Tuesday, September 18, 2007

The Poirot Scarf.1

It all started with a holiday. December is just around the corner and i want to make something nice for Al.
One of our common-alities when it comes to entertain-ment is classic British mysteries in film - Agatha Christie's Poirot being a favorite. That led me to 30's images, art-deco and lovely evening scarves with long fringes. I could of course do one in white (the obvious), but that's my 2nd choice.

My first choice was a scarf in the black/white/grey palate that is so "Zen" [an over-used/inappropriately used term reflecting a stark simplicity or bare bones approach to the Science of Mind.]
Susan, Crystal Palace yarns, sent me one skein each of her Kid Merino in #4678 Black and #9807 Shadows. This yarn is luscious indeed: kid mohair and merino wool with nylon - softer than a whisper and yet with that slight halo mohair brings. Soft, special, and still masculine.

So that was the concept, and the colors, and the yarn.

Next up: design.


This is a confession. With scarves, i would rather knit 25 rows of 200+ stitches than 200 rows of 25 stitches. So i have a penchant for long-wise scarves. I love the freedom they give you for adding fringe so easily, and the ease of color changes too.

So that part was obvious. I chose 216 st, and am using a #10.5 crystal palace circ. I want smokey-softness with some stitch definition, but also letting fringe and yarn and colors do the talking. Also, with as many st as 216, i am assured that the scarf won't be TOO short, and can just have fun.

Initial details
Row1: Using the Shadows as A, cast on 216 st leaving an ~8-9 in end. Cut end, leaving ~8-9 in for fringe (will even up when done).

Row 2: Still using A, purl across. Bring in A again, leave an end about ~8-9 in, and purl.
This work with all of the ends - cutting at the end of each row and joining at the beginning - is really easy, surprisingly so. If you're nervous about all the ends, knit the yarn you just cut along with the yarn you're bringing in for the first st of the row.
It will stay! I promise!
At the end of the row, cut, again leaving an ~8-9 in end.
This is another of my personal "tricks". I think it's easier to fringe as i go along, and even up at the end, then to attach fringe later. (Obviously, you could ignore all my cuts, and fringe (or not) at the end.)

Row 3: still with color A, work in K2, P2 rib. Since 216 is divisible by 4, (k2+p2=4) this should work out perfectly. cut the end.
This is where i am now. Just took the first pics.













Next up? Dinner. I want to do a couple more rows of double-moss for the side edges before starting the design. However, am still cogitating about another row with A or going into B now. So the best thing to do is simmer, and see what inspires most later.....

blessings, :L,
laura

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