Think of the panel scarf as a canvas upon which to explore a wide range of scarf-as-jewellery or scarf-as-belt adventures. The central panel becomes the focal point from which you pick up stitches for the left and right sides. For Little Fishies, embellishments are added to the panel by way of i-cord fringes which are further beaded and festooned. Of course, the i-cords could be left off and the scarf transformed into something slightly more ‘plain’ that could even be worn as a belt. Pattern comes with a stitch-by-number map to help guide the yarn changes.

Why little fishies? Sometimes serious, staid and sensible just won’t do. Sometimes every corpuscle of your body craves funky, a tad radical, and a Little Fishies panel scarf is perfect for just such diversions. I’ve designed many different kinds of these and this one, among my first, is the most light-hearted of them all. This design counts among its fans women of all ages. Maybe the fishies themselves hold part of the appeal, being fleet-moving, energetic explorers of the seas? Why hide our fins under(in) a tank? Set them free!

To give you an idea of variations, you will find photos of more than one version of this panel scarf, so the stitch sequences in the photos may not be exactly the same as the one given in the pattern. Feel free to mix the stitch sequence up however you want. That’s part of the fun. Once you read the stitches I’ve used in each section, you’ll soon be able to see what I’ve done in each version pictured. Also, the large picture above shows a version with twin points on one side whereas others have just one point on each side. The pattern gives instructions for a single point on each side.

The scarf is knit in three pieces, beginning with the central panel, with the two side pieces created by picking up stitches along the panel’s sides. My choice of stitches is very random with color being the single most important factor. I’ll provide directions for exactly how I’ve put mine together but this is a project that cries out of individuality. Don’t be afraid to try your own combinations and embellishments.