I actually have another finished knitting project to show you. Behold, the “Just Enough Ruffles” scarf:

Hello, I was apparently very tired when this photo was taken.

Pattern: Just Enough Ruffles by Laura Chau (Ravelry Project Link)

Yarn: Malabrigo Worsted in Pagoda, just over 1.5 hanks on size #9 needles

Started: January 2010 Finished: February 2010

What a fun pattern! It’s cast on sideways, and knit along the long edge. Some short rows are added to make the curve of the scarf, and then with just a few rows left, you increase the number of stitches from 200 to 600. Those 600 stitches were almost too much for my circular needle! Luckily, I had used an interchangeable set, so I was able to switch to a longer circ (I think I ended up on a 47″ cable).

I must brag for a moment and say that I cast on the initial 200 stitches with a long-tail cast on, and managed to guess the perfect amount of yarn to use for it on the first try. I’m just as amazed as you are.

There was only one problem with this scarf, though. I was using the hank and a half I had leftover after making this hat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite enough. Since I had to stop wearing the hat because it turned out to be just a littlebit to small, I sacrificed the hat to finish the final row and cast-off edge of the scarf. I think it was a wise choice for me, since I’ll probably wear the scarf more than a too-small hat.

And with that, I am all caught up on finished objects! The only things left in my WIP pile are one pair of socks (first one done, second one half-way finished) and the potholders for the swap (3 down, 2 to go). I hoping to have the potholders done by the end of next weekend. I better get to work!

Pattern: Noro Striped Scarf by Jared Flood (Ravelry Link)

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden – 2 hanks of colors 268 and 270 on size 8 bamboo circs

Started Knitting: November 17, 2008. Finished Knitting: November 10, 2009

Yes, it’s been a year since I started this scarf. I would work on it in fits and bursts when I needed some mindless knitting between more complicated projects. This is nothing more than 1×1 ribbing worked in two shades of self-striping yarn, which gives the scarf its shaded stripes.

The scarf could have been a few inches longer, but somewhere in the middle both yarns hit patches of color that were so similar, the stripes got muddied. So I skipped those colors entirely, which made the scarf a tad shorter but still long enough to wrap around at least once. See?

I made this for Mr. Martini, so I made sure to choose more “manly” colors than I might have chosen for myself. But I do like them, and would definitely wear this if I hadn’t already shown it to him and told him he could have it. In fact, when he saw this picture, he asked, “Wait, that’s my scarf, right?”

Yay! One more project off of the needles. I couldn’t be happier with it.

What really intimidated me about lace knitting was the blocking. The soaking the garment, the stretching it out, the pinning it down evenly. I felt sure I would mess up somehow, that I would stretch the item beyond recognition, that it would just be too HARD.

Boy, was I wrong.

This weekend, during my Amazing Day of Knitting Productiveness, I finally bit the bullet and pin blocked the two lace items.

Here’s a little before and after shot of the first item (kitty feet for scale):

Quite a difference, wouldn’t you say? Here are the pattern details:

Pattern: Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Lawrence  (Ravelry Link)

Yarn: Mountain Colors Weaver’s Wool Quarter in colorway “Wild Mushroom” on size 7 needles.

Started Knitting: July 10, 2007. Finished Knitting: July 17, 2007. Blocked: September 13, 2009.

Did you catch that? It took me a week to knit this scarf. And it took me TWO YEARS to block it. Sheesh.

I am absolutely amazed at what a difference the blocking made in this scarf. The lace pattern opened up beautifully, showing off the beautiful leaf motif. I followed the pattern exactly, right down to the number of repeats, which kept the finished product more like a scarf rather than a shawl (to me, a shawl implies a lot of coverage of your back and shoulders).

This is an excellent pattern for new lace knitters – Susan Lawrence walks through every portion of the process with step-by-step explanation. I think when I make another one, I’ll use thicker yarn and make it much larger, for added warmth. But all in all, this was a great pattern.

And now, here’s the second scarf, with before and after action:

Pattern: Ishbel by Ysolda Teague  (Ravelry Link)

Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock yarn in “Beach Glass” on size 6 needles.

Started Knitting: June 21, 2009. Finished Knitting: July 24, 2009 (I think). Blocked: September 13, 2009.

Oh, wow, this is a gorgeous pattern. You can’t see it in these pictures, but with the way you increase the stitches, it leads to a very gentle curve at the upper tips of the triangle. Again, this is a scarf size, and I defnitely, definitely, definitely want to make a larger version. Can I say defnitely again? Defnitely.

Now to get back to my sweater knitting. October will be here before you know it, and I want to wear a handknit sweater if it kills me!

(Except for those dirty compacted snow piles that linger in the corners of parking lots – those are still there. I think those will be there until April at this rate.)

(Note: Had I still lived in Chicago or New Hampshire, I would have said “June” instead of “April” in that last parenthetical. Can I say again how glad I am we moved here?)

(Thus ends the paratheticals.)

In the meantime, I have been knitting! I even finished something, which, now that the snow is gone, I probably won’t need:

Pattern: Darkside Cowl by Sarah Fama (Ravelry Link)

Yarn: Dream in Color Classy in Don’t Be Blue, about half of a hank on size #7 circular needle

Started January 19th, completed February 2nd

I’m not usually drawn to knit and purl, rib-type patterns but something about this one called to me. I had this gorgeous yarn, and needed a quick project to use it. The two went together perfectly.

The yarn is very soft and the final product is nice and smooshy. I haven’t washed it yet, which I’m hoping will soften it up even more and (hopefully) loosen up the stitches. It’s just a tad tight, which in a way is good as a snug fit will keep the drafts out. But too snug of a cowl tends to feel a bit strangling and claustrophobic. Therefore, a wash and a block will be necessary before wearing.

Another reason this will need a good soak before wearing:

Everytime I knit with the yarn, it turned my finger blue. It’s hard to see, but I have a stripe of blue right across my pointer finger knuckle.

My fingers were blue a lot, lately because after I finished the cowl, I thought I’d make a hat in the same yarn. A beret, in fact. Who doesn’t love a slouchy beret?

That would be what would become the slouchiest beret, ever. So slouchy that it drooped down over my eyes. This has since been sent to the frog pond. It’s a lovely pattern which I highly recommend (Meret by Woolly Wormhead) but all I can say is – get gauge.

I’ve also gotten the urge to knit… a sweater. No not the sweater that I’ve been working on since last September (good grief, knitting top-down ragland sweaters is a slog) but a cabled sweater. In pieces. That will need to be seamed. I’m living on the edge, people.

Pattern: Luxe Neck Warmer from Knit 2  Together (Ravelry Link)

Yarn: Rowan RYC Soft Tweed in Antique (pink) on size 10.5 bamboo circs

Started and Completed: 1/4/09

I’m going to admit that I’ve been resisting the cowl. I’ve seen dozens and dozens (and DOZENS) of knit cowls on Ravelry this winter, but couldn’t understand the allure. It goes over your head! How could it be that warm?

Then I realized – I don’t need a super warm scarf in my new hometown of Louisville (at least, not everyday). Plus, a bulky-weight cowl knits up much faster than a scarf. In fact, this project took me just a few hours in front of the TV on a Sunday night.

I should have known I’d love it. I made my mom a mobius cowl a couple of years ago for a big trip to Europe, thinking that it would be something warm to wear on her neck without the fuss of a scarf.  I should have realized then that I was on to something. It just took me another 2 years to figure it out!