Scarf wall, a celebration of free knitting patterns

Portuguese Football Fans' 'scarf wall'
Franz Duras, original Trainspotter

Our customs in dress and haberdashery have evolved primarily due to necessity and comfort. Sandals were created out of tree bark originally for relief against the warm temperatures, rocks, and impediments. The oldest known pair of footwear found to date, believe it or not, was in our very own state of Oregon, at Fort Rock Cave. Radiocarbon dating of the sandals' woven sagebrush bark revealed an age of at least 10,000 years. Surprising is the fact that Oregon was the location of this discovery. One would have thought Ancient Rome or Greece.

But we can return to Ancient Rome for the origin and use of the scarf, used by Roman soldiers in the desert for cleanliness not warmth, it was called the 'sudarium' or sweat cloth, worn by men around their necks or tied to their waist. It wasn't long before women picked up the trend, wearing scarves made of cloth, not pashmina, silk, or wool, as is generally perceived.

Scarves have been used as part of uniforms, notably by the Boy Scouts; pilots of early airplanes wore silk scarves to keep the oily smoke off their faces and out of their mouths. Fighter pilots wore scarves around their necks to prevent chafing as they turned their necks from side to side. Scarves are worn by worshipers in many religions, UK academia, and of course, we know scarves by designers: Hermés, Ferragamo, Pucci, Liberty of London and the like. Scarves are used in sport, traditionally in British and Australian rules football, knitted in the colors of competing teams and worn by their fans. This custom has spread throughout World Football and scarves are used by fans in the viewing stands to make a supporting 'scarf wall'.

Scarfs also make great gifts, knitted and crocheted. Carolyn Musgrave of Knitting Needles in Newport, RI, says, "Scarfs are back this Christmas." So wrap it up and have a look at some of the scarf patterns available in this article. Carolyn has knitted a beauty with pearls, which appears in the slideshow.  She is a wealth of information, can do anything with needles, and even repairs antique needlepoint. Drop in to visit Carolyn at 555 Thames Street and she will probably tell you just how to create this elegant scarf with pearls, lovely long or somewhere in between.

Please view the slideshow and use the photo captions to identify the free or for sale patterns you would like to download. The Wayward Wave Scarf designed by Donna Martinez, pattern available free on Donna's blog. Beautiful design, pattern is different front and back which yields a lovely richness to the finished product.

Basketweave scarf for men, designed by Ann Budd is available free at Knitting Daily from Interweave.

Noro Scarf by Brooklyn Tweed, Jared Flood's version of this free pattern is available on Jared's blog. Brooklyn Tweed also released a new book in August 2009 with Classic Elite Yarns called Made in Brooklyn, a collection of 12 handknitting patterns with natural fibers.  He has also been published in Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits.

Koolhaas Hat (couldn't resist including this gem) by Jared Flood of Brooklyn Tweed. Pattern available for $4.50 at Interweave. Willoughby Lace Stole by Jared Flood is a part of the new booklet with Classic Elite yarns. Available on Ravelry as a single download or you may purchase the entire booklet at Classic Elite or Amazon. Jared's user name on Ravelry is brooklyntweed. All patterns from Made in Brooklyn may be purchased separately beginning in April 2010. Tweed Baby Blanket by Jared Flood is a "tweedy baby blanket inspired by traditional Hap Shawls of Shetland. Center square is worked back and forth in garter stitch. Lace edging is picked up and worked in the round with two or more colors." Pattern available on Ravelry for $5.75.

Jared Flood's designs are exceptionally creative. He is an artist and a teacher, and gives workshops all over the United States. That schedule can be found on Brooklyn Tweed's new web site. Contact Jared via email.

No article on scarves is complete without the inimitable Dr. Who Scarf, known since, at least, 1976. The pattern for Season 12 by Chris Brimelow is available for free here. Brimelow writes "The scarf in its original form was used in 'Robot' and 'Sontaran Experiment,' which was actually taped right after Robot." Brimelow is shown in the slideshow wearing the original scarf which was auctioned at Bonham's in 2005.

Read about the matching Dr. Who Sox in 'no Mistaken Identity.' Jacob Haller knitter and songwriter/performer. Dr. Who Scarf at Tartis by Bea Demarce. Great photo by Matt Ficner.

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