If you’re curious enough to call up a total stranger for a knit recipe, you are hardcore – and I salute you. I especially salute you, Karen, of Victoria B.C., who made my day by calling for the low-down on my twisty scarves (for sale at Knotty by Nature! 100 % hand-painted Merino from Uruguay! Buy one! Makes a great gift!).

The twisty scarf is actually and adaption of a pattern in Interweave’s Scarf Style, one of the finest pattern books out there. Karen wanted the 411 so that she could make her own. Karen’s got game but was a little concerned about the short rows. Relax, Karen. They’re easy.

The scarf is easy enough. It’s worked in knits and purls mostly, and is knit in two halves, the centre being the halfway mark. There’s only two tricksy things about it: the wrap and turn, and the short row. Short rows are rows that don’t go all the way across the total number stitches you’re working, and wrapping and turning is one way of setting up the short row.  If you already know short rows and how to wrap and turn, grab good quality worsted-ish wool yarn (I recommend the Knit Free or Dye line available exclusively at Knotty by Nature), 4.5 mm needles and proceed as below:

Easy, fun, looks complicated but isn't.

Twisted scarf:
Step 1) Cast on 22 stitches.
Step 2) Knit 11 stitches, place marker, then purl 11 stitches. (One half, therefore is purled, one half knit – got it? Cool. )
Step 3) Knit 8, wrap and turn, purl 8
Step 4) Knit 6, wrap and turn, purl 6
Step 5) Knit 4, wrap and turn, purl 4.
Step 6 ) Knit 11, purl 11
Step 7) Repeat Steps 3 through 6. Carry on until the scarf is at least 6 ft long, or until you grow weary of short rows period.

If you don’t know what in the H – E – double hockey sticks a wrap and turn or a short now is, chill. I’m gettin’ to it, keep your hair on!

Do Step 1 and 2. Now pay attention; we’re going to set up for the wrap and turn and the short row.

Knit 8 stitches. Stop. Look. You’ve got 8 stitches on the right needle, leaving three more knit stitches (to centre marker) on the left.  Take a deep breath: Slip the next (9th) stitch purlwise. Bring the yarn so it’s in front. Put that stitch back on the left needle, then take the yarn back to the back. Turn, then purl the 8 stitches. Congrats, you’ve just wrapped and turned and done a short row!

Let’s do some more! Knit 6 stitches, wrap and turn the 7th stitch, and purl back. Then knit 4, wrap and turn the 5th, purl back.  THEN knit all the way to the center (11 stitches) and at the centre marker switch to purl for the next 11. Turn the work, and work the short rows as before on this half of the scarf.

How to knit back-assward
If you can teach yourself to do reverse knitting – meaning knit the wrong-side rows WITHOUT turning the work – you’ll save time and effort. Here’s how to teach yourself reverse knitting.

Make a swatch using scrap from your stash. Knit stockinette for a while, ending on a WS row. Turn the work so that WS is facing you. Insert the right needle as if to purl THEN STOP. Turn the work, holding the needle in place, so that the RS is facing you again. Stare at it. Observe the needle’s position and how it got there. Turn back to WS, bring yarn around needle to purl but leave stitch on the needle. TURN. Stare, memorizing how this looks. Turn back to WS and finish the stitch.  Leap-of-faith time: Turn so RS is facing you and try to make that purl stitch in the back based on what your remember and saw.  If you get frustrated, turn it to WS, have a boo, turn it back to RS, try again. Keep doing this. You’ll glom onto it eventually.

Here’s some video goodness that should help, too:
Click here for Short Row Wrap and Turn video
Click here for Reverse knitting; bonus audio commentary with really outstanding explanation!