I decided on a simple drop stitch knitting pattern. It is only plain knitting in garter stitch, with the yarn winds varying between the stitches, thus giving the end result a wavy look. I had used this pattern twice before, once in a variegated cashmere yarn, and once combing a textured variegated yarn with a plain. It was a pattern that I could commit to memory.
For this one I gathered together three yarns of different colours that went together. The white and the light blue are Paytons Embrace, a 2 ply of 90% Merino , 10% Silk. The darker blue/mauve is a Shepherd Baby Wool Merino, a 100% wool in 4 ply, left over from knitting socks. I wasn't sure how the different plies would react together, but they have worked brilliantly.
I had decided for this one that I would knit it sideways. I have never knitted sideways before, but it is just the same as knitting upwards. All I had to do was cast on more stitches. I had needles and cables long enough from when I knitted this baby shawl, so now was the time to put them to use.
My original intention was to do a normal flat scarf, but halfway through I decided to join the sides together to make it tubular. I had lots of ends hanging from where I changed colour, so these just became the tassel at the ends. As I only changed colour every second row, the hanging threads were only at one end, so to make a tassel at the other end I just cut lengths of yarn and added them in with a crochet hook.
All in all I am very happy with my new scarf. It fitted the initial criteria perfectly, and will help to keep me warm when the colder weather arrives in a few months time.
