Julia Scarf Pattern

 

This year when graduation season approached I decided that I would give knitted gifts to the graduates I knew.  My cousin Emily asked for a hat, (which I will post later) and for my youngest sister's friend Julia, I decided on a scarf.

My sister told me that Julia liked bright colors.  That news was music to my ears seeing that I had my eye on some bright colored cotton yarn at my local yarn shop.  Scholler + Stahl Spray is a soft cotton yarn with vibrant colors.  Maybe most importantly, Spray is very comfortable to wear.

Julia is a horizontally knitted, striped eternity scarf.

Finished Measurements:

6 1/2 inches wide.
61 inches long when folded in half and sewn, 122 inches long before sewing. 
I like really long scarves, however, this pattern can easily be shortened.  Make whatever length suits you best!

Materials:
2 skeins Scholler + Stahl Spray Gray  (MC)
1 Skein Scholler + Stahl # 08 Coral     (C1)
1 Skein Scholler + Stahl #04 Light Turquoise (C2)
1 Skein Scholler + Stahl # 09 Fuchsia (C3)
1 Skein Scholler + Stahl # 06 Lime      (C4)
US size 6 (4.0mm) circular needles
          
Gauge:
15 stitches and 30 rows in garter stitch = 4inches

Directions:
CO 380  with C1
K 2 rows
*Change to MC
K2 rows
Change to C2
K 2 rows
Change to MC
K 2 rows
Change to C3
K 2 rows
Change to MC
K 2 rows
Change to C4
K 2 rows
Change to MC
K 2 rows
Change to C1
K 2 rows*

This is the pattern that can be repeated to the desired width.  I made 3 repeats of this pattern and CO in C1.  Sew the ends together and enjoy! 

A very special thanks to my lovely model Ellie and my lovely friend Gigi for pattern advice, love you ladies!

A Twirly Shawl Please!

 A very special thanks to my daughter for writing the first part of my blog post today!

I asked my Mommy to make me a shawl.  I wanted it to have blue and yellow stripes, I'll write a poem about the shawl.

The shawl has blue and yellow stripes,

I like to wear it when I fly kites.

Today is going to be great,

I love the shawl my Mommy made.

That's the end of the poem.

My Pixie came to me asking for a "yellow twirly scarf with blue stripes please".  Having made twirly scarves before for my sisters I countered with an offer for a striped shawl.  Pixie accepted, the deal was on.  

The most important part of the deal was picking the correct color of yellow and blue to knit with.  Living in U of M country and being married to a KU Jayhawk, I knew that the wrong color of blue, namely navy blue, could prove a disaster (especially with the NCAA Men's Basketball game that had recently gone down).   Fortunately for me, I found that the Tahki Cotton Classic came in a bright blue.  Armed with two skeins of bright blue and two skeins of bright yellow I set to work on Cladonia by Kirsten Kapur. 

I had knit this shawl twice and knowing the dimensions of the finished product decided to size down for my slim shouldered girl.  Instead of only adding on every other color change as written in the Cladonia pattern, I added on every color change (every other row).  The end result was the same amount of stitches but with less width and length.

Blocking the shawl was a bit of a puzzle.  After a couple of tries, I finally figured out that I needed to block the shawl in a circle.

Diagonal Knitting

I must apologize to those reading this, I have had a migraine for about 5 days and am not quite coherent, please pardon the grammar!

One of my girlfriends from high school is getting ready to be a Mama and Baby Dear will be getting a blanket from me.  Out of the 36 squared blanket I am knitting, 10 squares will be striped, (more on the other squares later).  

 Stripes are exceedingly versatile, you can stripe horizontally:

 

 Vertically:

 My favorite stripe however, is diagonal.

The trick is to knit and purl across your rows without leaving holes between the colors.

 

 I am working with two colors A (purple) and B (reddish pink).

On a knit row as you change from color A to color B, you want to wrap B around A before you continue to knit with B so that there is no gap between the colors.

On the opposite side, purling across the row as you change from B to A you want to wrap A around B before you purl so that there is no gap. 

  

 The final product looks clean on both sides with the WS looking like this:

Pinteresting

I love Pinterest, I freely admit it.  A wonderful creative inspiration site, with tons of pictures of knits.  Here are some of my currant favorites:

The ORIGINAL Boston Harbor Scarf
©2012 Behind My Picket Fence

http://www.etsy.com/listing/113933476/the-original-boston-harbor-scarf-warm

The chunky knit, the buttons, the name ( I was born just outside of Boston), what's not to adore about this scarf?

*Here is a free shipping coupon for Behind my Picket Fence's Etsy Shop!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is valid for orders within the USA until the end of the year! {expires 12.31.13}

Enter code KNITTINGCOTTAGE2013 at checkout.* 

A very special thanks to Melody for this amazing offer!!!!!!!

PATTERN: Clara by Karin Vestergaard Mathiesen
SIZE: 12-18 months
YARN: Madeline Tosh Merino Light in Silverfox

Picture c/o   http://rosylittlethings.typepad.com/posie_gets_cozy/2011/02/silver-snow.html

I wonder how much I would have to add to this to make Pixie a dress?  Maybe she could wear it as a shirt.



 c/o craftori.com

 I adore this bag, want this bag, can't wait to try and figure this bag out!!!!!!