Pattern now available! Inspired by the gorgeous stitch pattern Norah Gaughan used in her Open Rib/Cable Pullover*, I decided to create a REVERSIBLE lace cable stitch pattern, something that could be used to fashion a scarf with no wrong side. After some trial and error, I came up with the Onda stitch pattern (Onda is Italian for wave).
You may be thinking that the work of designing was done at this point; after all, both the scarf and wrap are just X number of reps of the stitch pattern, right? No shaping, no seams, no edgings...well, the finished scarf and wrap may not have edgings, but that is only because I swatched several possibilities (Feather and Fan ruffles, ribbed ruffles, side and end ruffles) before deciding that in this case, simpler was better.
I also tried a number of yarns before deciding that the subtle variegations of Misti Alpaca Tonos Pima Silk were a perfect fit. Another plus was the cotton/silk fiber blend: my neck does not put up with even cashmere at close quarters for very long. However, when I decided to choose a different yarn for the wrap version, I went with Madelinetosh Tosh DK (superwash merino wool); the colors are stunning, and I figured that there would be less neck contact. Really, many many yarns would work for this project (you don't even need to use DK weight yarn!-- although I would swatch first with any yarn, just to have an idea of the size of the finished product), especially for those who tolerate animal fibers better than I do.
Either one of these projects is excellent TV or movie knitting (that is, it gets repetitive). So if you are looking for a challenging project that calls for lots of stitch markers, complicated shaping, wrong-side p3togs, short rows, or what have you, this ain't it. But if you are looking for a project which requires only intermittent close attention (the cable crosses can be a bit tricky), and yields a versatile, wearable, multi-season accessory, give Onda a try! Right now the wrap version is being test-knit, and I hope to have photos of the finished sample posted within a few weeks.
*Pattern first published in the Spring/Summer 2005 Vogue Knitting and now available online.