frustration with finding a pattern

[sayyadina]

I would like to make some scarfs for Christmas gifts, but I'm having a really hard time choosing a pattern I like, and that turns out well.

We have a small herd of alpacas, and I still have some yarn left over from last year, so I was going to use that. Its in 110 yard skeins of 2 ply sport weight. I have #14, #8, & #7 straight needles, and #11 and #7 circular needles.

I tried making a moss stitch scarf on the #7 circulars, but somehow that turned out in rib. Then I tried the # 7 straights in stockinette stitch, but I just didn't like the way it looked.

I just learned to knit, and I'm not brave enough to try hats, gloves or socks yet. Also, I moved this summer, and I haven't been able to find a knitting store here that I like as much as the one I used to go to before I moved. And I can't go back there, since its a 6-7 hour drive.

I'm about ready to give up on knitting gifts, and just buy stuff.

If anyone has any ideas on fun, beginner suitable scarf patterns that use up to 3 yarn colors, please let me know.

I don't know if I'm going to have this years yarn back in time to use it for this year, since the processor told me it won't be back until December.

[sakura-panda]

I'm sure others will have better suggestions for you, but my first project was a child's scarf and I used a simple 5x5 pattern -- 5 knit stitches, 5 purl stitches, 5 rows high, to make little 5x5 blocks.

I don't think I explained that well. Here's a picture of what it looked like before I finished it:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2218/2197562289_cf34d7d076.jpg

Anyway, it was really simple for me to do and I think you could easily add colors to it, if you wanted to. :)

I'll try to write out a pattern, since I think my explanation was really terrible.

It was only 25 stitches wide.
Row 1: K5, P5, K5, P5, K5
Row 2: P5, K5, P5, K5, P5
Row 3: Repeat Row 1
Row 4: Repeat Row 2
Row 5: Repeat Row 1
Repeat Rows 1-5 to end.

Is that right? It's easier for me to think of what it looks like on the Right Side -- block of 5 knit, block of 5 purl, 5 rows high, then block of 5 purl, block of 5 knit, etc. :D

(I know that it unconventional; I had a heck of a time understanding garter vs stockinette because of it -- I still have to think about which is which and I think I still get it wrong. :doh:)

[cftwo]

How many skeins do you have? I find that it takes about 200 yards of worsted weight to make a scarf - if you have less than that, you really have to get creative.

Some stitches which work well:
1) garter stitch - knit every row - cast on fewer stitches than you think you need because this stitch knits wide
2) rib - you can use 1x1 or 2x2 rib for this - cast on more stitches than you think you need because this shrinks up
3) seed stitch - if you cast on an ODD number of stitches and then start each row with a knit, you can keep the k1 p1 pattern going smoothly
4) moss stitch or double seed stitch
5) basketweave stitch as sakura panda suggested
6) I don't know the official name for this stitch... knit every stitch across, wrapping your yarn around the needle twice. This is lazy lace, in a way, because you get a holey scarf without yarn overs and knit 2 togethers. This works really well with a bulky yarn or a super bulky yarn.
7) do a few rows of garter stitch, then throw in a row of #6, and repeat

Sport weight yarn also tends to work better with size 4 needles or something around there. I find I have to play around with needle size to get them right.

If I were a beginner knitter wanting to do a bunch of scarves for Christmas, I'd buy some skeins of Lion Super Bulky Wool Ease yarn (reasonable price) and some size 15 needles (or so) and try the garter stitch or rib stitch scarves to begin. They look nice, and they're super quick. :)