Knit Like a Man

Finish one, start two.

June 11th, 2006

I had every intention of showing you the seasilk moebius while it was still on the needles, but once I got going I never really put it down–until I cast it off. Ka-boom! Finished object!

They say (whoever “they” are) that every completed project is a learning opportunity. Which is to say that it’s a great time to take stock of the two-to-two-hundred mistakes that you made and list off the things that you swear you’ll never do again until you knit another of the very same thing…and forget everything you’ve ever learned.

Some things I discovered while making this scarf:

• I loved working with this yarn. It is soft and lightly fragrant and has a lovely sheen to it.
• I probably cast on too many stitches, making a scarf that was probably six to eight inches too long. I probably should have made it somewhat shorter and somewhat wider.
• I also decided while making it to do alternating pairs of knit rows and purl rows. This looked wonderful on the needles (and still looks wonderful, actually) but tightened up like a kind of horizontal ribbing as soon as I cast off–so that a six inch wide scarf now looks about three inches wide.
• I also used the terrific elastic cast-off that Cat Bordhi mentions in her moebius bible ‘A Treasury of Magical Knitting’ — however, this yarn, when knit on such large needles, didn’t really need an elastic edge–so this served to increase the length and decrease the width.

That said–I still love the result and have gotten quite a few compliments the two or three times I’ve been able to wear it so far.

In other news: I dug out some of the yarn I bought at Ram Wools in Winnipeg and started a new facecloth for myself. (The hemp facecloth I made about a year ago is wearing a bit thin in one area.) I’m using Diamond Yarns’ “Cool Linen” which is a linen/cotton/viscose blend. It’s quite nice to knit with and shows the basketweave pattern well. If this works out, I’ll make several of these as gifts for friends–they would go well with an oatmeal or olive oil bar soap from the health store.

And what’s that there above the facecloth? That skritchy little blue denim strand of three-knit-two-purl?

Yes. I have started the front of Grouch…er, Slouch.

If you’re inclined to pray to one or another of the major deities, particularly those who are patrons of ribbing, please: pray for me.

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