Mellow Yellow Scarf 

I finished a scarf yesterday. It was something simple I designed when I needed a project that didn’t require much concentration, but wasn’t boring either. I chose a mellow yellow as a rest from all the intense multicolored dyeing and knitting I have been doing. 

After I finished it, I spread it out on my bed to examine it. I placed tiny post-it notes where I noticed things I would change when writing up the instructions. When I started the scarf, but before I started the pattern with the bobbles and yarn overs, I didn’t think to include the yo’s next to the garter stitch edge. So I noted that on a post-it. I also decided to remove the first bobble. I made another note for that change.

At the other end of the scarf I wanted to omit the two yo’s that are part of the bobble, yo repeat. They looked out of place. Another note. I also needed to add another row to the garter stitch border at the end of the scarf.  The green yarn was there as a "lifeline" in case I made another mistake and had to rip back to the beginning of a pattern repeat where there was a plain row of stitches. I, finally, worked that out after a couple of frustrating periods of one step forward and two steps back.

After pulling the green yarn out, I blocked the scarf, and rewrote the instructions. If you would like to make this scarf click on mellow yellow scarf  under Pages found on the right hand margin of this blog. The pattern is free.

One of the aspects of knitting that I find myself enjoying most is the fun and satisfaction of working out my own patterns. I can follow a pattern, but find that if I have the basic stitch counts and techniques down pat, I can play with the rest. I like doing variations on a theme. When I was quilting, I would start with a central panel and build outward until I obtained the size I wanted. I loved playing with my scraps. Now, I have a whole new set of toys- yarns, needles, spinning wheel, dyes. If you are like I am, you know the joy of it all. If you are timid about designing, GIVE IT A GO! The challenge, including fixing mistakes, and the eventual accomplishment will tickle you from the inside.


Good Stitches.


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