March 17, 2005
Nothin' But Blue Skies Do I See
I've been RAOK'ed! Jon, from Colorado Knits. Yes, that's right, boys and girls, it's four beautiful balls of Blue Sky Alpaca. Natural, Gray, Blue, and Maroon. Mmmmmmmmmmm!
I think that this is going to have to become a manly striped scarf which will be knit longways. Lately, I've had a thing for longways scarfs. Here's the question, though: Should I do two rows in each color, and then repeat, so that they are skinny stripes? Or shall I knit a bunch of rows in each color so that there are like four or six fatter stripes? What do you all think? Regardless, this will be a fun scarf in a simple stitch pattern to distract me, from time to time, from the Joy of Intarsia that is the Indy Blankie.
Posted by Jon at March 17, 2005 02:24 AMDoing the skinny stripes will yield something similar to those Gap scarves of a season ago--I say that with no intentional bias either way, just to point out that one doesn't see fat stripes in longways scarves all that often. Even better--alternate between the fat and skinny. Do some stripes of two rows, some of 6, some of 4. A no-sizism scarf! All sizes are beautiful!
Posted by: Em at March 17, 2005 09:19 AMi vote for fat stripes! it will look good from far away and close up. i like lengthwise scarves. I feel like they go faster although it's probably the same.
Posted by: Mark at March 17, 2005 01:35 PMOK, in our shop we have a sideways scarf...here's what I propose...change colors every row. The effect is beautiful. It'll look woven (provided it's done in garter stitch). Also, it will self fringe if you cut at the end of each row!
AND, have you considered a crocheted cast on edge?
Posted by: sean at March 17, 2005 04:10 PMSean: I don't know how to crochet! Maybe someone at Boyz Night can teach me tomorrow...
Posted by: Jon at March 17, 2005 05:53 PMI'm soooo glad you liked the yarn. I could teach you the crochet cast on but you're too far away. Basically you use the crochet hook in your right hand and the knitting needle in your left hand to work the cast on. Try googling for it. There's a video out there, I know there is.
Also, on the TKGA Bulletin Board, cc posted a link to a random stripe generator. You select your colors and how many stripes you want and it will randomly create a pattern for you.
Can't wait to see the progress!
Posted by: Jon at March 17, 2005 11:26 PMI recently did a longways scarf with cashmere tweed yarn, and i made the rows randomly wide. it looks great. 2 rows, then 4, then 8, then 2, then 10, etc. i used 3 colors.
Posted by: scott at March 18, 2005 10:51 AMLove long scarves, just finished one in saffron alpaca to wear to 'The Gates'....silly to match, but it was fun.
My vote is random stipes. Some colors calls for more, some less. You will know once you start.
Posted by: Cynthia at March 21, 2005 01:41 PMLove the yarn: I just finished one with same colors, except pink where you have maroon and no natural. I did Chevron with random stripes--it is the softest scarf I have done.
My vote is for random stripes. Each color will have its own look and feel as you are knitting. Allow yourself the freedom of not knowing what comes next.
Cynthia
Posted by: Cynthia at March 21, 2005 01:45 PMI vote for three or four rows of one color.
Balance, and it will go with more outfits.
Turtle necks, jeans, etc.?
Thoughts?
ProfDave
just stumbled across your lovely blog and wanted to say that I used this very yarn to make my father a hat and scarf last winter. I did a double knit and did wide color blocks w/ 8 inches of basketweave on either end to add interst. The finished product is a shorter scarf that only needs to be crossed over the neck once and is totally toasty over the chest. He loves it and I hope that you love your finished product too :)
I am marveling at your patience for intarsa!!!
Posted by: Kaitlyn at April 1, 2005 11:09 AM