Many of us have been dealing with bitterly cold temperatures lately. Perfect weather for bulky sweaters and cozy cowls! But...the weather WILL change (right? Spring WILL happen?!), and this Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf from Churchmouse Yarns and Teas is the perfect transitional accessory to get you through those cool Spring days! What’s better than knitting with bright colors and thinking warm thoughts for chasing the Winter gloom away?!

The linen stitch that makes this scarf special has the ability to make any number of color combinations work - bright, bold and vibrant or soft, subtle and neutral. Apparently, designer Mimi Hepler used remnants of 18 different Koigu colorways when she first crafted this piece! Talk about a Stash Challenge!

While not inherently difficult, the pattern suggests - and we agree - that you take your time while working the linen stitch. There is a lot of moving the yarn back and forth between the needles and going back to fix a mistake would be challenging. That said, the reward is a stunning fabric that has a wonderful woven appearance on the right side and an equally beautiful moss-stitch-like wrong side. No fiddling with trying to hide the wrong side for this scarf!

After working so diligently on an entire scarf, adding fringe can be a really fun way to wrap up a pattern. Certainly not necessary, but a benefit to fringe on this particular piece is that the strands of yarn would showcase the individual colorways you used throughout. While worked together in the body of the scarf, the colorways meld - lovely and cohesive. The fringe lets them work together while still standing on their own.

If we’ve convinced you to give this project a try, here is the basic information you’d need to get started. This isn’t an instant gratification knit, but it is sure to be a rhythmic and soothing project to work on! We are also happy to help if you haven’t done the linen stitch or made fringe before. Just give us a call or stop by the shop!

• US 6 24-32” circular needles (or size to obtain gauge)
• Tapestry needle

• Linen stitch
• Slipping stitches purlwise
• Working flat
• Changing colors
• OPTIONAL: Adding fringe