When I saw the design call for projects with yarns held together, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I’d been playing with Fisherman’s Rib, and believed that the texture of this stitch pattern would really show off the color effects created by marling yarns. In this design, a strand of a bright color is held together with a strand from a gradient set of neutrals, creating a scarf in five sections of marled shades, each section more interesting than if a single color had been knit on its own. This round, light fingering yarn from Wonderland Yarns works perfectly, creating a lofty fabric that will insulate you well against the cold.

The pattern’s name is a lighthearted play on words, as “banter” can mean “ribbing” when it refers to teasing rather than to a knitting stitch.