Knot Again: My first FO of 2007

I can't believe I haven't posted about this before... it's been on the needles forever. I think I started it over a year and a half ago.

Pattern: My So Called Scarf

Yarn: Manos del Uruguay in Wildflowers (# 113)

Needles: Denise US 11's

Size: 6" x 70" (it wanted to block even longer)

Thoughts:

I hated using the 11's. The part of the needle that tapers was so long that I had a hard time making the stitches, because the first of each pair would get smaller as I slid the needle back in for the second stitch, so I was constantly having to fiddle with them to get them to move down the needle. Nevertheless, the stitch pattern is easy once you get it and easy to remember, so no toting the pattern around with you.

I'm a bit disappointed with the yarn color. I used the same one as in the picture in the pattern, but mine turned out to have much more orange and dark black bits, rather than being the soft pastels of a watercolor painting. 3/4 of the first ball was more that way, but the last 1/4 of it and the second ball were darker. You can see the difference between the ends in the photo.

Don't get me wrong... I love this scarf. It's wonderfully warm, and I love the stitch pattern. I also love that the way this yarn is dyed, you get a really variegated colorway, rather than zig-zags, like the first one I finished. I'm finding I have a really hard time with the way zig-zags travel differently across the piece when you vary the tension even a little (usually so little that you can't tell any problems at all looking at the width of the work).

I would definitely make this pattern again. I've seen it done in nearly solids, and it looks great. I might do it in a different manos color (I like the one they call sage), or I might check to see if Malabrigo has a colorway I like, and if it's spun a little more evenly. There were spots in the manos that were so thin I was afraid they would break, and some spots that were really, really thick. I would also like to try this pattern side to side (although I may have to find a better cast-on and cast-off first). If/when I do it again, I think I may also add an extra stitch to each side to do a slip stitch edge. I've seen a finished one where they'd done that, and the edge looked very nice (and I'll bet it made it easier to work with the blocking wires, too). Will I be doing it again SOON? Probably not. With so many projects already in the queue and on my want to knit list, it's unlikely this will come up again soon.

Also presenting, My So Called Daughter:

The whole photo shoot, she kept asking to do a silly one. :)

In addition to getting this blocked yesterday, I got my Soy Wool Stripes bag (# 11 from the list) back into working condition and did a little on it. Neither my Knitpicks order with the yarn nor the Patternworks order with the needles for the Anemoi mittens came, so instead I started a little crochet project I've been wanting to do. I finished crocheting the head, but since I didn't have the dolls eyes I needed to sew on before stuffing it, that's all the farther I got. Quick and easy, I should definitely be able to finish it by the end of next week at the latest... and it's possible I could finish it Monday, if I put my mind to it. So, one finished, one back in working condition, and one new one started. So far, I'm doing pretty good with my knitting "resolutions".