Surprise FO: Bainbridge Scarf

Pattern: Bainbridge Scarf, free pattern from Pepperknit, found here.

Yarn: Elann Highland Silk in Admiral Blue, 1 skein

Needles: US 4 24″ circular

Notes: I was getting a wee bit frustrated with my entrelac scarf yesterday.  I feel like I’ve been working on it forever, but it’s still not quite long enough to cast off.  I wanted some instant gratification.  So… I found this pattern on Ravelry, along with some cute finished versions, and 2 episodes of House later I had a new scarf/cravat thing!  Mine turned out longer than the pattern, because I think it really calls for a sport weight yarn (mine is dk) but it worked out pretty well.  The construction is interesting – sort of a knit tube with ties that you fold over.  I need some practice to get it working exactly right, but it’s cute in an artsy sort of way.  I think I can pull it off… or at least I will think that until someone says “Did you make that yourself” and I get all paranoid about it (seriously, don’t you hate that question?)

However, the Elann highland silk is terribly scratchy against my neck.  Keep in mind that I am not very sensitive to scratchiness, and I am in no way allergic to wool, and I did wash this in Eucalan, but still… I could not recommend making a scarf out of this yarn.  I don’t know that it would be terribly bad in a sweater, but it’s not so hot around your neck.

So… I’m about to attach the last ball of yarn to my scarf, so it will hopefully be finished this week.  The Central Park hoodie continues – one sleeve is finished and blocked.  This yarn tends to stretch when blocked lengthwise, so I’m glad I made the sleeve a little shorter (they will still be long, but I kind of like the idea of long sleeves.

Here is where I am on the back.

Right now it’s measuring on track to be about 34″ when it’s finished, which is what I want.  I am not knitting the body in one piece like everyone else seems to, because I don’t mind seaming, but I do mind those neverending rows.  Besides, I like having small goals!

By the way, I am still on break from teaching, which explains all my recent knitting time.  We are moving the studio and doing some remodeling, so I’m spending lots of time at home, when I’m not working at church.  I’m used to having to run between the two, so it seems like I have acres of free time!  One of the reasons I really want to buy a house and move is so that I can start teaching lessons out of my house, and not so many of them either.  One of our main criteria in a house is that it have an extra downstairs room that can be used for my studio, which is why we’re having to look at such large houses.