elizabeth_mn

I'm still giddy in the afterglow of the picnic, but I think I've said all I can say about it (and more) and showered all my heartfelt compliments on everyone, so it's probably time to move on to the next thing, blog-wise.

First a photo of the just-finished scarf.  My SIL loved it, yay!


Now onto the next.  I started this scarf before leaving for Dallas so I'd have something to work on while there.  It's the polar opposite of the red scarf; it's going super-fast and the yarn and needles feel just right in my hands.  This one is for another family member gift.



Unblocked, next to the book photo.  It's Handmaiden Sea Silk worked on a #2 needle.  I'm using a circ, even though it's not usually my preference, because it's easier to take on a plane.  The pattern is from Victorian Lace Today, same as the other scarf.

Today, I shall finish the scarf.  Just 1/2 a border repeat, bind off, and blocking left.

I am so ready for this one to be over!

Finished the border! Started the body.






This scarf is taking forever. I knew it would, but it’s going even slower than I imagined because I am just not working on it. It’s not interesting or engaging. Is it because it’s not going to be for me? Maybe I am just so horribly selfish that I can’t muster up enough interest to make something for someone else. Or maybe it’s just not my color/style/pattern because I’m making it with someone else in mind. Yeah, that sounds better.


Also, the yarn is very tedious. Even now that I’m at the very simple garter drop-stitch section, manipulating this yarn over my toothpick needles is hard. My hands feel clumsy and useless and the yarn is splitty and annoying. They’re only sz. 0 (hah, “only”) but they’re smaller than any needles I’ve ever worked with. And this yarn is too small for me. I just don’t like it.


I did enjoy picking up the stitches along the side/top of the border, though, because the tidy slipped-stitch edging made it so simple.  But it feels like the body is way wider than the border.  Maybe my row gauge isn't matching my stitch gauge well, or maybe it will block out.


I’m going to persevere, and maybe I will make some more progress, or maybe I will scrap it, buy new yarn, and start again. We'll see.  

 I've done one repeat of the lace border for the scarf.



It looks so lovely!  The chart is the most difficult I have ever done, mostly because it is larger than any I've done; 42 rows make one repeat, with 36-46 stitches across, as opposed to the 15 sts, 12 row repeats I'm used to.  I've picked back a bit, and I did make a couple mistakes that I'm not going back for, but I think I can live with them. 

3 of these make the border, then the scarf body is picked up from the edge.

I got my new Fyberspates yarn yesterday, yay!



The color is just what I was hoping for, a rich jewel tone, not a hint of pastel, which is my SIL’s preference.

But. . . it’s really fine. Just the other day I was complaining about fingering weight feeling huge now that I am used to it, but this is small. Like skinny skinny teeny weeny. Finer than the finest yarn I’ve ever knitted with, which so far is Knit Picks Gloss Lace, and I knitted it at a really loose gauge.

The Gloss Lace measured 880 yd. per 100g, and the Fyberspates is 1000 yd per 100g, with nearly the same fiber content. It’s a little bit finer than the yarn called for in the pattern, which makes me wonder if I should alter the stitch count, which is scary.

It’s beautiful, but I’m afraid I will never ever be able to finish a project in such a tiny yarn. I’ve spent over an hour just winding it into a ball off the swift.  I'm swatching now, and it's looking like I will have to go down to human-hair-sized needles to make it look any good.