September 29, 2004

Whoa! The weather here went from pleasant to chilly with no transition. Must knit scarf quick! Plus, I got really bored with knitting gorilla arm sleeves in black 2x2 ribbing and need a small break.

So...what did I choose as a break? A scarf. In black yarn. Stockinette stitch. How clever of me! (I wrote that sarcastically.) Going from gorilla arm sleeves in black ribbing to long scarf in black stockinette stitch may not seem very Einstein-y, I know. But the scarf yarn is a funky yarn, so it provides quick entertainment when I need a break from knitting sleeves. It's variegated black/white/gray and very, very LOOPY: Phildar Tourbillons that I bought during a frenzied shopping expedition a few months ago. I'm not working the yarn alone, though. I'm working it doubled with Phildar Steppe, a fluffy variegated black and gray yarn. It's like Clash of the Novelty Yarns! Here's what I have so far:




I've been working a few rows of the scarf every time I get a little tired of working on the Manly Jacket sleeve, so I'm really alternating between the two. I can't wait to see how the finished scarf looks wrapped around my neck. It's gonna be funk-ay! [Click here to see the ultra-shagginess that is this yarn knitted up.] People will think I decided to wear a shag rug in lieu of a scarf. Or a couple of tribbles? Maybe even a toupee. [Stop thinking "Shatner", okay?] Oh, I'm kidding. Truth is, I like it. I've been wanting something loopy like this to jazz up my black turtlenecks.

To me, most scarves are like extra-long swatches. My very first project was a scarf, and it's how I taught myself to knit. There's no need for a pattern if it's a simple one. Just find your yarn, decide on a stitch, cast-on, and giddy-ap! Ribbing is good for yarns that curl. Or, do it in another stitch and work a border around it. If you've got a yarn that isn't a curler, you can use straight stockinette. Garter stitch scarves are nice, but garter is shorter (and wider) than stockinette stitch so it'll take longer to finish the scarf. That's why I like bulky yarns in garter stitch scarves; they work up quicky and look cute, to boot. If you've got a one or two skeins of a soft fine-gauge yarn, knit a scarf using a lace pattern you've never tried before. In short, scarves are good. Now that the cold weather has begun and I've got all these oddballs of flashy yarn in the stash, I feel a bit of a scarf kick coming on.

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