This started as 200g of merino from Ewe Give Me The Knits in the spectacular 'Moroccan Nights' colourway.
I wish I had done this earlier so Grandma could have seen what I made from it. I enjoyed every moment of knitting this simple 'mistake rib' scarf (cast on a multiple of 5 sts, and k3 p2 every row, slipping the first stitch). I love the way it has come out in subtle stripes. It's a little shorter than I intended, because the fourth ball was coming out as a just noticeably thicker fabric, so I stopped short and kept that ball to do something else with. Maybe something felted.
The yarn varied a lot in thickness, and I took the advice I have seen so many times about knitting handspun - use bigger needles than you would normally for the apparent thickness of the yarn. I tried that for a while, suspected the fabric was still a bit chunky, and went up a needle size (5.5mm, I just went and checked, and realised that by chance I happened to use one of the many circular needles I collected from Grandma's place after the funeral. Those things were springing out of every other drawer and cupboard). I wanted to keep it really soft and light. And it has turned out to be the perfect lighter weight scarf I have been wanting over the last few weeks, when this one has seemed a bit too heavy.
Of course, since the weekend the weather has turned the corner into winter, with a snowy feeling in the air. I'll probably get the blue one out tomorrow. It's going down to minus 3 degrees celcius tonight.
Grandma* featured a few times here over the years. I suspect this might not be the last time either, and I like that. I still have more wool she spun for me.
*not to be confused with my other grandmother - I have a little collaborative project with her that I'll show you sometime soon.
5 comments:
I love the thought of you wearing your grandmother's handspun around your neck. Like a grandma hug each time you wear it.
I checked BoM about 15 minutes ago. Currently -5 in Canberra :-(
Goodness me it's gorgeous. What a beautiful colour, a beautiful scarf and a beautiful tribute.
Good to have her keeping you warm still. My grama didn't spin, but she did give me a good aluminum car brush/scraper for the snow and ice, and I do think of her watching out for me.
it was -2 when I left home this morning to take the pirate to school! what a wonderful story about the history of that scarf and something you can think about as you are comforted by it - oh and as for my disaster I think it had small 2 legged help rather than 4 legged.
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