Martesana by Angela Hahn

Martesana

Knitting
September 2018
Worsted (9 wpi) ?
17 stitches and 25 rows = 4 inches
in Stockinette st
US 8 - 5.0 mm
470 - 550 yards (430 - 503 m)
54"/137 cm or 60"/152.5 cm circumference, 7"/18 cm wide
English
This pattern is available for free.

Lace scallops angle across this infinity scarf, separated by raised diagonal bands; the hypnotic rhythm of the Milanese Lace stitch pattern has always fascinated me. Plus the fact that the fabric doesn’t bias, even with so much diagonal movement. All that and a five-round repeat?? Crazy.

Milan was once crisscrossed by interconnecting canals, much like Venice, but the Milanese canals were covered over almost 100 years ago. Naviglio Martesana was one of these canals.

I’ve calculated the length of this infinity loop so that it can be wrapped up to three times around the neck (or left long and hanging), but any length or width scarf can be worked by changing the number of pattern repeats.

The plum sample uses a nearly-solid-colored yarn (Shalimar Yarns Enzo Worsted in colorway Tramp Stamp), while the blue-green version uses a semi-solid yarn (Hazel Knits Lively DK in colorway Aquarius). Be wary of more heavily variegated yarns, which may hide the stitch pattern.