Bored with scarves that start at one end and finish at the other, shawls that start at one side and finish at the other? Here’s Another Way.

You can make a rectangular shawl or scarf with no casting on and no binding off.

You don’t need a gauge square to make it to any size with any yarn - easily. In case you thought that was a typo, I’ll say it a different way: you can make it to your own custom size without having to make a tension square.

It’s garter stitch - with funky stripes and some increasing and decreasing. It’s perfect for stashbusting, mini-skeins and having fun with stripes.

Worked from the middle out, it’s easy to ensure each side is balanced as you go, making it fantastic for using up yarns or playing with colour. I just wasn’t done with my Foolproof idea! As with Foolproof, the Free Spirits version is intended for you to use with your own stripes, project size and yarn choices.

If you want to keep life simple, there is a beautiful City Stripe version (photographed), which has size, yarn quantities and stripe layout all specified.

The scarf is shown in 5 bold colours, and the shawl-size is shown in 4 soft colours. There is a separate colours worksheet to help you re-colour the City Stripe layout in your own favourite shades - in 5, 4 or 3 colours. I’ve also created some colourway ideas to inspire you.

CITY STRIPE
Sizes
Scarf: 22cm/9” wide x 150cm/60” long.
Shawl: 45cm/18” wide x 156 cm/62” long.

Materials
Needles suited to yarn chosen (see tension). You could use straights but you will find it easier to fit the stitches onto a circular with 80cm/32” cable.
Stitch holder
Stitch markers

Shown in:
5-colour scarf: Blue Sky Alpacas, Alpaca Silk (50% alpaca 50% silk 133m/146yds per 50g skein), A plum (128) x 2 skeins, plus 1 x skein each of B peridot (148), C peacock (139), D sapphire (137), E plume (103)
4-colour shawl: Blue Sky Alpacas, Suri Merino (60% baby suri alpaca 40% merino, 150m/164yds per 100g skein), 3 x Dusk 418 (A), 1 each x Seamist 417 (B) and Harvest 415 (C). For
D & E use the same colour, so you will need a total of 2 x Fog 413 (D & E).

Tension
Sportweight scarf: 22sts per 10cm/4” over garter stitch using 4mm/US 6 needles.
Worsted shawl: 17sts per 10 cm/4” over garter stitch using 5mm/US 8 needles.

FREE SPIRITS
Sizes
Flexible. Advice on sizes is given in the pattern. Easy to adjust.
Recommended sizes 10-60cm/4-24” wide x 120-210cm/4-7ft long.

Materials
Yarn you love - advice on estimating quantities is given in the pattern.
Needles of your choice. You could use straights but you will find it easier to fit the stitches onto a circular with 80cm/32” cable.
Stitch holder
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle to weave in ends

Tension
Not critical.

Thank you Jean, Mel, Mandy & Monica for sample & test knitting. Thank you Akshata for tech editing.