The other scarf

I'm not sure the close-up photo is good enough to show the effect of that same lace stitch worked in such a different yarn, but here it is. I only worked it in the center of the rows because otherwise it resulted in this pronounced dip in the edges of the scarf. It mostly lends texture in this incarnation, but still, a fun experiment!

A perfect gift for scarf mavens

In my new Knit 'N Style Magazine, I found this marvelous gadget: the Scarf Fold-up, from Nancy's Knit Knacks. (How appropriate that another Nancy sells this!)



As your scarf gets longer, you fold and wrap it round the tool. The scarf stays neat and compact: no twisting and tangling. In addition, the Scarf Fold-up has a pair of 8" rulers, a 4" X 4" stitch and row gauge, and a US-Metric needle conversion chart. It holds knitting needles too. All for a mere $11.99. Evidently, a customer suggested this idea and Nancy's 88-year-old mother refined the concept.

Here's the link for any scarf mavens or friends of scarf mavens: http://www.nancysknitknacks.com/Scarf%20Fold-up.htm

You know how I love to knit scarves. This baby is going right on my Christmas wish list!

Sister-in-law's Short Row Scarf

Taking my cue from Laura, I took my WIP outdoors to photograph it. Here's about half of the commissioned cashmere scarf for my sister-in-law. I'm loving these short rows because I tend to work one triangle at a time and then feel a great sense of accomplishment. I can also count the progess very easily.



Given that the scarf is a solid color I think the alternating triangles give it visual interest--and keep me interested as well. I'm using the wrap-and-turn--or more accurately, wrap-as-you-turn--method recommended by Creative Knitting, the magazine where I found the pattern. They say it eliminates the holes which just turning on the short row can give you. Since this is my first attempt at short rows, I'm taking their word for it. Anyway, the idea is to wrap your yarn around the last stitch in the short row (which you slip). After you turn, you slip the next stitch also and then purl the third one so you get groups of three stitches at the end of each row.

When you finish all the short rows in one triangle, you knit back across, picking up the wrapping and the wrapped stitch and knitting them together. See what you think in the closeup below.



I tried another first on the this project: I felted my yarn join when I switched to the next skein. I was looking up the Russian Join recommended by one of our wonderful commenters here and found this other suggestion. It only works on wool, of course, but I was thrilled because this cashmere is so expensive that I didn't want to leave much in the way of ends when I was joining. The felting method eliminates ends all together. Here's the link to the felted join video: http://www.knittinghelp.com/videos/knitting-tips . Just scroll down the page until you see the "Joining Yarn" videos. It's really easy.

So that's the report from the field. I'm a little depressed because my Devils can't seem to win a game these days and have slipped from leading the entire Eastern Conference to second in the Atlantic Division. It's a bummer!

What's everyone else working on?

The same only different

Do you remember how I poked fun (in a very friendly way, of course) at some of you veteran knitters for having multiple projects "on the needles"? I certainly remember your polite restraint since I'm sure you were justifiably laughing behind your hands at the newbie's presumption in chiding you for that.

Well, I am duly humbled because I have discovered the virtues of having a project "on the needles" for those days when you don't have the time or the mental energy to start a new project but you desperately need something to knit.



The scarf above is something I started ages ago because I had way too much very expensive cashmere yarn left over from my husband's lo-o-o-ong scarf (below). I wasn't making it for any reason other than I just couldn't bear to waste all that gorgeous fiber. Was I ever grateful that I had it when I finished my Noni Bag (due to the sprained foot) and didn't want to hobble down to the LYS to get something new to occupy my needles. Now I'm thinking it will make a lovely Christmas gift.



It's so interesting to see how different these scarves look even though I'm using exactly the same yarns and exactly the same stitch pattern. All I've changed is the color pattern. They look more like distant cousins than fraternal twins, wouldn't you say?

Is anyone else finishing up an old project for a holiday gift? Tell us about it!