Deep Forest: An Elven Hooded Scarf

This is Justin, he works at Prospect Perk Cafe. He was kind enough to show off my blue Elven hooded scarf. I call it "Deep Forest". That's just the working title until I figure out a name that won't get me sued for copyright infringement... blah, blah, blah. Tolkein's Elves were an advanced race from Middle Earth who were masters of the woodland realm. Their armor and weaponry were known for their precision and artful craftsmanship, making them elegantly fatal to their foes.



I actually designed this for my friend Matt, who turned 33 again this year. The Elves are considered immortal, Matt considers himself eternally middle-aged. I digress— however, the hood on this scarf is formed by picking up stitches and knitting the left and right panels downward from each side of the central band. A cleaved leaf pattern runs from the front of band tapering into twisted ribs at the back.



The interior facing of the hood is turned with a ribbed band for stability — without this reinforcement the hood tends to flop around awkwardly. Simple four-plait braids mark the back of the hood. Both panels are also finished with braids.



Each panel is about 5 feet in length, which seems excessive, but when both are wrapped around to the neck to front, they cover the chest comfortably and form a very warm cowl. I used a double moss pattern on the panels, but any reversible pattern should work well.







I used 3 skeins of Berroco "Peruvia" and #8 SPN to knit this scarf, that's roughly a total of 528 yards (483 meters). Some sewing is required. Peruvia is loosely spun from 100% Peruvian highland wool, it's almost worsted but very light-weight and spongy — this makes it perfect for making larger garments. I recommend washing a test swatch to get an accurate gauge before starting a project with this yarn, it tends to shrink by 4%, but retains the light airy quality.