Ulmo

Ulmo is the Lord of Waters who “speaks to those who dwell in Middle-earth with voices that are heard only as the music of water.” The ripple motif and the colorway used for this design were both inspired by this Ainu and his connection to water. This is a simple scarf design elevated by an asymmetrical slipped stitch pattern that ripples across the face of the garter stitch background like the ripples on a pond.

The first version of this pattern was designed two and a half years ago, but at that inexperienced stage of my design career, I worked a background of reverse stockinette instead of garter, and the edges curled horribly. I tried every possible blocking method to get it to lie flat, but to no avail. Eventually, I frogged the whole thing and let the yarn lie in my stash for almost two years while I got over my frustration.

This spring, I decided it was time to revisit the design, because this yarn was still telling me it didn’t want to be made into anything but this Ulmo scarf. Now, after a fresh redesign, the pattern is finally ready. And I hope you enjoy giant scarves as much as I do, because this one is a stunner.

Specs and Info
Measurements (the length is easily modifiable)
Length 109in (272cm)
Width 13in (33cm)

Gauge
11 sts x 17 rows = 4”/10cm in garter stitch after blocking
(Note: this gauge measurement does not take into account the slipped stitches that work their way up the entire length of the scarf. Although achieving gauge for a project of this type is less important than for a garment, I thought knitting a gauge swatch in garter would be easier for those of you who may want to check gauge beforehand. If you achieve this gauge with garter, then your finished scarf should be pretty close to the dimensions listed in the schematic.)

Yarn
Sample used
Fiber for the People Merino Bulky
100% Superwash Extra-fine Merino (109yds 100m, 100g)
6 skeins in colorway “Tlaquepaque”

To substitute, use
650yds of bulky weight yarn

Needles
US 11 (8.0mm) 28in circular needles

Notions
tapestry needle
blocking supplies

This pattern has been tech edited and test knit.

Copyright November 2021, all rights reserved.