 180° around each other and changing the side location of each color
IODK – Inside Out Double Knitting
K1A – K1 using A
K1B – K1 using B
P1A – P1 using A
P1B – P1 using B
Sts – Stitches
Special Stitches
The technique used to make this scarf is called Inside Out Double Knitting (IODK). It is double knit but not in the usual manner. This has the reverse stockinette fabric on both public sides instead of the stockinette fabric one finds in traditional double knitting. It is reversible and has two layers, like in traditional double knitting, making it a warm and good scarf fabric.
IODK can be worked one of 3 ways:
TWO PASS METHOD
First Pass: With A, (k1, sl1 purlwise with yarn in back) to end of row.
Second Pass: With B, (sl1 purlwise with yarn in front, p1] to end of row.
NOTE: These two passes equal one row, so using this method, 3 rows of IODK means working 6 passes.
ONE COLOR IN EACH HAND METHOD
Holding A with left hand behind the work, k1 in Continental (picking) style, then holding B with right hand in front of the work, p1 in English (throwing) style.
Keep alternating, knitting with A and purling with B to the end of the row.
PORTUGUESE STYLE METHOD
Holding A behind the work, k1 using either the Continental or English method, then p1 with B using the Portuguese Style.
Keep alternating knitting with A and purling with B to the end of the row.
Pattern Notes
There is a one stitch border at both ends of each row.
Instead of just simple straight stripes of each color, each row has the stripes offset by one stitch which makes the internal edges of the stripes jagged.
Pattern
CO 40 sts in the following manner:
A, *A, B; rep from * until 39 sts are on your needle, then CO 1 more st with B.
Row 1: K1A, full twist, *(k1A, p1B) 4 times, half twist, (k1B, p1A) 4 times; rep from * once more, (k1A, p1B) 3 times, full twist, k1B.
Row 2: K1B, full twist, *(k1B, p1A) 4 times, half twist, (k1A, p1B) 4 times; rep from * once more, (k1B, p1A) 3 times, full twist, k1A.
Rep Rows 1-2 until Scarf meas about 66” long or desired length.
BO all sts.
Finishing
Weave in ends.