Enter the Interlocking Balloons scarf from Scarf Style.
This is not an enjoyable knit. Half way through the first wretched chart repeat, I wasn’t sure if it was worth continuing, aside from the part of me that won’t let a pattern win. Fortunately, by the time I had finished the first 44 row repeat, things improved slightly. It helps that I had scanned in the chart, enlarged it, printed two, highlighted every other stupid row, and attached a guide sheet with paperclips. Also, I’m understanding what the pattern is doing, which has cut down on the time I spend staring at it and wondering why I have two purls in front of me instead of one, or visa versa. One of the things that is difficult is you have to change the way some stitches are worked on the wrong side of the scarf. I like my even rows to be mindless, thank-you-very-much.
And then there’s the fact that I’m not sure how it will look when it’s done. I think I like it, but it will all depend on the blocking. Because I’m using Angora by Lavold, it is already well into the blooming process (bloom refers to the fuzzy halo that angora has, which you can’t really see in the picture). It’s soft, and beautiful, but unless it stretches out in the blocking process, I’m not sure it’ll look quite right.
I’m two balls into it right now, and I’m on my 3rd repeat, out of 9. And I think it would be incredibly easy to make a matching hat. This pattern seems to be made for hat conversion, and I might just do it. It’s looking like I’ll have enough yarn left.
I’m also thinking about trying my hand at the Elizabethtown Hat (there are two different links there) that a lot of bloggers are trying to make. I played around with some of my beanies over the weekend, and have some ideas on how to construct it. I just love red, I liked the movie, and I like a challenge.
I seem to be burying myself in new projects. And they’re all for me. I don’t think I’m going to be knitting gifts this Christmas.
November 7th, 2005 at 3:05 am
What a pretty, cheery project! I’m sorry it’s such a pain to work on, but the result (even now, preblocking) looks great.
And most patterns beyond simple ribbing require graph paper and pencil crayons for me. If you take a post-it and move it up line-by-line as you work it makes it a bit easier to follow the pattern.
November 7th, 2005 at 3:21 am
Maybe you’d like the steam scarf pattern I designed better – it’s probably less of a pain.
http://www.d-made.com/knitting/patterns/patterns.html
November 7th, 2005 at 4:02 am
You should really keep going. I am making the same one and yours looks so much better! Love the color, love the yarn. I blew up the pattern and made 10 copies, I am highlighting off each row as I go…it’s not a pain that way 🙂 I am sure I would be totally lost trying to do this any other way.
November 7th, 2005 at 4:05 am
I love the red! It’s looking great! Stick with it 🙂
November 7th, 2005 at 5:32 am
But it’s super pretty!!!
November 7th, 2005 at 5:43 am
I think it looks beautiful! Stick with it (unless of course it’s driving you completely insane, in which case, of course, lay it aside.) 🙂
November 7th, 2005 at 6:33 am
I think it looks gorgeous! I had a very hard time with the viking cable on my sister’s satchel, but it got easier when I used a post-it and moved it up as I went. I’ve just started knitting some stuff for Christmas… I hope I have enough time!
November 7th, 2005 at 9:11 pm
It looks lovely, beautiful yarn, lovely pattern – better you than me! lol – and you deserve to be making yourself gifts 😉 Pamper yourself now!
Cath
November 9th, 2005 at 2:45 am
It is gorgeous. From this perspective, it seems worth the battle to finish it.