Note: This pattern was done in a hell of a hurry because I wanted to get it out on Valentines Day – but only thought of it the day before (!) – so there were less than 24 hours from conception to publication. There might be errata. I’m going to try to check it over before anyone actually starts knitting it, but if you see anything that looks off, please contact me.

Note again: Ohhh yeah, there was a big fat giant error in row 2 of the letter encoding pattern – fixed on Feb. 17. Also added another letter chart to make things easier.

Secret Admirer is a simple cabled scarf – with a hidden message. It uses binary numbers to encode a message that is invisible to the casual observer. Small cables shaped like the numbers 0 and 1 allow the scarf to be “read” – but only if you know what you’re looking for. Encode “I love you” for your sweetie or your seeecret crush, or encode anything you want; instructions for the entire alphabet are given.

Difficulty level: easy, suitable for an advanced beginner. There’s only one kind of cable and you can even do your cabling without a needle. Encoding the numbers is as simple as anything – just one row of each 12-row cable repeat takes care of the encoding. This scarf would be fine for a first cabling project.

 
See all my blog entries about this pattern.

Find this pattern on Ravelry.

 
Materials:

· any cable-appropriate yarn, probably at least 300 yards for a scarf of decent length
· straight or circular needles, size appropriate for your yarn
· nerdiliciousness

 
Gauge:

Doesn’t matter. Scarf is 37 sts wide, excluding edge sts, so choose a gauge/yarn that will give you a comfortable width with 37 sts. I’d suggest DK or heavier, unless you want a skinny scarf.

 
Pattern Notes:

How Binary Encoding Works:

Binary is a number system that uses two digits, 0 and 1. A 5-digit number in binary can represent numbers up to 32 – meaning, it can represent the alphabet using the numbers 1 to 26. You’ll be knitting little cables that look like 0s and 1s to encode each number/letter.

Abbreviations:

cable5: sl 1 st to cable needle, hold to front, k4, k1 from cable needle.
(this cable can be done without a cable needle if desired)

 
Pattern:

Letter Codes:

I’ve listed the letter codes two ways – knit from whichever chart is more intuitive for you.

In Chart 1, the letter codes are written normally – this is the chart you’ll use later if you want to “read” the completed scarf. If you’re knitting from Chart 1, read the numbers from left to right (even though you’re knitting them from right to left).

Example: If your message is “I love you”, you’ll start with the letter I, and when you reach row 10 of the cable repeat you’ll read from left to right and encode a 0, then 1, then 0, then 0, then 1. When you flip the scarf such that the cast-on edge is at the top, you’ll be able to read it as 01001 = 9 = I.

Chart 1:

In Chart 2, the letter codes have all been flipped backwards, for a direct “both knitting and reading from right to left” visual match. If you’re knitting from Chart 2, read the numbers from right to left.

Example: If your message is “I love you”, you’ll start with the letter I, and when you reach row 10 of the cable repeat you’ll read from right to left and encode a 0, then 1, then 0, then 0, then 1. When you flip the scarf such that the cast-on edge is at the top, it’ll still display as 01001 = 9 = I, not as 10010 like in the chart below.

Chart 2:

If you want to use spaces in your message, you can encode a space as 00000.

CO 39 sts.
(WS) P1, *k2, p5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, k2, p1.
Sl1 knitwise, *p2, k5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.
Sl1 purlwise, *k2, p5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, k2, p1.
Sl1 knitwise, *p2, cable5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.

Encode Letter:

Row 1 (WS): Sl1 purlwise, *k2, p5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, k2, p1.
Row 2: Sl1 knitwise, *p2, k5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.
Rows 3, 5, 7: Rep row 1.
Rows 4, 6: Rep row 2.
Row 8: Sl1 knitwise, *p2, cable5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.
Row 9: Rep row 1.
Row 10 (encoding row): Sl1 knitwise, *p2, k5 for a 0 OR cable5 for a 1, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.
Row 11: Rep row 1.
Row 12: Rep row 8.

Rep these 12 rows, working row 10 as appropriate for each different letter in your message, until scarf is desired length and/or your message is completed. If you run out of message letters and still want more length, just encode 00000s for the rest of the scarf.

Sl1 purlwise, *k2, p5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, k2, p1.
Sl1 knitwise, *p2, k5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.
Rep previous 2 rows 2 more times, 6 rows total.
Sl1 purlwise, *k2, p5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, k2, p1.
Sl1 knitwise, *p2, cable5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.
Sl1 purlwise, *k2, p5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, k2, p1.
Sl1 knitwise, *p2, k5, rep from * to 3 sts before end, p2, k1.
BO in pattern, tightly (so the edge doesn’t flare).

Weave in ends and block.

If you’re making this for your seeeecret love, be sure to giggle mischievously while giving it to him or her.

 
Copyright © 2008 Cyn, cyn.ca/knit