I adore the richness of hand-dyed nearly-solid yarn, the vibrant colors of variegated yarn, and the intriguing textures in thick-thin yarn. But sometimes I don’t know what to do with them.

The linen stitch lets me transform these yarns into entirely different looks. I use it when I want to soften the stripey effects of nearly-solids, to lend a painterly appearance to variegateds, or to turn a thick-thin yarn into a fabric filled with intriguing texture. Its versatility makes this stitch a great tool to have in your knitterly toolbox.

This pattern offers a different, but equally attactive, look to each side of the scarf. I give you basic guidelines for creating completely different looks so you can grab some yarn from your stash and get going on your own creation. I show you the results from using a nearly solid, a variegated or a highly textured yarn, using:

Madelinetosh Tosh DK
Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Worsted
Plymouth Yarn Expression