A Green Scarf

This scarf was started back in November last year. I was going away and needed something small to do to take with me. I was planning on some knitting, but ended up with this crocheted motif.

The motif pattern is from my Mum's collection, cut from an Australian Home Journal, dated January 1947. It was meant to be done in No 40 Crochet cotton to form a tray cloth, but I worked it in 4 ply cotton.

I had no idea what I was going to do with the motifs. My original idea was a scarf, then I thought I may not have enough yarn. I also thought of making them into a bag of sorts. In the end I just kept making motifs and put them into a scarf.

Finished now, I'll have to find something to wear it with.

A New Scarf

This is my new scarf that I finished about a week ago. 

Born out of scraps, it is knitted in a drop stitch pattern in two different yarns. One is Morris Empire, a 100% merino 8 ply, while the second is Noro Silk Garden Lite, a 45% silk, 45% mohair and 10 % wool yarn from Japan. The Noro is a variegated yarn, and creates a lovely colour change throughout the scarf.

It's lovely and warm, so will have to be packed away until next winter now.

Pretty In Pink

This pretty pink scarf came about from scraps. One of the ladies in my local sewing group was having a de-stash, and I found this lovely piece of pink embroidered cotton voile. It was long and narrow, perfect for making a scarf, so I tucked it away in my stash with a little note as to what was to be done with it. That was way back in the beginning of last year.

Then a while back, I needed a quick project to do one group day, so pulled this pink fabric out, found some matching thread, took it to group day and proceeded to hem it.

The hem is a very fine turned zigzag, to me it is much quicker and easier to do than threading the over locker to do a rolled hem. As I was hemming it, I was thinking of what to decorate the ends with. It did come to mind that I could add some free standing digitized lace flowers, to match the flowers in the embroidery. More work, but hey, I could handle that, and it would be a good challenge.

When I got home, I searched through my stash and found a ball of crocheting cotton, that was the perfect pink. So rather than going to all the time and effort of digitizing some free standing lace, I decided to crochet some flowers instead.

The flowers add another dimension and some weight to the scarf, even if they do get tangled. I crocheted the flowers first, then added a chain length to add them to the ends of the scarf. I had previously added a little edge in crochet all the way around to help give it more strength and weight, and this is what I attached the flowers to.

Pink is not a colour I normally wear, but it may jazz up a navy or white top in spring or even jazz up a hat in summer. Whatever it goes with, it is finished, and I have something off my to-do list.

A Drop Stitch Scarf

Behold, another scarf to add to my growing box full. Just finished this morning, this scarf was started as a holiday project for a recent trip away. I needed something to take for the down time that we would have. I had agonised over what to take. It needed to be small, easy, with not too much thinking, no taking of reference books or patterns, but something creative enough that I would not get bored with it. It also need to be something that I could see easily without magnifiers and extra lighting. Some places the lighting can be so poor.

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.

Knitting Up Some Extra Warmth

The knitting bug has had me caught over the last few months, in between the crazy patchwork embellishment, a new piece of tenneriffe lace, my pulled and drawn sampler, and  a project for Stitchers Plus.

First up is my new wrap. This began in October last year when I walked into a little habby shop while on holidays. The buisiness was for sale, and  everything was marked down. I walked out with a lovely hank of "Centolavaggi", a 100%, merino wool,  lace weight yarn from Italy. I had no idea what I would do with it, just a scarf of some kind. Also on the same day, I visited a tiny little, church run, second - hand shop, & walked out with a baby knitting book ( minus the cover) for all of 20c. Inside was a pattern for a circular baby shawl in feather & fan. My theory was that if I used larger needles, I could do 1/2 of the baby shawl, and it would come out large enough to wrap around me. Mmmm......... famous last words. it wasn't working up as I'd hoped, so I un-pulled it and found another pattern.

In the end I used the free "Meandering Vines Shawl" to be found on Ravelry, though I tweaked  it a bit to suit my purpose. It is knitted in two halves, which are then grafted together, something I have only done once before and that was nearly 35 years ago. So consequently there are no close-up pics of my grafting! Still, my wrap is finished for when the cooler weather finally arrives.

My second project is this lovely scarf. It was born purely for the need of something to do while on a flying trip up north. My wrap was finished, all except the grafting, so I needed something else, something that I could see easily without dragging magnifiers around or needing excellent light. I found three balls of Payton's "Embrace", a 2 ply yarn of 90% merino wool - 10% silk, in my stash. So I quickly searched my patterns and found this, the "Flit 'n' Float" scarf, by Birdy Evans, also available for  free on Ravelry. I had used one of the charts of this patten to make this scarf a few years back, now I wanted to do the whole thing.

The pattern began with  a provisional cast on, something I had not done before. This method creates 'live' stitches which are placed on another yarn, then picked up later to knit the remainder of the scarf. The flounce is knitted first, from the base of the scarf to outside edge of the flounce. The stitches are cast off, then picked up again from the provisional casting on and then the  remainder of the scarf is worked. It was interesting doing this and really not that hard.

I am very happy with this scarf, it is warm and light, & long enough to wrap around my neck twice. I also love the beautiful feel of the yarn. Now all I have to do is think about what to do with the remainder, I still have a ball and a half left. I am thinking gloves to match, so watch this space! Think I will be warn enough this winter?

My New Scarf

This is my new scarf that I have just finished. It's soft, fine & warm, just what the weather is calling for today. It's cold & wet outside today & only 11 degrees, a far cry from the beautiful warm sunshine of yesterday.

But getting back to my scarf, it is made in a fine 2ply cashmere yarn from  Belisa Cashmere in Bundanoon. The pattern is a simple drop stitch one found at Frazzled Knits. It's the same pattern that I used to make this green one last year. It's amazing how  changing the yarn can make such a difference. This is what the pattern looks like close up.

Now to decide what next to knit? New gloves or a bag? I so want to do both!

A Crochet Experiment

Last year I had a lovely day with my friend M____ in the City shopping for yarn. As we walked into one store, I spotted a lovely scarf that was just crocheted squares joined together. At first glance they were Granny Squares, but on closer  inspection they were a little different than the usual Granny Square. I could have bought the pattern, or made a sketch & figured it out myself, but I came to the conclusion that any motif would work. So home I came, & ventured through all my Mum's crochet magazines (that I now have) looking for an appropriate motif pattern. I found heaps in my search, including one triangular one which I thought could prove interesting & different. In the end it was too big, so I modified it down to what you see above.

I set about crocheting the motifs in a cheap & nasty variegated acrylic yarn, then had fun trying to join them all together. I still have yarn left but feel that the scarf is long enough, especially as I feel it needs a "finish" on the ends. What the finish will be I have no idea, as I feel a fringe is not quite right. Any one got any suggestions?

I wouldn't mind making another one, but next time in something finer & much better quality.

My New Scarf

Finally finished! This is a scarf that I started at the end of winter last year. The yarn was fine, very cheap & very old, so consequently caused me many problems.

I chose a pattern off the Net, then proceeded to use only part of the pattern. It was very simple, involving only a few stitches and eight rows in the repeat. After a few rows, I found I was making mistakes, & proceeded to try to unpick it stitch by stitch. Because the yarn was so fine, it was difficult doing this, so I decided to rip out the needles & start again. Trying to unravel the work already done, the yarn gripped to itself, & would not unravel. I tried to gently coax it with a tug, but only succeeded in breaking the yarn. Mmmm............... old yarn............is it worth the hassle?

Well, it kept my fingers busy so I kept on with it, mistakes and all. There are plenty of mistakes, & I will be the first to point them out. They remain in the scarf purely because of the age & gripping factor of the yarn. I knew if I tried to unpick them I would end up with problems again, so I made a choice to leave the mistakes in. I figured that once scrunched & rolled around my neck, the mistakes would not be seen.

The fringe at the end is crocheted. I wanted something different to the normal fringe, so crocheted some rings & chains & attached them to the ends.

OK, so it may not get an A+ on any marking scale, but it is warm & will be great on those cold winter mornings that will be sure to come in a few months time.

My Feather & Fan Scarf Finished

My feather & fan scarf is now finished & ready for next winter. Just in time too as the weather is really warming up already & my hands were starting to sweat on occasions.

I've knitted feather & fan patterns before but not as a scarf. If ever I do another one I'll think about the pattern more. I'm really not happy with the ends looking different & am not quite sure what I could have done about it. I could perhaps have started in the center, knitted one way then the other, but I am not sure how that would have looked at the cast on area. Maybe a few rows of garter stitch would help & I am sure there is a method of casting on that will let you knit two ways.

I guess I could also  start two ends separately then graft them together in the center. At least then I would end up with two wavy ends the same with the pattern going the same direction when the scarf is being worn. Mmmm........... food for thought.

Note to self:- make notes on my pattern, practice some grafting, & research cast on methods.

Another Scarf

This scarf was born out of a gift from a friend. Over six months ago I was given a hank of knitting yarn that was textured & variegated. It sat wrapped in it's tissue paper for 5 months waiting for me to think what to do with it. A scarf was the obvious answer, but what pattern? I also needed to add anther yarn with it to have enough to make a scarf. Then back in May my friend M___ & I ventured into the city to see what yarn we could find, and also a pattern that might inspire. I came home with 2 balls each of a green & a red/brown wool, and the pattern for a ruffled scarf.

After much experimentation with yarn combinations, needle sizes & patterns, this is what I have ended up with. The two different yarns required two different needle sizes so there was much playing with needle sizes alone to get something I was happy with. I even tried combining needle sizes, but ended up knitting the whole thing in just one size, somewhere between the two required.

Then there was the pattern. There were two colours involved & I was adamant that I didn't want stripes. That's when I ventured into the ruffles, but that gave me funny wedges which might be OK in different yarns than this. So the hunt was on for something else. In the end I settled for this drop stitch pattern, something that I hadn't done before and which was oh so easy.


I still had to experiment as to where to use my two colours, un-pulling a few times before I was happy with the result. I have ended up with something very textured in mottled colours, and not stripes which is on the plus side, something that should go with a few different colours.

My dilema now is whether to add something to the ends or not. I have no textured yarn left, only the green, and personally I think a fringe would be the only answer as anything else would add another texture which would be too conflicting. I think I might just leave it plain as is. What does everyone else think?

Finished

My blue scarf is finished, just in time as the weather is wintry today. Cold, showery & windy. I really wanted it a little longer, but when I went back to buy another ball of the same yarn there was none left. I guess it doesn't need to be super long as the ruffles are enough to come up my neck & keep it warm. No need to wrap around, it would be too thick for that, and it's long enough to tuck into a coat neckline.
It rolls into a little ball for storing and I just love the picots along the edge, super easy. This one is made in a cheap acrylic yarn, not something I am particularly fond of, but it is warm & will serve a purpose.

The Knitting Bug

I've been hit by the knitting bug.

I was given some lovely textured yarn a few months back as a gift & it has been sitting there waiting patiently for me to decide what to do with it. I knew I had to add something to it, but first I had to decide what to make and a scarf was the obvious choice. So when my long time friend M... came for a visit from the country, we headed off into the city to Morris & Sons to see what we could find. Well of course there was plenty, & I came home with some 8 ply in two colours & a pattern for a ruffled scarf.

That night I dug out my knitting needles & as the 8 ply required a different size needle to my textured yarn, I chose a needle size halfway between the two. Nothing like a little creative knitting!

After a little play, I decided to go down a size, but found that my lovely needles that I'd had for many years had started to deteriorate. All the coating was starting to come off & the yarn was catching. Bugger! Not to worry, I had another stash that had belonged to my Mum & I found a pair of appropriate size in plastic which got me out of trouble.

So last Saturday I visited my local Lincraft store to stock up on my knitting needle supply. It had been years since I had bought any, I had a great range of sizes. So much variety! Which length to choose? Metal, plastic or bamboo? I am used to knitting with metal needles so kept with those in a long length. Then I spied these lovely wooden ones with turned ends which I can't wait to try.

So what am I knitting? My ruffled scarf of course! I started off with the pattern I bought, then found a similar one elsewhere but with great variations, so I am trying one variation in a cheap yarn to see if I like it or not. It has picots along the edge, something I have not done before. I hadn't knitted ruffles like this before either but they are relatively easy.


Once I finish this one, then I will decide how I can incorporate my lovely textured multi coloured yarn with my plain coloured wool. The weather has turned decidedly chilly with snow falling last week not to far away so scarves will come in very handy.

A New Scarf

About a month ago I was playing with a daisy wheel, one of those little wheels with spikes. Since then I have been joining them together with some crochet. It took some playing to find just the right thread to use & in the end I settled on a blue perle 8. The next problem I had was how to finish the ends. I knew I didn't want a fringe, I was sure it would not suit, so I ended up with this croched edge.

Something a little different, & something I have wanted to do one for a while. I have made the daisies many times before, but they were always white & always went into baby shawls. Then last year I spotted a shawl done with these daisies, all multi coloured, and joined together with black. I had seen the shawl from a distance, as the new proud owner showed it too her lunch friends, and immediately thought to myself " I could do.....................". Now my mind is still racing with ideas of how to use these cute little daisies.