Continuing my exploration of squishy fabrics, Driftwood is a large wrap knitted in fisherman's rib.
It's an asymmetrical triangle knitted from one end to the other. You can stop when you get to the size you want (or you run out of yarn).
The pattern is designed by Marielle Zatar and available to buy on Ravelry or as a digital pattern in the Pittenweem shop.
The designer uses an aran weight yarn but I wanted to use Rico Melange Chunky. I was able to use the same needle as the pattern, 6mm, and achieved the same tension as the designer.
It's super squishy and not too heavy considering its size. I used 5 x 50g balls.
Fisherman's rib makes a very squishy and thick fabric.
It's a rib pattern commonly written as (KB, P1) or (K1B, P1).
KB or K1B tells you to knit into the stitch below the stitch on the needle. This creates extra stretch and squish compared to a classic (K1, P1) rib.
Fisherman's Rib is a dupe for Brioche stitch. It makes the same reversible pattern. It is more straightforward to work than Brioche and it's a great stitch pattern for beginners ready to move on from the basics.
As an asymmetrical scarf you start with a small number of stitches so you can get used to the stitch pattern and the regular increases before your rows get longer.
It's the increases along one edge that creates the triangular shape. You increase on alternate rows.
I knitted until I had 115 stitches.
You do need circular needles to hold all the stitches.
My Driftwood measures 200cm across the long top edge and it's 68cm at the deepest point. It is very stretchy.
I followed my usual finishing techniques and handwashed the wrap in Eucalan, squished out excess water and dried flat. I didn't pin it out.
I really enjoyed knitting this. It's a straightforward repetitive knit with no fancy cast on or cast offs, no colourwork, short rows, cables or lace.
The chunky yarn made it a quick knit and the squishy fabric felt very satisfying. It'll definitely keep you warm whilst knitting it.
To recap
You can buy a copy of Driftwood on Ravelry or as a digital pattern in the Pittenweem shop.
You can buy Rico Melange Chunky here. I used 5 balls of shade 58.
You can of course use another chunky yarn. Or as the pattern specifies, an aran yarn.
You can buy circular needles here. The pattern suggests 6mm. You'll need a circular needle, at least 80cm, to hold all the stitches.
