Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Horseshoe Cable Muffler

Horseshoe Cable Muffler

Where do I start with this one? How about at the very beginning, back when my sister and I were wee little girls and loved to play nothing more than "Old Days," where we dressed up in Little House on the Prairie-worthy thrift store clothes and pretended to be princesses-turned-scullery-maids, or occasionally scullery-maids-turned-princesses. And how is this relevant? Well, because the Horseshoe Cable Muffler is exactly the type of piece that we would have relished back then, with its rustic color and snuggly, old-timey aesthetic. Of course, this cowl/scarf isn't just relegated to the past, as you can dress it up three different ways for a very modern look. As a note, however, if you're planning to use it mainly as a scarf, you will need extra yardage of your yarn and you'll want to continue the piece longer than I made it for the best effect.

The end of the muffler.
Yarn: Skacel Alpaca Seta (75% Baby Alpaca, 18% Silk, 7% Nylon; 137 yards [125 meters]/50 grams); #11 Lemon Grass Twist - 2 skeins

Needles: One set of straight needles in size US 6, two double pointed needles (dpns), also in size US 6, and a size US 8 or larger needle for your provisional cast on

Notions: Tapestry needle, cable needle (cn), stitch holder


Gauge: 22 stitches = 4 inches

So let's get started!


Using a provisional cast on and your larger needles, cast on 38 stitches. Then switch to your size 6 needles and we'll move straight to our pattern. You'll need the following terminology to continue:

cable front (cf): transfer next 2 stitches to cn and hold in front, k2, k2 from cn

cable back (cb): transfer next 2 stitches to cn and hold in back, k2, k2 from cn

Now let's get to it! As you'll notice, you'll be slipping three stitches at the beginning and end of each right side row. This will create a little i-cord edging, which will give the piece a more finished look (and, as a note, you can go ahead and pull the yarn tight behind the slipped stitches - that's what gives it that i-cord look!).

Rows 1 & 3 (right side): slip 3 stitches with yarn in back (sl3 wyib), k10, p2, k8, p2, k10, sl3 wyib

Rows 2, 4, 6, & 8: p13, k2, p8, k2, p13

Row 5: sl3 wyib, k10, p2, cb, cf, p2, k10, sl3 wyib

Row 7:  sl3 wyib, k10, p2, k8, p2, k10, sl 3 wyib

Knit rows 1 - 8 until piece measures roughly 37" (or desired length - longer if you want to use it mostly as a scarf) and you've just finished row 8 of the pattern. Now, slip the first 19 stitches so that you can transfer the last 19 stitches to a stitch holder to work later. Return the original 19 stitches to your needle and work the following decrease rows (in preparation for the I-cords at the end):

Decrease Row 1 (right side): ssk, k6, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k6, k2tog

Decrease Row 2: purl

Decrease Row 3: ssk, k4, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k4, k2tog

Decrease Row 4: purl

Decrease Row 5: ssk, k2, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k2, k2tog

Decrease Row 6: purl

Decrease Row 7: ssk, slip 2 together knitwise-k1-p2sso, k2tog

And now that you have 3 stitches left on your needle, transfer to your dpn and work 12" in an i-cord. Bind off loosely. Transfer the remaining 19 stitches on this end of the muffler to your needles and complete in the same way, and then return to your provisional cast-on and work the 38 stitches in the same way as well (divide into 2 sets, reduce, and then make your i-cords). Tuck in ends and block.










14 comments:

  1. This is a lovely adaptable piece ! Thank you for sharing!

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    1. Hi Carol!

      I'm glad you like it! I think it turned out nicely :)

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  2. Can I use medium worsted weight yarn? Do I need a different size needle? It looks really lovely and I can't wait to start!

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    1. Hi Marina!

      This pattern is easy to adapt to different yarns - a medium worsted will simply make it a bit wider. And the needle thing isn't that big of a deal, but I would go ahead and use the smallest needle recommended on the yarn label. Let me know if you have any other questions :)

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  3. I see the pattern for this lovely cowl came out over a year ago and I'm anxious to get started on it before this winter is over. However, I have a question on the pattern. There are instructions for the first 7 rows, 1 through 7, then it says to repeat 1-8 until you've finished row 8 of the pattern but it only goes to row 7 unless I'm missing something. I'm very anxious to start this scarf but need some clarification on the pattern. Thank you!

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    1. Hi there Maggie! Row 8 is the same as row 2, since it's even. I'll update the pattern to clarify! And please, let me know if you have any other questions!!! :)

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  4. Could I change the ends to one I-cord instead of two on each end?

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    1. Of course! Do you need help with modifications? :)

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  5. As a knitting newbie, I haven't attempted an i-cord edge yet and am unsure if the slipped stitches at the start and ends of the odd-numbered rows are slipped the same way (e.g., are both slipped purlwise with yarn in back?). And should I pull the yarn tight after slipping or leave it loose in back (or front, whichever it may be)?

    And thanks for providing such a lovely creation, it's one of my fave scarf designs and am dying to make it myself :)

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    1. Hi there!

      I have been trying to provide more stitch slipping information on my more recent patterns, so I'll update this one with a little bit better description as well! :) In order to answer your questions, however, the stitches are only slipped on the right side rows, so you'll be slipping them with the yarn in back. Also, you'll be slipping purlwise, as slipping knitwise twists the stitch. Oh, and go ahead and pull the yarn tight - ordinarily that's a no-no, of course, but not when you're doing an i-cord edge. Finally, let me know if you have any other questions! I'm always happy to help. :)

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    2. Awesome, many thanks for the explanation and for replying so quickly - I'll probably give it a go tonight or tomorrow :)

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    3. Great! Just let me know if anything else comes up! :)

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  6. Hi - I am making this, but can't figure out how you get the I cords on the beginning end. Or am I doing this wrong?

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    1. This starts with a provisional cast on, and you don't make the i-cords until later. Let me know if you have any other questions! :)

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