Auxetic Scarf

When most knits are stretched, one dimension gets longer while the other shrinks. Auxetic (awg-ZET-ik) fabric is the opposite: when it’s stretched in one direction, the entire textile expands. This textured scarf is knit on the bias with an auxetic stitch pattern made of knit and purl stitches. When it’s small, the scarf is thick, but short and narrow. If you pull the edges apart, it becomes wider and taller. This change in structure allows the wearer to choose how warm and large their scarf is.

Materials

YARN Harrisville Designs flyWHEEL (100% wool; 170 yd [155 m]/1¾ oz [50 g]; sportweight): Bancroft, 3 skeins (Note: The sample scarf used three full skeins of yarn. Consider purchasing an extra skein as insurance, or you can make your scarf a bit shorter.).

NEEDLES Size 3 (3.25 mm). Adjust needle size if necessary to obtain the correct gauge.

NOTIONS Tapestry needle; steamer.

GAUGE 24 sts and 37 rows = 4" (10 cm) in patt when lying flat (unscrunched).

FINISHED SIZE 52" (132 cm) long and 10½" (26.5 cm) wide lying flat; 38" (96.5 cm) long and 4½" (11.5 cm) wide scrunched.

Resources

• Visit farmfiberknits.com/abbreviations for terms you don’t know.
  

About: Xandy Peters is a knitting designer and teacher, best known as the innovator of the stacked-stitch technique and the Fox Paws pattern. Starting out as a footwear and product designer, he turned to knitting as a way to explore textiles and surfaces without using factory production and has since made a career out of publishing new patterns and teaching workshops.

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