Red twisted knit scarf

I finally finished the second twisted knit scarf! I corraled my grandchild into modeling it for me! The first one I did (see the 11-9-09 post) I neglected to follow directions but it turned out interesting anyway! This one I followed the directions. It was much easier to do and worked faster. I was so pleased with the way it turned out that I decided I was ready to tackle a sweater. I had seen a pattern for a sweater-vest last fall while perusing pattern books. I managed to find the same book and purchased it, needles and a huge skein of cheap black yarn. I was down visiting my Mom in SoCal at the time. It would have been a good idea for me to just buy the book with the pattern in it first, I later found out. I did do a gauge swatch which is new and different behaviour for me! I cast-on and merrily knitted away, only having a little trouble keeping all the stitches on the straight needles. Then disaster struck! The end of one of the needlles came off! I went back to square one and read all the instructions! Wow, what a revelation! I needed round needles! The other ittle problem I noticed was that cheap yarn is really difficult to knit.

On my errands the other day I came across a lovely little yarn shop in Dublin, CA (name forgotten) where I proceeded to purchase the #6 round needles, in bamboo, and I also ordered a set of 47" round needles so I can make a mobius scarf that Cat Bhorde demos on her website. The cast-on for that is really interesting and I have been wanting to try it.

I am enjoying the world of knitting. What started out as a way to calm down and relax has turned into a passion! It is really hard to limit myself to just two projects in knitting at a time.

Finally! Something current

 

This pattern is called "Twisted Knits" and came from a beautiful magazine called 'thr3fold'. The magazine came with a CD and I watched the video with the directions for knitting this unusual scarf. Well, I proceeded to knit away and when I was well into the second skein of yarn (the scarf takes two skeins) I decided to look at the written directions. It turns out that I had totally misinterpreted the video directions and in the process, developed a totally new pattern! I'm not unhappy with how it turned out (except the yarn is itchy), and I have to laugh at myself for not reading the directions in addition to watching the video before beginning the scarf! Since completing this one I have begun another, using the correct size needles (did I mention I used the wrong size needles too?) and meticulously following the directions. Amazing but true the correct directions are much easier!
In the meantime I read Debbie Macomber's novel "Summer on Blossom Street" which starts out with a cable stitch scarf pattern. I went shopping in my girlfriend's attic (she has at least four cartons of yarn up there and she shops in my shed for fabric) and found some lovely mauve mohair to use for this one. I even found a cable needle in my stuff in the shed! So I now have two scarves in progress. I do the twisted one if I am somewhere where I don't have to pay too much attention and the cable one when I am in a quiet place so that I can follow directions.
Oh - what about the focus I mentioned a couple of blogs back? Haven't found it yet. I think I will work on finishing a quilt tomorrow........