Redwood Smoke: help from a fellow knitter

Back in November I found myself in a quandary. Redwood Smoke was nearing completion and the edging yarn ran about 10 yards short. This is the Woodsmoke scarf pattern published in Brave New Knits. Smoke signals were sent up with success and this sweet knit was finished in a jiffy!

Just one more example of what a helpful tool Ravelry can be in making our fibery dreams come true.

The updated search options made it super easy to locate projects that had been knit out of this particular color of Malabrigo Silky Merino. I searched for finished projects and then asked those who had bits and pieces of the yarn left over for help. Locating a fellow knitter who would not only part with her yarn, but sent it to me right away and refused to accept payment was made easy.

Once the package arrived, this scarf was finished in no time flat. The colorway matched and is indistinguishable from what was originally used.

My plan was to gift this as a Christmas present, but I am finding it difficult to part with.

Many thanks to Mary who goes by Hellskitch on Ravelry. I appreciate your kindness.

sending up smoke signals

Have you checked out Jared Flood's Woodsmoke scarf? What a great gift idea! It doesn't take long to knit at all and I've always loved the process of knit-on edging.


The nagging began in the back of my mind two days ago. It seemed like I may run short on the edging yarn. I kept knitting and tried to focus on the positive possibility that there may be enough...just enough yarn to finish.

Sadly, my suspicion was confirmed. Last night, I knit the last full repeat possible and found myself short of yarn.

Estimates put me approximately 10 yards short and I've messaged a Raveler with leftovers to see if she is willing to part with it. Let's hope she answers my 'smoke' signal!

Malabrigo Silky Merino is very pleasing to knit with. I've used it before and remember how yummy this yarn actually is. It usually runs around $11 for 150 yards and the colors are fabulous. The inside of this scarf is knit with Redwood and the edging is, of course, Smoke.

Happy Friday!

Christmas swap

Our first Christmas party in the South introduced us to a different way to exchange holiday gifts.

In the North, you bring a wrapped gift, they put a little number on it, you pull a number out of a 'hat' and receive the corresponding gift. Nice, neat, over.

In the South, you steal. The host figures out a numbering system and each person chooses a gift in order. If you like a gift that someone else has already claimed, you can 'steal' their gift in place of your turn and that person gets to choose another package to unwrap. Ideally, you want to be the last one then you get to choose from everything then no one has a chance to steal it from you.

I must admit, the Southern method is much more fun!

This year, my day tennis team is having a gift swap. Most of the ladies are....a little more seasoned than me and I was having trouble coming up with a gift idea. Hopefully, they will love the idea of an alpaca scarf!

Giraffe

Bugg loves most animals. When she was little, we spent much time in the penguin house at the zoo and I thought that penguins would be the animal she loved best. As she got older, she gravitated toward giraffe. She loves the giraffe so much that we tried to track one down at the Build-a-Bear Workshop over Christmas break.

With her birthday coming up, this pattern seemed to be a sign. Photos of illusion scarves had barely gotten a glimpse from me before this pattern. The whole concept seemed like time better spent on a lace-something-or-other. Turns out, the process is not boring and does require some thought.

In the end, there is this illusion giraffe scarf that Bugg will receive for her birthday. She will love it!

Chris' scarf

A few months ago a car full of friends headed to Baton Rouge for a yarn day. Chris picked up three skeins of Berroco Bonsai Colors and asked me to make something with it.

At 77 yards per skein, pattern choices were limited.

The Easy Drop Stitch Scarf Pattern by Christine Vogel worked well with this yarn.

Knit on US 8 needles, the scarf was finished in just a few days. Chris has not seen it yet, I hope she likes it!

Finished measurement" 6" wide; 58" long

Infinity

Remember the Punta Mericash that I encouraged you to hunt down and buy, buy, buy?

I recommend it even more highly now. The drape and softness is definitely at the top of my list.

Two skeins were plenty and it feels luxurious when wrapped around my neck.

It knit up quickly on US 5 needles

I am devising a plan to get more in a blue-ish colorway.

It was a pleasant diversion, but time is awastin' and I really need to focus on the Christening gown.

Drudging through the rain

Rain, rain go away...there are certainly a lot of people harboring this same thought these days. It rained the majority of the weekend and the cold has set in for today - a certain predictor to our upcoming season change. Oh, how I dread the snow and cold weather which is just around the corner.

Scarf Style has been in my library for awhile and there is yarn here intended for 4 or 5 projects in that book. With the impending weather inevitable, it was time to do something to prepare.

Vintage Velvet has been intriguing and this knit up quickly in 10 days. True, other projects are on my needles so you could knit this up faster with dedication. This scarf is so soft - make one and you will be pleased.

After Velvet was off the needles, the nagging idea returned to frog half of a mohair sweater for another scarf.

Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Mohair was appealing as a sweater years ago. Thank goodness I snapped to my senses after knitting the back and quit production. Horror stories are out there about frogging mohair -- they are all true, but this task is not impossible and success prevailed. Hopefully, this will be more fun to knit the second time around.

Happily, the alpaca is finished. 655 yards of yummy alpaca made my day. As usual, it does not have a project, but that will change sometime soon. I can't keep my hands off of it.

A gift of Briar Rose BFL arrived last month and it is now being spun up. I'm pretty sure I haven't spun BFL before. The memory would have stuck with me. This fiber is incredible - soft and buttery. Chris' color job just adds to the beauty. How lucky am I?

An update on Bugg seems to be in order - she is doing well and is so happy at school. She is in the right place and has adjusted. We did receive a call for money last week (heh heh, it took a month!). I miss her a lot, but she has been calling and shares with us - I am thankful for that. She will be playing tennis at the end of the month and asked me to come down...the car is gassed up and my clothes are packed!

Teen Scarf aka Easy as Pie Scarf

Bugg's friends find my knitting fascinating. They are often anxious to learn, but finding time for them to sit down and actually put yarn to needle is another story. On occasion one of them will ask me to knit them a pair of socks - heh, heh...we ALL know the answer to this one!

In compromise, these scarves will be quick little gifts for the teen friends this year and they can knit up in one evening!


Yarn: Berroco Foliage; 100 yds (or about 100 yards of any bulky yarn)
Needles: US 11
Button: 1 1/2" to 2"

Cast on 18 or 20 stitches work in K1, P1 rib for 5"

On next row work to 2 stitches before middle and ssk, knit next two stitches together, finish row by working in established pattern. (For example; if you cast on 18 stitches you will ssk stitches 8 and 9 and knit stitches 10 and 11 together)

On next row work to gap created by the ssk and k2tog in the previous row and cast on two stitches then proceed to work in established rib pattern

Work maintaining rib until you nearly run out of yarn (or until the scarf is your desired length) and cast off in rib.


Sew button to opposite side of scarf approx. 8" from the bottom.

Note: Buttons this large can be difficult to find (or costly). Try hunting around at your LYS if the craft store buttons are not on sale.

My new scarf (ISE5 Complete)

Big, Huge Thanks to my scarf knitter for ISE5!

Sarah knit this beautiful lace pattern with Rowan Kidsilk Haze in Fern.

It is absolutely wonderful and I love it.

Sarah also sent yarn that I must make into a dishcloth, an adorable knitting notebook and...candy, yum!

Thank you Sarah!

P.S. Apologies for the wonky photos