If you live in Toronto and tell someone about your day on the Island, there is not one person who will ask you “what island?” A trip to the Island means Toronto Island. It’s a little oasis within the big, bad city. You have to take a ferry to get there and when you do - you feel like you are a million miles away and on a wonderful romp of a vacation. It’s best to look the part and have a glamorous scarfette to keep your hair from blowing about on the ferry ride or to keep your shoulders warm when the sun sets. It’s always a few degrees cooler on the Island.

“Trip to the Island” contains two scarf patterns. One is named after Ward’s Island, which is one of the connected islands that make up Toronto Island. It is home to lush, green parks and stately trees, wild flowers too. The other is named after Hanlan’s Point, which is a sandy beach with a terrific view of Lake Ontario as far as the eye can see.

Both the Ward’s Island Pattern and the Hanlan’s Point Pattern combine four design elements. The homage to Ward’s Island features an incredibly pretty lace pattern composed of wild flowers. The Hanlan’s Point Scarf has lace too, but more graphic in character like rows and rows of polka dots. The Hanlan’s Point version is easy to stitch and the Ward’s Island lace is for more experienced knitters. After the lace is completed choose a contrast colour to knit the slimmest of lines to delineate the lace from the next section. Then on to the garter stitch section that makes up the next half of the shawl. This section’s crescent shape is thanks to the short row shaping. Both shawls get a terrific finishing treatment – a rolled edge that makes it sit just right. Whether you stitch the Hanlan’s Point or Ward’s Island scarf expect a long and light garment, made for wrap-ability, and sunshiny weather. Take one on your next trip to your favourite island.