Tsuwano

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Difficulty:

Category: Knitting

Type of item: Accessory

For: Women

Style: Whimsical, Casual, Classic

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Materials

1 skein (270 yds) Madeline Tosh Sport, "Posy" colorway; #6 US (4mm) knitting needles) 6 5/8" buttons

What was your inspiration?

Tsuwano was the first place I visited by myself when I moved to Japan (had to figure out the trains and everything). Its a charming little town, small enough to tour by rented bicycle. Large, colorful carp swim in the waterways along the old-fashioned streets. There are two Catholic churches (something of a rarity in Japan) and a beautiful Shinto shrine at the top of a hill that you reach only after passing through a thousand bright red tori gates. The town is known for its traditional paper; the stores are full of beautiful papercrafts and you can visit a small factory to see paper made much the same way its been for several hundred years. And, most unusually, you can ride a steam locomotive there and back from the main train line.

I kept thinking nostalgically of Tsuwano while I was knitting this scarf, maybe because the scarf, like the town, is so small and so simple yet--if I do say so myself--charming and memorable. It can be worn as an infinity loop, a cowl or a traditional scarf. The lace pattern is easy to memorize and the pattern calls for only one skein (270 yds) of Madeline Tosh Sport or something similar.

What are you most proud of?

A lot of knitters (including me) are on a budget, so I wanted to come up with a pattern that got the most effect for the least amount of yarn. Madeline Tosh is on the pricey side, but this cowl takes only one skein (and of course you can substitute other, less expensive yarns if you like).

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

Give yourself some quiet time to get the buttonhole row done and do the first section or two of the lace repeat. Once you have that down, it's pretty easy, and since it's small, it's a great travel project.