Scarf for You, Scarf for Me

Extra, Extra! Read all about it! Leslie finishes something in time to make a deadline! First 2 FOs of 2006 already off the needles!

My scarf for the International Scarf Exchange is finished on time! Even more shocking, it's actually been finished for awhile, but I've held onto it to take it to knitting night tonight. I'll be dropping this baby into the post on Monday. So if you're a knitter in England, be on the lookout for a little alpaca yummy.

Pattern: Knotted Openwork Scarf
Yarn: 2 skeins Superfine Alpaca, 2-ply fingering Fleece Meadow Farm
Needles: Size 6 bamboo dpns and Crystal Palace bamboo circs
Recipient: ISE Partner - to be revealed later
Date Started: approx. 15 December 2005
Date Completed: 5 January 2006
Notes: Do I really have to send it away? Scarf Pal, if you don't like it, send it back and I'll try again. This is a great stitch pattern, very simple to follow once you figure out that yf in Canadian = yo in 'Mercan. As Oscar Wilde says, "We have really everything in common with America nowadays except, of course, language." Hey, y'all, we try.

Anyway, I wanted to use alpaca because yummmmm and I wanted to use something "unique," or at least unusual so I decided to order from a local farm that I discovered at the East Aurora fiber festival. The 2-ply yarn was pleasant to work with although the plies separated while I was knitting so it was like I was working with the yarn doubled. You can also tell it was handspun because there were places where it went from thick to thin and back again. Personally, I loved this aspect of it, but it might not be the yarn for someone who wants every stitch to be the same as the one a few rows up. I thought about several more complex lace patterns but I was worried that they may not turn out even with this yarn. However, I've seen this yarn used in a large shawl done in a complex lace pattern though and never noticed the inconsistencies. Overall, I'm pleased with the outcome and hope this scarf keeps an English neck cozy.

Not too long into the knitting I decided to try the Crystal Palace needles and this helped immensely. My double points were a little too dull for this yarn. I'll certainly go for the pointier needles in any future lace knitting.

Now I just get to wait and hope she likes it!

*****
In other knitting news, I finished up a mystery project that was started about a year and a half ago. I'm still not sure what the final product will be, but the knitting is done at least. Right now I'm debating between a pillow and a felted bag. Suggestions? I'm taking a vote at tonight's knitting group.

Pattern: None, just cast on a bunch and knit in the round until you run out of yarn.
Yarn: Noro Oimochan, approx. 11 skeins of colors 1 & 3. Purchased at the Elmwood Yarn Shop's anniversary sale. I believe is discontinued yarn.

Needles: Plastic Sz 17 circs
Date Started: Oct 2004
Date Completed: 20 Jan 2006 - at least with the knitting
Recipient: Most likely me
Notes: I packed away some of my yarn stash because all those unfinished projects were stressing me out. Don't ask why, but all those skeins waiting to be wound and knit were too much to handle every day. Hey, we've all got our issues. So as I was filling up the plastic crates I came across this project and figured it would be a great one to knock off the list and since it was pretty much mindless, I could do it while watching old CSI episodes from Netflix. I planned to felt this and sew on a bottom from fabric and use it as a knitting bag, but it ended up bigger than anticipated. I kind of like the graphic look and am considering sewing it up as a pillow. I love all those floor pillow patterns out there but can't really bear the thought of spending $100+ on yarn that gets tossed on the floor and squished under someone's hiney, even if that hiney is my own. I'm a simple girl, really, and this hiney is just fine with plain ol' floor pillows. But, for this to reach its potential as a knitting bag, I've got to buy fabric and do a good deal of sewing, which won't be on the agenda until I get my machine up and running again.

Oh the dilemmas of crafting...

At least I get to be happy that two knitting projects have been checked off the list. Only about 2 million more to go!