Back in the day, I remember my dad, Dennis, sporting a cool knit tie like this for casual wear. Now everyone seems to be getting in on the action. Quick to knit from luxurious alpaca and silk, this tie has an elegant texture that makes it stand out (quietly) from the crowd and would make a great gift for the man (or woman) in your life.

What you’ll love about knitting Dennis:

• Stitch pattern for the front of the tie is easy to remember and is both charted and written out.
• Thoughtful construction makes the most of your yarn yet makes a proper tie.
• A relatively small amount of knitting time yields a great accessory to give or to keep.

What you’ll love about wearing Dennis:

• This is a fully-fashioned tie, not a small scarf in a tie shape.
• Stitch pattern is subtle yet special.
• You will look like a million bucks!

I used the entire skein for the small tie, so if you want to knit a gauge swatch, be sure to buy a second skein or be prepared to frog your swatch. The men’s tie will leave you with plenty of yarn for a swatch and the tab, to keep the tail of the tie under control (men like that kind of thing; ladies usually wear their ties with a little more insouciance).

The Spot Stitch gives interest for knitter and wearer while being easy to remember. It is also a good lesson in “seeing” your knitting with purl bumps every other stitch every other row.

Columns of purl stitches up both sides help it to lie flat in the front, while the back, knit flat, helps the yarn go further, keeps the around-the-neck area slim, and the front lie smoothly over the back.

Size/Finished Measurements
Small Large
Width at widest point: 3 inches
Length: 55 60 inches after blocking

Materials
Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk 50% silk, 50% alpaca; 146yd/134m per 50g skein; color: Plum; 1 2 skeins
US2/2.75mm set of four double-pointed needles (DPNs)
US4/3.5mm set of four DPNs
Tapestry needle

Gauge
24 sts x 30 rows = 4 inches square in Stockinette stitch on larger ndls

Skills Needed
Casting on
Binding off
Knitting
Purling
Working in the round
Working flat
Decreasing
Working with DPNs