Double Helix Ruffles

(to be fair, I've noted that another blogger noted the "double helix" comparison earlier - cool)

Hi,

I'm new to the knit along and new to knitting! In fact, my very first project is a rendition of the popular "Ruffles" scarf. A few inches into it, I became curious to see what other people were doing with it, and I was delighted to stumble onto this blog. Seeing all the different "Ruffles" variations you've all come up with, as well as the other projects, has been fun and inspiring.

I've always wanted to knit, but never got to do it. But recently, I graduated from my college in Chicago and moved out to a small school somewhere in Wisconsin for graduate work - without a car and without the ability to drive (Spent most of my life in Taiwan, where every corner had a 7-11.) I've been finding all sorts of creative outlets to keep me sane - kiting, embroidery, music...and knitting! Together with a few brief "Learn to Knit" beginner booklets, I bought two first books, and the ones that made me feel inspired were Scarf Style and Loop-d-Loop. I started "Ruffles" first, and in the meantime started and finished a cowl from the other book.

I wanted a first project that would be challenging enough to hold my attention, attractive enough to motivate me, and straightforward enough that I wasn't going to get a headache trying to read charts. After a few hours of teaching myself knitting and purling, I tried to begin three times. The fourth time, I tried the cable cast-on, and it was a success.

But after a few rows, I desperately wanted the spine to be a different color. So that's what I've tried to do. In the picture, there are some stitches where I screwed up the travelling yarns a bit, but for the most part, I got both sides to look the same and moderately neat. Also, my stitches are not very perfect yet. In the more recent rows, I've been practicing combination knitting on one side and western on the other. I'm having trouble making knit and purl rows exactly the same tension, and keeping both legs of the stitch the same tension.

Yarn is Classic Elite Montera (wool/alpaca)in four different colors (a light blue not shown) - yes, it's a rather heavier yarn than recommended (because I didn't understand yarn labels back then!) but aside from the scarf being heavier, I do like the stiffness it adds to the structure.

My dream right now is that someday, the experience I gain from working this project will allow me to create a scarf that looks like DNA.

Obviously, I am having way too much fun :-)

Misty Garden

Misty
Originally uploaded by carmelnap.

So, it's been a while since I last been here. But I am always checking in and see and whats up. I saw someones Misty garden and was inspired to start my own, to add to the collection of scarves I already have for this winter.

It is done in kid printed merino in the color taupe.

Enjoy!!!

Misty Garden

Hi, this is my first post although I've been a member for a while. I started Misty Garden last week, using some Jaeger Mohair Art I picked up in the John Lewis sale. It's not variegated, but I still love the colour and the way it's turning out! Only problem is, it's for my Mum and it's hard to knit it without her seeing!

My Midwest Moonlight

Hi - I'm Linda and I'm new to the knitalong. I'm knitting Midwest Moonlight from knit picks merino style in rhubarb. Even though I keep messing up the pattern I'm enjoying it very much.

Blocking Backyard Leaves

I finished knitting the two halves of Backyard Leaves this morning - now they're blocking, and looking so pretty! Here's a closeup of the two end pieces:



I'm sure someone else has observed this at some point on this blog - but blocking is really important for this scarf. The finished pieces look kind of cool, but the definition and detail really pops out when the pieces are blocked. Here's a comparison shot for you - blocked piece next to unblocked piece:



I love this project... I can't believe it took me so long to knit it. It's going to be a Christmas gift for a friend... but I think I'm going to have to knit one for myself at some point. I highly recommend the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran for this scarf - beautifully soft to work with and to wear - and it takes four balls.

Cheers,
Elizabeth
A Mingled Yarn

Here's my Misty Garden!

Now my Misty Garden is finished. From 3 skeins of kid merino in the colour 'roses' i ended up with a 190 cm scarf.



Another picture of my wearing it can be seen in this entry in my blog.

Intro and Backyard Leaves

Hi everyone!

This is my first post, although I joined this knitalong ages ago. I've loved seeing all the gorgeous projects from the book take shape here in the meantime. I finally have started my Scarf Style project - Backyard Leaves. (I bought the yarn last January). I'm using Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran in a lovely apple green color. I've got a photo of my progress on my blog (see the link below) - I'd post it here but Blogger doesn't seem to be uploading my images at the moment. I am loving this scarf so far - the pattern is so intriguing.

Cheers,
Elizabeth
A Mingled Yarn
http://www.elizabethklett.com/knit.html

Another Lady Eleanor

I just finished the fringe on my first Lady Eleanor! I used Merino yarn from Handpainted Yarns in 3 different shades of green. I bought the yarn at least a year ago so I don't think they carry these colors anymore. It is so soft! I highly recommend this yarn if you haven't tried it. I have another of these shawls on the needles using Silk Garden #88. I can't wait to finish it!

Tami
blueroseknits

vintage velvet almost done

hi everyone. this is my first post on here, even though i've been stalking the blog since it's creation to look at all of the beautiful scarves from scarf style. i am working on the vintage velvet scarf in muench touch me in a discontinued color (3660) that i got in a trade. i am on the last ball of yarn and unfortunately it looks like my scarf is going to be short. i used the number of recommended skeins but it's not enough and the color is nowhere to be found. so i think i'll just bind off and felt it anyways and maybe someone with a really skinny neck can wear it. i'll post a pic once it's felted but here it is right now:



sorry this pic is kind of crappy but natural light is hard to find when you work all day. i think i might try the turtleneck shrug after this with some stash yarn. i love this book!

Intro, I think.

Hi! :) I'm Manda, and I reside most of the time at my main blog, Hello, Lovely, or my knitting blog, Knitting Psychos. I don't think I've posted here yet, thought I've been a member for a little while. I love the Scarf Style book & am waiting (im)patiently for Wrap Style after hearing so many good things about some of the patterns in there.

I finally finished my first of three projects from the book. It's Misty Garden in Jo Sharp Kid Mohair Infusion #615. Here's a picture, so I don't go over the size requirements. :)

I'm also currently working on Vintage Velvet in Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (color: Navy) and Interlocking Balloons in Araucania Nature Wool #36 (a nice grey/blue color). I've been having issues w/ IB thanks to reading the wrong chart row at the wrong time, but I've got a magnetic board w/ rulers and things to help me with that now. :)

New member doing a misty garden

Hi everybody! I'm a new member of this blog. If you want to learn more about me please visit my blog.

Right now I'm working on a misty garden (like everybody?). I'm using kid merino, the colour is called 'roses', which by the name should be perfect for the misty garden. ;) I have to use double yarn, but was not sure whether it would look nice, so I did two samples in single and double yarn, on needles 3.5mm and 5mm respectively. Colourwise I didn't think the difference was significant, so working on the thinner needles only yields unneccessary pain.

Another Ruffles Scarf

I saw this being knit at the very first knitting group I ever went to and thought it was cool, but didn't plan on knitting it. But months later, it still had me intrigued, so I decided to try it out. Lots of people commented the day I wore it out for the first time, and they all seem equally fascinated: "You MADE that?"

This was a fun little project! It took me just about 2 weeks to finish and was great "football knitting." I used Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece in Candy Apple Red (about a skein and a half). Size 6 needles made my scarf a little floppier than I wanted it, so I actually switched down to Size 5.

My Misty Garden

My Misty Garden is done:



I used Curious Creek Fibers Etosha in colorway Sunrise on Daffodils - it is such an easy and quick knit that I am thinking of making another one with this yarn.

But for now, next on the needle is either Campus Scarf from Scarf Style with Filatura di Crosa 501 for my father or Interlocking Balloons with Far East Collection Cashmere for my father in law.

Also Plying Misty

Here's my Misty Garden in progress, worked in Cherry Tree Hill Baby Loop in colorway Spring Frost. This one is for a cause.

Baby Loop is a bouclé mohair. Ordinarily, mohair gives me itchy fidgets, but Baby Loop is as soft and light as soap bubbles. The bouclé loops seem to keep both shedding and the itch factor at bay.

I'm also amazed by the way the feather and fan pattern tames and shows off a variegated yarn. When knit in stockinette stitch, the gray tones in this colorway become almost transparent and the pastels pool unattractively. In feather and fan, the colors remind me of Monet's waterlily paintings.

Lady Eleanor

Hello everyone! I am new to this knit-along blog, but I have finished the Lady Eleanor, and wanted to share some pictures as well as the edging I went with for finishing.

First of all, here's Lady E in all her splendor:


Knit with Noro Kureyon, 13 skeins (I wanted it longer), in color #138. The colors are a bit more muted in real-life. I also wanted a unique fringe of some sort, and I didn't want tassels or pompoms or anything "loose". In looking at the entrelac, and how it seems to weave under & over, I thought: "I-cord!" and proceeded to make 28 little strands of i-cord, tacking them at the points, overlapping them & tacking at the overlap & weaving in a bunch of ends. It's not exceptionally precise, or blocked even, but I like how it looked. There are a couple more pictures over on my Flickr account, you can click through to that via the photos.

Close-up of the i-cord:


My next project from the book is Vintage Velvet - I started it last Monday, and basically couldn't put the scarf down - so now, the knitting's done! I need to felt it and it will be finished. I used 6 skeins of Touch Me in yummy purple.

Sorry for the long post, but it's nice to be here & I look forward to seeing & making more from this book!

Jennifer in Kansas City (PlazaJen)

Misty Garden

Here is my Misty Garden, about 40 inches done:



I am using Curious Creek Fibers Etosha in colorway Sunrise on Daffodils.

Ene's scarf hit the frog pond

I was almost done with chart one and I have been thinking that the left half just didn't look the same as the right. But I kept going, trying to convince myself that that was the nature of lace and it would look right when blocked.

Well, last night I finished chart one and I added a couple of sections to my denise needle set so I could stretch it out and see what was going on. My stitch count was right but apparently I got off track somewhere and the left half is a MESS!

I frogged it last night and am not sure when I will cast on again. I think I am going to cast on for Backyard Leaves and do Ene later this winter.

375 stitches X 22 rows = :-(

Lady Eleanor is 100% complete!

I have finally finished Lady Eleanor. Here is a pic of the whole thing and a close up of the fringe. Yarn used was 11 skeins of Noro Kureyon in colorway #92. I started around September 9th and finished last night so it took a little less than a month to complete.
Kim

Stripes and Bobbles Away!

When last seen, my Noro Kureyon Stripes and Bobbles scarf was bobbleless, a truly deplorable condition. Thanks to your helpful comments, she got some bobbles of fuchsia, yellow, brown, and green DMC Tapestry Wool.

Amazing to relate, stripes held together only with bobbles form a stable, comfortable fabric. The scarf coils around the neck and the loose ends swing in the most beguiling way. The stripes show off the long color runs in Kureyon beautifully.

This one is a gift and has been sent to her recipient, but I think I must make one for myself. Thanks to those who commented – blogging really helped keep me honest!

Backyard leaves question

I tried to test out backyard leaves today and i am totally confused. Pardon my ignorance...I thought I was an intermediate knitter but perhaps not. My questions are:
1. Is the set up row a RS or WS row? does it matter. I assumed I worked the chart from right to left with the set up row and then continued on from there. Set up row and first two rows of chart are fine which brings me to question
2. at which end are the stitches cast on to row 3? Is it possible to cast on stitches at the beginning of a row? If not, how do I accomplish the 3 extra stitches at the other end of row 3? and for question
3. Am I a total dolt? Is it just too late for my brain to work? shoudl I just rake up the leaves and be done with it?

yeah...yeah...I know that is way more than 3 questions but I hoped I could squeeze them in with nobody noticing. :-)
Kim

Vintage Velvet Progress

I've been working on Vintage Velvet for a little while and finally got around to taking a picture of it.

The yarn is so dark though, I don't know why I was so fussed about getting a picture of it. I'm using Touch Me in Eggplant (very deep purple) and am nearly finished with the second ball of five. My favorite LYS had a finished one hanging in the store and I just couldn't resist the pull of this scarf. The drape and softness in the finished work is incredible. Can't wait to share a finished picture with you. Now, just to finish it. :D

Finished knittting Lady Eleanor

I finished the knitting part of Lady Eleanor. Here she is blocking and drying... Yes, I did straighten it out after I took this picture.

All that is left is to crochet the short ends and add the fringe. I started it somewhere around Septemebr 9 so it has taken me a little less than a month to do. Not bad considering I am also working on Ene's scraf, too.