Callirhoe is a unisex scarf named after Callirhoe of Sicyon, the co-inventor of relief modelling. Legend says that she was determined to capture her beloved’s image before he left for war and, inspired by the shadow he cast in the firelight, drew his profile on a stone wall. Her work was so lifelike that her father, a sculptor, applied clay to her work to make it permanent. The resulting collaboration is said to have been the first bas‐relief sculpture.

Our Callirhoe is a sculpture in its own right. Knit end to end, it features twisted stitches that travel over a ground of gently carved textures, complementary recessed forms, and a handful of eyelets that create another layer of contrast. Worked in Why Knot Fibers’ beautiful, tonal yarn, Callirhoe is a relief sculpture by firelight, a masterpiece of warmth and shadow, and a tribute to love and talent.

Instructions: The pattern includes both charted and fully written-out instructions.

Yarn: 1 skein of Why Knot Fibers SIREN; or 2 skeins of Why Knot Fibers STEADY; or approximately 436 yards of fingering, worsted, or other weight yarn, although your mileage may vary.

Sizes and Gauge: The pattern includes instructions for two weights of yarn--fingering and worsted--but it can easily accommodate any weight of yarn. As written, the fingering version works up to 8” by 64” with a gauge of 20 s. and 32 r. to 4”; the worsted version works up to 11” by 63” with a gauge of 16 s. and 24 r. in 4”.

Needles: size 6 (4.0 mm) for the fingering version; size 10 (6.0 mm) for the worsted; or needles a few sizes larger than standard for whatever weight of yarn you choose.

Hypnotism Warning: The travelling stitches and gently flickering color changes of Callirhoe have been found to have side effects in some knitters. If you wake up from a trance to find you’ve knit countless glorious rows without realizing it, don’t be afraid. You’re in good company.