My Shifting Sand:
I was a little surprised when I finished this scarf. Had I really knit for 64 inches? Was that the end of the second skein of yarn? I enjoyed every inch and every single one of the approximately 2,448 cable crosses (yes, I calculated). I could have gone on floating. What’s next?
(I still think I should call mine “Midnight Water”)
Yarn: Two 225-yard skeins Sundara Yarns Sport Merino in “Navy Over Marine”
Needles: 4mm/US 6
Finished Size: About 64″ long and 7″ wide
Modifications: My scarf seemed a little stiff, so I went up one needle size and eliminated one pattern repeat (5 stitches).
I finished these mitts in two evenings of knitting. I love them. L. O. V. E. them. I ended up “designing” my own by cobbling together my favorite parts of the free patterns I found, because my yarn was just too heavy to do justice to the lovely Knitspot patterns. I have plans for them already.
I used Garter Rib, one of my favorite stitches from Sensational Knitted Socks. It’s got texture, it’s got a little ribby stretch, and it shows off my yarn. The mitts have 2X2 rib cuffs and a vertical slit for the thumb (Look Ma, no gusset!). At first I thought I’d made the wrist part too long, but now that I’ve worn them I like how it scrunches comfortably. And they’re so warm! It’s true (at least for me) that if your wrists and hands are warm that your fingers warm up, too.
Yarn: My own handspun, 2-ply DK-ish weight yarn from Grafton Fibers Corriedale batts
Needles: 3.25mm/US 3 and 3.5mm/US 4 birch DPN’s
Finished Size: About 7″ in diameter and 8.75″ from cuff to tip
As I was knitting along on the mitts I hatched a plan for a little scarf to match them. I wanted to use the same Garter Rib stitch, but I also wanted to frill it up a little bit. I figured out how to knit little ruffles at the beginning by casting on as if I was going to knit a 6X2 rib. Then I ssk-ed and k2tog-ed in the right spot on every other row until I was back to the 2X2 count for the pattern. I’ll be able to work the ruffles in reverse at the other end, too. I think this little scarf has just the right amount of cute.
I’m not too happy with the way the edges are sitting (or curling, rather) so I’ve given the end a little test-block to see if it will lay flat (it’s damp in the photograph). If it won’t, I have no qualms about ripping it out and starting over.
All this knitting activity seems to help take the dull ache out of my hands. We are doing so much book-moving at the store that I come home each night feeling like my hands belong to someone else. I’m very careful to lift no more than I can carry, and to use both hands whenever possible, but there’s just something that happens when you shelve and re-shelve books for hours at a time. Why does knitting help? I don’t care; I’m just glad that it does!
Not Plain Jane 