Grumperina

Always up to something

New scarf pattern: Volna!

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I’m excited to tell you about my newest scarf pattern called Volna which means “wave” in Russian. You’ve seen bits and pieces of it here and there, and after several months of knitting, I’m finally able to share it with you.

  

Click on any picture to view larger.

Now you see why it took me so long – I knit three separate versions!

Here are some details:

Short rows create a sense of movement in the fabric of the Volna scarf. Simple eyelets and a serrated border enhance the effect, allowing the eye to follow the progression of knitting, from row to row, wave to colorful wave. The pattern works up quickly: it is garter stitch-based (so, the scarf is reversible and there’s no purling!), easy to memorize, and very addictive!

The pattern is well-suited for yarns with long stretches of color, such as many yarns by Noro, Crystal Palace, Plymouth, Regia, Opal, and Schoppel Wolle. Using a solid or semi-solid yarn would create a beautiful version as well. There are instructions for three widths – narrow, medium, and wide – and each width can be knit using a variety of yarn weights, from laceweight to bulky. You can envision and create an endless number of possibilities, from a wispy spring scarf to a cozy winter shawl!

Techniques used in this design: basic lace knitting, increases and decreases, short rows, reading charts.

Everything you need to know about yarn, yardage, gauge, finished size, etc. of the three Volna versions featured in the written pattern is in the chart below:

 

The pattern is now available for purchase through Ravelry, payment via PayPal (account not needed for either one)

US $6.00

Special thanks to my test knitters Anne, Melissa, Bonnie, Jessie, Ann, and Li, and to the ever-resourceful and keen-eyed Stacie for tech editing.

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Comments

  2. Absolutely beautiful. I have a deep and profound love for short rows AND Noro. I also think that this would be fantastic with handspun.

  3. Gorgeous scarf Grumperina! I can’t wait to try the narrow version, I’ve been wanting to try some Noro so now I have an excuse. BTW, I just finished reading your whole blog, thanks for all of the knitting intelligence, laughs, sock inspiration and dry wit.

  4. Luscious colours and textures released at last. So pleased it’s easy and stashbusty as well 🙂 More incentive to hurry up on Yulie..

  5. Pattern acquired, it’s GORGEOUS. I would start on it this week… if I wasn’t on the road, 1,500 miles from my stash 😀

    Hmm, there’s an LYS just a couple of miles from the hotel.

  10. What a unique and lovely pattern you’ve created. I love that it’s not a tricky one to do, and that the yarn’s colors playfully dance throughout!

  12. I’ve never bought yarn with long color repeats but this looks like the perfect excuse to finally play with some. I can see why this design was worth knitting three of!

  17. Lovely. I like the wide version in the Kirameki best, but I’m trying to make sure that it isn’t the color that is doing it for me.

    I have about 2 million pounds of sock yarn (I exaggerate, but not by as much as I ought) that would be perfect for this!

  18. Nice one! It looks lovely. I’ve got four balls of zuberball (impulse purchase) sitting around pining for something….Maybe this is it. 🙂

  20. Thank you for this elegant design and well-written pattern. Many, many thanks.

    Cheers, Karen

  22. I’ve had a ball of Fame Trend sitting in my closet for almost two weeks now that I’ve been desperately wanting to use but couldn’t find a pattern to properly showcase the long color changes. Now I have it! I’m glad I waited and I’m glad for your genius. Thank you!

  25. Ogromnoy spaciba for another lovely pattern! I may just have the yarn for this in the stash… a question… about how long does it take to knit the small version? I’d given up on finding something to knit my wool-allergic mother (kind of tired of socks, not fast enough to knit a sweater). This may be the ticket though. Thank you again.

  27. wow!! i love self-striping yarns. i can see myself becoming obsessed with your new design!! ‘->

  30. They’re gorgeous! I really admire the way this plays to the strengths of the Noro colour transitions.

  32. Gorgeous! Thanks for posting it, and I’m really looking forward to finding the right long transition colour mix 🙂

    (P.S. I really did squee when I saw this post!)

  35. Bought the pattern last night and wound a skein of Handmaiden Swiss Mountain Sea Sock (birthday pressie from husband) into a ball. Cast on this morning. Itching to knit on it some more, but feeling guilty about the unfinished-and-OTN-for-ages socks I’m making for my Mum…. and she paid for the yarn!

  36. Thanks for another great pattern and all the work that goes into putting it together. I purchased it last night and will go shopping in my stash soon to get the narrow version started.

  37. What a beautiful pattern.I love it & am going to purchase it now.

    Thanks for so much info on it.Super!!

    Beth

  38. Don’t know about Russian, but “volna” means “wool” in Slovenian, a language spoken in a tiny chicken-shaped (no, really!) country in Central Europe… Still, quite appropriate for a knitting pattern. 🙂

  41. Yay! I’m usually a lurker, but I’m just so excited! You had me from the first picture in another post on this one! Thanks!

  45. These are soooooo pretty.

    Lots of visual interest, and so satisfying to work up something pretty that is quick and easy. (Some things look a little pretty, but mostly just quick and easy.)

  47. I’m about half-way through the narrow version of this scarf and LOVING it! The Noro yarn is beautiful. Love watching the waves change colors. So far it’s my favorite holiday knit this season. Thanks so much!

  50. I’m usually a sweater knitter, but right now I’m postpartum and unsure of what shape I’ll eventually be. I’m looking for some scarves that are unusual but don’t require me to keep track of a chart. This is perfect. Thank you for a gorgeous, imaginative pattern that I might even be able to knit even while sleep-deprived.

  51. I love Noro but have never bought any. I like the rainbow effect of the lace. I have never knitted with anything that thin. It says you used size 6 needles, so were there lots of YOs to make the lacy texture, or is it just that thin of a weight? I will definately keep a look out for any sales in my local store for this stuff from now on.

  52. Now I’m wondering whether Unique Sheep’s Gradiance colorways would work for this, and would it be a sock-set or a shawl-set….

    (Trying it in Paton’s ‘Lace’, on US 8s, in the wide version because the yarn has really long transitions. The halfway point in the color repeat is about the 8th pattern repeat in Wave A, from the beginning.)

  53. WOW! All three of these are stunning!!

    You know what this pattern would look perfect in? Handspun! Oh yeah, I am predictable. 🙂

    Seriously lovely pattern, Kathy. Brava!