by Kate Atherley

When I was a teenager, I insisted my mother knit me a Doctor Who scarf. Although the colors weren’t precisely right, it was exactly what I wanted: an absurdly long, multicolored scarf with a generous fringe. I wore it for years. And years. I was still wearing it when I finished university and started my first proper job.

One cold winter day, a coworker made a comment in passing. I am certain he meant it to be helpful advice, but it stung more than he could know. He said that the scarf was childish, and if I wanted to be taken seriously in my career I needed to dress the part. The scarf got put away, and I spent more than 10 years dressing conservatively for a career that I never quite fit into. 

Fast forward to 2005, when Doctor Who was relaunched to much acclaim, and I was busy reinventing myself and finding a career I could fit comfortably into. I never forgot my beloved Doctor Who scarf – I’d kept it all along – and I harbored a fantasy of reinventing it for my new life.

And so: Bigger on the inside. A sophisticated, grown-up take on the Doctor Who scarf. No matter how conservative your office, you won’t be out of place with this draped tastefully around your shoulders.

SIZE
One

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

MATERIALS
Yarn
Lorna’s Laces Solemate [55% superwash Merino, 30% Outlast, 15% nylon; 425yd per 100g skein]; color: Bigger on the inside; 2 skeins
Editor's note: this brand-new colorway, created just for this project by the great women at Lorna's Laces, will soon be available at Eat Sleep Knit and Jimmy Beans Wool. Or contact your favorite LYS and ask them to order it for you!


Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
US #3/3.25mm circular needles – a short one for the lace section and a long one for working the TARDIS section and edging

Notions
yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

M1: Make a backwards loop and place it on the right needle.

C2R: On RS, skip first st, and knit into front of second st, leaving both sts on left needle. Knit first st and slip both off needle.  On WS, skip first st, and purl into front of second st, leaving both sts on left needle. Purl first st and slip both off needle.

C2L: On RS, skip first st, and knit into the back of second st, leaving both sts on left needle. Knit first st and slip both off needle. On WS, skip first st and purl into the back of second st, leaving both sts on left needle. Purl first st and slip both off needle.

Make bobble: (K1, yo, k1) into the next st, turn. P3, turn. CDD.

CDD [Central Double Decrease]: Slip 2 sts together as if to k2tog, k1, pass the 2 slipped sts over the stitch just knit.

DIRECTIONS
Lace Section
Cast on 1 st.

Row 1 [WS]: Kfb. 2 sts. 1 st increased.

Row 2 [RS]: Knit.

Row 3 [WS]: K1, kfb. 3 sts. 1 st increased.

Row 4 [RS]: Knit.

Row 5 [WS]: K2, kfb. 4 sts. 1 st increased.

Row 6 [RS]: Knit.

Row 7 [WS]: K2, p1, kfb. 5 sts. 1 st increased.

Row 8 [RS]: Knit.

Row 9 [WS]: K2, p3.

Row 10 [RS]: K2, yo, k1, yo, k2. 7 sts. 2 sts increased.

Row 11 [WS]: K2, p to end.

Row 12 [RS]: K3, yo, k1, yo, k to end. 9 sts. 2 sts increased.

Row 13 [WS]: K2, p6, m1, p1. 10 sts. 1 st increased.

Starting with a RS row, work rows 1 to 24 of the Time Vortex Lace Increase chart 7 times until there are 52 sts, incorporating an additional horizontal repeat after each vertical repeat.

Starting with a RS row, work rows 1 to 8 of the Time Vortex Lace Center chart 3 times, working the 6-st repeat 8 times across row. 

Work Rows 1 to 7 once more, ending on a RS row (31 rows total).

Starting on a WS row, work rows 1 to 24 of the Time Vortex Lace Decrease chart 7 times until 9 sts remain, removing repeats of the 6-st pattern across row as st count decreases.

Cut yarn and pull through final st to secure. TARDIS Section
With RS facing, rejoin yarn and pick up and knit 311 sts evenly distributed along the right (curved) edge of lace section.

Starting on WS, work rows 1 to 41 of TARDIS chart, repeating sts in red box 15 times in total across each row.

Lower Edging
Ribbing row 1 [RS]: K3, [p1, k3] to end.
Ribbing row 2 [WS]: P3, [k1, p3] to end.

Work ribbing as set until ribbing measures 2 inches, ending with a WS row.

Bind off as follows: K2, *insert tip of left needle into the front of these two sts (from left to right, as if to SSK), and knit them together; k1, repeat from * to end. Cut yarn and pull through final st to secure.

FINISHING
Block and weave in ends.

Kate is Knitty’s Tech Editor, and her favorite Doctors are Ten and Four.

And yes, that's the original scarf in her headshot.