Expert knitters I need your help please

[Slimchance]

Hello. I have recently received a really beautiful scarf that someone has hand knitted for me. It is knitted with stripes of two alternating colours of wool. The trouble is, it is about 80 cm too long (I know - long story - my fault entirely). Anyway, I don't have the heart to ask the knitter to alter it after all her hard work.

So my question is: is it possible to separate the scarf in to two pieces, where there is a join between two colours?

How can I do this without it unravelling?

Also, the scarf has lovely fringing. How do I remove that and replace it without it all becoming a huge tangle?

Finally, do you think it would be best if I asked another expert knitter to do this rather than trying it myself and potentially ruining the whole thing? (I can sew but knit very inexpertly.)

Thank you in advance for any advice!

Steeking involves sewing between knitted stitches and then cutting to create openings (often used in fairisle/knitting garments in the round). Usually you knit in extra stitches and then cut those but I have seen it done without having those extra stitches there - go to YouTube and search 'steeking' and you should get some good tutorials.

If you cut without sewing it though, it will unravel.

There are other options - picking up the stitches from the row above where you want to cut, cutting and then binding off.

As for the fringing - usually this is knotted so it's just a case of finding the knot, undoing it and re-attaching it somewhere else.

YouTube is your friend for tutorials - a wealth of information.

If you are in any way concerned about your ability to do any of the above you may very well want to ask someone more experienced to do it.

Can I ask though ... long scarves are in style. Why do you want it shorter? (just a nosey question)

Thanks very much for all that useful info RougePixie - much appreciated! I'll get on to YOu Tube as soon as I have a minute.

As for the length, it was entirely my fault and lack of inexperience (gave instructions from a distance without handling the wool). The scarf was already long and I asked for it to be even longer (not realising how the weight of the wool would hang or the width would influence how it hangs ifyswim - much easier to knot a very narrow scarf lots of times around but you more difficult with thicker, heavier knits). I still love it though !

Not sure that steeking applies here.
It is however possible to cut through one half of a stitch in the middle of the last row of one colour or the first row of the next and then carefully undoing it towards both ends. You pick up the stitches as you go along and cast them of individually. You will need some of the yarn, so you may need to undo another row to free up some yarn. You then have two halves. If you have some spare yarn you can then attach some fringe to the ends of the scarves.
Definitely a job for an expert knitter who doesn't mind fiddly.
Best of luck.

Thanks Dutchoma I was kind of hoping that it would be possible to separate one colour from the other (where they join obviously) and pick up the stitches to finish. (I do have some spare wool in one of the colours.) The thought of cutting it myself makes me feel very nervous though so will definitely be seeking skilled knitter over here ...!! (You don't live within striking distance of Bxls by any chance do you? )

Bxls?? I'm in Northampton

Sorry, I thought you might have been up the road in The Netherlands!

Maybe you could fold it about 40 cm in the middle and sew it together- it will be thicker around the back of your neck but that might be quite nice. Depends how think the yarn and how tight the knitting is.

Like a box pleat I mean- like this

Sorry to ask a stupid question, but is the scarf kind of like <a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=www.josephm.com/childrens-store-1/baby-boy-0-2-year-63/hats-124/timberland-kids-boys-blue-striped-scarf-354667-112465_zoom.jpg&imgrefurl=www.josephm.com/childrens-store-1/baby-boy-0-2-year-63/hats-124/timberland-kids-boys-blue-striped-scarf-354667.htm&h=1146&w=855&sz=83&tbnid=Wm77xLSSpimyEM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=67&zoom=1&usg=__KDkeG5pL_GbDzcgKBu1gn3JvG1Y=&docid=AqZIBS2YegIcOM&sa=X&ei=nMxfUp6mOK3T7AaGnoCwBQ&ved=0CEIQ9QEwBQ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this with horizontal stripes across it?

You could cut into the piece below the one you want to end at (say the 2nd black one in the photo) and remove that, then use your wool to help tie off the end of the colour you want to finish at. It might also be possible to then unravel the cut-off piece to the last stripe, the one with the tassels attached, and to sew the rest of the scarf onto the end pane with the tassels. You'd need stitch markers to stop that last piece unravelling until it's sewn though.

This explains about sewing sections of wool together.

Up the road in the Netherlands?

If you want it 80cm shorter then I would cut it 70cm shorter and then unravel the last 10cm. That would be more than enough to take care of all the little odd cut bits and take you into solid wool so that you can cast off.

You probably could unpick the original fringe and pit it back on the shorter scarf but I think it would be easier to unravel the bit you have cut off and use that yarn to make a new fringe. It might be a bit crinkly but that can be sorted.

If you want it 80cm shorter then I would cut it 70cm shorter and then unravel the last 10cm. That would be more than enough to take care of all the little odd cut bits and take you into solid wool so that you can cast off.

You probably could unpick the original fringe and pit it back on the shorter scarf but I think it would be easier to unravel the bit you have cut off and use that yarn to make a new fringe. It might be a bit crinkly but that can be sorted.

If you want it 80cm shorter then I would cut it 70cm shorter and then unravel the last 10cm. That would be more than enough to take care of all the little odd cut bits and take you into solid wool so that you can cast off.

You probably could unpick the original fringe and pit it back on the shorter scarf but I think it would be easier to unravel the bit you have cut off and use that yarn to make a new fringe. It might be a bit crinkly but that can be sorted.

Is the knitter likely to see the scarf after you've altered it? If yes, I would be tempted to fess up and ask her to do it.

If you want it 80cm shorter then I would cut it 70cm shorter and then unravel the last 10cm. That would be more than enough to take care of all the little odd cut bits and take you into solid wool so that you can cast off.

You probably could unpick the original fringe and pit it back on the shorter scarf but I think it would be easier to unravel the bit you have cut off and use that yarn to make a new fringe. It might be a bit crinkly but that can be sorted.

Oops.

Thanks for all the replies! (No worries Starfish)

Thanks for the suggestion Duchesse - much appreciated - but it is already a bit too thick/heavy to do that I think.

PeterParker thank you - yes the scarf is striped as in that link - and that definitely sounds like a way forward. I'm not skilled enough to understand your explanation completely but it sounds good and I will definitely suggest it to the expert knitter who I am going to seek out to fix it.

Ditto Starfish and yes I did worry that it would be a bit too fiddly to re-attach fringe.

Tribpot No she isn't going to see it. I did ponder the idea of asking her to fix it but I think she would be heartbroken at having to unravel parts of it after all her hard work.

Dutchoma Because of your nickname .