Tie One On

I remember telling you about some linen/cotton blend that I bought on a trip to Chicago. I wasted no time in putting it to use.

Holding two strands together, I started a perfectly simple shawl of stocking and reverse stocking stitch stripes. Lots of increases and a half as many decreases make a very pleasing asymmetric triangle shape. (Remember those "scalene" triangles from geometry class? This is it.)

The pattern was perfect for the type of knitting I have needed recently: easy, repetitive but still interesting. For those who might knit their own, I did 19 repeats of the 12-row pattern and it ended up being 48" across and 9" from bottom tip to top edge.

Here's a close up of the knitted fabric:

Project Stats
Started: 18 May '12
Finished: 23 May '12
Pattern: Rollercoaster Triangle by Birgit Schneggart (free)
Materials: Araucania Lontue (7 Fire Fly Combo), 2 skeins ($24) I was so intrigued by the mix of cool grey, warm orange/yellow and burnt pink. Holding two strands together mixed up the colours a little more than one strand would  have, but there were still plenty of spots where colours would match on the two strands and give a clear spot of pure color.

And what do you do with this little oddly-shaped scarf? You can wrap it around twice so it would nicely fill the gap of a coat:

I just whip it around my neck and leave the ends loose under the front. (The coat should hold it in place.)

Or you could just tie the points in the back and have one loop hang around your neck:

This would work if the weather's not quite so cold or you have a long low gap on your coat.

It's a little small, but if you were inclined, you could wrap it around your shoulders and pin or tie it in the front.

It would be a nice little coverup for a thin strapped dress for a summer wedding, perhaps.

I'm a wool person, but the linen/cotton blend is crisp and smooth, and certainly not itchy for those who are bothered by such things. I don't think it will be quite as warm, but I think that will be a good thing for the person I'm giving it to. I hope she likes it!