Brrrr

It's finally gotten chilly here, cold enough that you need a snuggly scarf because it's around freezing when you go to work in the morning. My colleague needed one. I sent him a screen snippet of Neighborhood Fiber Co. colorways so he could give me guidance. Boy, does Karida dye a lot of gorgeous colors!

I decided to use Studio Worsted, because a worsted yarn would knit up quickly and the superwash merino is soft enough for neck wear. He said he likes gray and blue, so of course I went for the most vibrant blue I could find: Georgetown. This is a shade of blue I don't often see in hand-dyed yarn - not sure why because it's gorgeous. I got a single skein and hoped it would be long enough. 400 yards is a lot, right?

I chose a mistake rib. Rib-based fabrics collapse well around the neck, and all the folds help to hold in heat. This is a one-row pattern when knit on an odd number of stitches (I cast on 39). I slipped the first stitch of every row. It was so fast and easy!

I chose to use the alternate cable cast on, which creates such a neat edge. Can you see it here?

I think it looks so professional and I'm glad I took the time to work it. I haven't, however, found a bind-off that matches it well. I bound off in pattern, but the scarf still splays a bit on one end. Only a knitter would notice (but we're all knitters, so hey).

This scarf wasn't quite as long as I would have liked, but it will be fine for tucking into a professional coat. It was only 55" long before blocking. I knew the superwash wool would relax quite a bit after a bath, and indeed it did - the finished length is 63.5". The width is about 5.25" (but it's rib, so it's kind of changeable).

Overall, this was a quick and successful project. It is such a joy to knit for people who really love what you make them, and this guy overflowed with praise and gratitude. A knitter could get used to it!