Thursday 19 June 2008

Here in the real world

This Alan Jackson song from a few years ago, that came to mind this morning. After my lyrical mental visit to my weekend in yesterdays post, today, I am here to tell you, there are just not enough bathrooms in this house. Feet planted on the ground firmly enough today? Yup. I have a theory that no matter how many bathrooms there are in any residence, the owners will always need one more than they have.

Moving on...

On the way back from our mountain hide away, I worked on a little scarf. A lady came into the store a few weeks ago with a tiny little scarf, a one skein , feather and fan pattern thing that was likely grafted at the centre back. It was the most charming shortie scarf, worn tied close to the neck, with the ends forming a lovely little rosette. I was inspired to make one.

I had only a few needles along to work with while traveling, so I started the pattern on 4 mm straight shorts, my best scarf needles. I love how the little ridge forms so cleanly, in the centre of the 4mm swatch. I love the tidy open edge stitches, and the crispness of it. At the very same time, I'm not quite sure that the pattern looks its best knitted at this gauge. It has an air of being too tightly packed, to firm to be an insouciant little scarf.

I decided to try it on the next size shorts I had close to hand, a 6 mm. I much prefer the more relaxed feel of this swatch but its a little floppy and too loosey goosey, to be insouciant. It is so soft that on being tied at the neck, it would just lay right down and not even dream of forming a tidy little rosette.

I'm going to have to meet in the middle. Who knew that among my growing collection of needles, the perfect needles could not be found. An insouciant scarf, needs an insouciant needle. 5 mm, straight shorties, here I come.

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