Warm Fuzzies Scarf

I love FO time :) I think that makes me more of a product knitter than a process knitter. I mean, I absolutely love to knit, it's relaxing and I enjoy it, but I love the feeling of accomplishing. And I especially love that feeling when the knitted object is a birthday present.

I wanted to make my friend Jenny a scarf and knew a couple of things about said scarf right from the start. First of all Jenny loves red, more specifically blue-red tones as opposed to yellow-reds. Second, she really likes great classic design with a little preppiness thrown in so I thought a cable-knit scarf would be perfect.

So DS and I made a pilgrimage to the LYS where I found an amazingly soft angora/merino wool blend - Elsebeth Lavold Angora in Cherry Red.

Next up was the pattern. I tried the Irish Hiking Scarf which I have made before but it just wasn't working for the yarn so I frogged. Then I tried the Reversible Cable-Knit Scarf from Lion Brand but again, a no go.

I finally found what I wanted while flipping through SnB Nation. I noticed the Warm Fuzzies scarf and the fact that the yarn used was very similar to my yarn so I cast on and it looked great!

The pattern is a mock-cable rib so you don't even use a cable needle, you just knit the 2nd stitch first and then the 1st stitch.

I also really liked that the pattern is reversible - the WS is a 2x1 rib. I used this as continental knitting practice time. I've read and heard that ribbing and seed stitch are WAY faster and easier if you knit continental so I gave it a shot. Those rows totally flew by, it was amazing. I knit them as fast as if I'd knit in my usual English way but without the frustration of moving the yarn back and forth.

Here's the finished product complete with fringe!

Two firsts! Socks and a Felted Bag

I have two FOs to share - the first is my very first completed pair of SOCKS! Woo hoo!



Pattern: Knitting Pure and Simple Beginner's Sock Pattern
Yarn: Plymouth Encore

This was a great newbie sock pattern. It was needle-by-needle instructions which really helped me understand the basic construction of a sock. And the fact that the pattern called for worsted weight yarn was nice too because it went very quickly so I could see what I was doing.

I was so excited about finishing them that I cast on for Jaywalkers but for some reason they were clearly too big so I frogged them and will try a smaller needle size. I did an in-the-round swatch so I'm not sure what happened. I used US3s for the swatch and the first attempt so now I'm going to try my 2s.

Next up, my felted bag! It was the Kitchen Sink Bag from Two Old Bags and I used Cascade 220. I started this bag about a year ago but it kept getting pushed to the back burner. Finally I completed it and felted. But now that I'm looking at the photo I'm realizing it really does need another trip through the washing machine, the stitches are still visible.



Pattern: Kitchen Sink Bag
Yarn: Cascade 220

One last thing, I just want to talk about what a great LYS I have! I go to Wool and Company in Geneva. They have a great selection of yarn - almost every time I see a brand of yarn on the internet or in a magazine that I want to try it turns out they sell it.

So anyhow I stopped in last week with my 2-year-old DD. I know what you're thinking - 2-year-old in a yarn store? But she is well-behaved - there is a crate of books and toys and she will sit and play quietly.

I needed a substitute for a yarn that had been discontinued - DH wants a brown scarf. So I asked the two women working in the front and they started to make numerous suggestions showing me all types of yarns. Then one of the women remembered a yarn that wasn't out yet on the floor that could work and went in back to retrieve 3 balls of it for me. That yarn (Lang Tosca) turned out to be the winner!

I was so grateful for their help - I was able to get what I needed and get out of there quickly!