Shin-yu (真友 = true friend) Infinity Scarf

Wednesday before Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite days of the year.  School has been nonstop since the first week of September and it feels great to have a 5-day weekend.  My now 19-year-old daughter and I usually spend several hours in the kitchen, cooking up foods that we normally don’t have time for, such as poultry roast with fresh herbs, creamy bisques, and sweet pies from scratch.

It is also a day I stop and think of my sweet friends.  I particularly think it amazing that with internet and social media, I can now reconnect with my childhood friends and make new friends around the world.

So as I count my blessings of my friends near and far, those whom I see every week, and those I have never met in person, I thought it fitting that I share with y’all my Shin-yu Infinity Scarf that I’ve been working on.

Gradient Explosion by Guilty Treasures (Fingering weight), 3.25 mm hook

Shin-yu 真友 (pronounced shin ewe/you) means true friends in Japanese. This infinity scarf was designed with my dearest friends in my heart. This crocheted cowl is worked up in 3 sections, starting with a Japanese old favorite stitch called pine stitch (松編み/matsu ami), known as a fan stitch in the west. A larger version of this simple stitch is expanded with special stitches in subsequent sections. Coupled with chain stitches placed throughout the pattern, the end result is a beautiful lacey scarf that would make a perfect gift for your 真友.

The pattern will be released on December 9, 10, and 11, 2016!

The pattern will be released on my Ravelry page  over three days – December 9 (Friday), December 10 (Saturday), and December 11 (Sunday), one section per day. There will be some translations to foreign languages, thanks to the support of the CAL – Crochet Along group on Facebook.  The pattern will be FREE.

Interested in getting ready for the project?  Here are some info:

Difficulty: Adventurous beginner & intermediate

Yarn: Any weight yarn (I live in Texas where it is 70 degrees (21 C) in November, so I like working with sock/fingering weight yarn.  Those of you who live in cold weather would probably want to try it with heavier weight yarn.)

Crochet Hooks: Corresponding to yarn weight; may need 2 different sizes depending on tension

Gauge: Not essential; Depends on yarn and hook used

Notions: Tapestry needle, Stitch marker (optional)

Size: Adjustable; Google “cowl length” for ideas

Note on Length: The pattern needs to start with a stitch count of {multiples of 40 } (e.g., 120, 160, 200, etc.). Therefore, choose a length range to target (for example, 24-26 inches) rather than an exact length.

Yardage: Yardage needed depends on yarn weight, cowl length, and your tension. Here are some examples:

Yarn Weight	Hook size	Yarn weight & yardage	Finished size
Sock / Fingering	3.25 mm (D/3)	@95 g = 450 yards	Double wrap 50 in (@127 cm) x 5.5 in (@14 cm)
Double Knit / DK	4.0 mm (G/6)	@80g = 258 yards	Single wrap 25 in (@63 cm) x 8 in (@20 cm)

It is a perfect one skein project.  One 100g skein of sock/fingering weight yarn will make a double wrap, while one 100g in double knit (DK) weight will make a single wrap.

Sock by Malabrigo (Sock weight), 3.25 mm hook

Maybe this will give y’all one more reason to keep an eye out for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday sales!  🙂  I know I’ve been drooling over those gradient color changing yarns and hand-dyed yarns.  But this will also make a great stash busting project.

Stylecraft Special DK (Double Knit weight), 4.00mm hook