FO: Simple Stripey Scarf

Pattern: Improvised!
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden Sock, 1 skein of #258
Needles: 4.25 mm

There’s nothing quite like garter stitch and Noro to get the knitting mojo going again.

Despite finishing that Gathered Scarf more than a week ago while zonked out on cold meds, I’ve not had an easy time getting inspired this month. I’d been pawing through the stash and perusing magasines without any real success, but I came across a skein of Silk Garden Sock hiding in a bag of organic cotton and picked up the needles on a whim.

I started at the centre back, used yarn overs to increase, and just knit until I ran out of yarn. Literally. I switched to larger needles on the last row, finished with four inches of yarn to spare, and bound off with a crochet hook.

I’m sure I could have blocked it out to shoulder-shawl size, but I love the squish and texture of garter stitch fresh off the needles. I did give it a good soak-and-swish but just laid it flat to dry without pinning or stretching.

And now I seem to be back in knit-knit-knit mode. I just finished an off-white beret in a single-ply super-bulky wool, and am about to block it into shape (right now it resembles a giant marshmallow). I’ve also been diving into my stash of Patons Grace to knit some garter-based lace facecloths.

Mm, lace. Yes. I am craving lace, with thick yarn on big needles. I just snagged Evelyn Clark’s Deciduous Lace (Rav link) pattern, and am thinking my stashed Mirasol Miski would make a gorgeous, warm shawl.

I just registered a new domain and have some fun (for me) things in the works. I’ll start coding sometime in the next few days, but my still-healing back muscles (I pulled them quite nicely, really) are protesting at too much time in the computer chair.

Before I go, I should mention that I added to my 7900s challenge. I’m now aiming for 7900 pages read, 7900 yards knit/woven, and 7900 minutes of film watched. I added the last part because I used to really enjoy sitting down with a good film and something to knit; over the past few months, though, I’ve fallen into the rut of knitting while watching reruns on TV, instead.

There shall be no film-watching tonight, though. There will, however, be sleep.