Sari-A-long

Progress Update: Kelly

Ready....Set.....Go!!  Here I come bringing up the rear.  I am not sure how I feel about the scarf.  I totally agree that it would look better as a shawl or poncho and have added that to my future project list.  I have come to find that some color combos I love and others I hate.  I usually try to find one that has lots of blues, purples, and pinks.  So we shall see how this turns out.  I took a picture of my lovely little yarn and needles posing in all their glory.  So I will get to work on this sometime tomorrow.  Am I reading the pattern right in that it calls for a size 8 needle!?  Breathe....trust the pattern....repeat this mantra twice.....and get a glass a wine.

 

Kelly C.

Progress Update: Bridget

I'm done...

... have been for a few weeks but I had some computer/monitor issues.  I liked the yarn and enjoyed the variety of colors.  I've already give the scarf to a friend's mom, Mrs. John.  I was very excited to make this for her... Mrs. John is from India and gave me my first sari (she dressed me as well!) this past summer which I wore to a friends wedding.  Well she loved it!  Unfortunately I don't have any photos of her wearing it -- I'll see if I can sneak one next time I see her.

I'm including 2 photos of the scarf and one of me in the sari.  The two other people (I'm the one with blondish hair) in the photo are my bestest friends from high school, Daniel (groom) and Mary (Mrs. John's daughter).

I'm sure I'll be making another scarf... I've got 3 more skeins!

Progress Update: Kellee

More details, thoughts, etc over at the bloggy thing, www.obsessiondujour.blogspot.com.

As a little mini-survey, who here really loves this and can't wait to wear it?

Progress Update: Amy

 Here’s an update… I’m finished!!  I enjoyed making this scarf but my anal-retentiveness kicked into high gear with all of the frayed edges!  Snip, snip, snip… I cleaned it up as much as I could but after awhile, I had to put it down.  Not like Old Yeller down, just out of sight.  I really enjoyed making this project since is was so easy and calming.  When they say knitting is the new yoga, they’re talking about patterns like this!

 I was going to gift this to my mother but hubby says ‘it’s not her’ so now I’m thinking of giving it to my BFF for her birthday.  Then again, I may just claim it as my own!!  Now… on to Ribbi Cardi!

 Amy

Progress Update: Kellee

I'm trying to like this. Really I am. I love the colors in this yarn and I also love it's sheen and "feel", but I'm having problems with the sloppiness of the way it looks in this scarf. I'll get over it, I'm certain, but for now I'm just going to pout for a few minutes and go back to my socks.   Tomorrow I will love it again.

--Kellee
http://obsessiondujour.blogspot.com/

Progress Update: Marie

As mb noted in a comment, she interpreted the pattern the same as Amy and I that the 4 knitted rows were end border.

She then ripped and redid with the additional 4 rows.  Here's her after:

She did write this, maybe someone can help.  I haven't had enough coffee yet today to remember :)

Did your yarn have a strange smell?  Dry clean or hand wash in woolite?  I am thinking of getting more yarn and starting my Mother's day presents early!  I think this pattern would look neat in a shawl type dealy.

I think she's right.  It would look lovely in a shawl.  I don't remember about the smell.  I would wash it the same as I wash my woolens.  I don't use woolite though.  I'll use Dawn or whatever dish soap I have about, or something like Euclan Woolwash.

Progress Update: Lynne

From 1/17:

I've just started on the sari along.  Running a bit late - we've been sanding the floors at our place and it is taking a fair whack of time simply to move all our stuff out of dust's way. 

So far I've found my yarn is waaaay overspun and can be a bit of a handful.  I've knitted a number of
scarves with a similar pattern, but I thought I had just made the pattern up.  It should knit up quickly, except I have to stop to untwist the overspun bits.

I'll forward a pic tomorrow.  My yarn is nowhere near as lurid as yours!  I got mine off Oz ebay.  Cost
about $8 Australian.

From 1/19:

I have done a little more work on the scarf.  It is now  about 50cm (20") long.  I am still finding the
yarn hard to knit with.  I am a classic Western thrower.  I tried picking instead, as I find this helpful when I use larger needles, but that was even harder than throwing the yarn.  I am very used to using novelty yarns but even those are a doddle compared to this.

anon!

Lynne S
http://yarnivorous.blogspot.com/

[Sorry for the delay in getting the 1/17 post up.  Must be my legal training kicking in but I wanted to clear content in email for public dispersal.  :)  Risa]

Progress Update: Risa

As promised yesterday, here is the picture of my finished scarf. 

Now I need to decide what to do with the second 4oz skein of yarn.  My other skein is far more consistent, a little less garish and far softer.  Do I make another one or do I try to trade it for some other exciting yarn?  Decisions decisions decisions. 

Risa

First done

Well my scarf is done.  I did a quick post on it over on my blog last night and will have the picture here later. 

I need to qualify my statements regarding the yarn.  From seeing Bridget's and Amy's yarn, as well as my second 4oz skein, there is a wide variance in the quality of it all.  Unfortunately the skein I chose to use first was a nightmare.  It was overtwisted and chock full of twigs and grass, not to mention some plastic like bits and things that looked like ribbon strips.  The second skein was more consistent, softer and just more attractive.  Amy's is downright gorgeous.  Amy also bought hers in person while I bought over the 'net.  Not that that is a bad thing as I tend to buy most of my craft supplies over the 'net and have been more than happy with them.  I probably would have enjoyed this project more had I selected the other skein to start.  At the very least, it was quick, easy knitting project for the train or sitting and watching tv after the evening chores are done, as well as getting me out of my classic wool rut.

Posting pictures

Unfortunately, you guys can't  post anything directly.  You've all done well with the comments and writing those.  Yesterday I added the Recent Comments section to the sidebar so you can more easily identify new/old comments.  As for pictures, you'll need to send them to me, as well as any "post" that you'd like to have in the body proper.  I'll be more than happy to add it for you.  Sorry for this, just a limitation of my account status here.

And so it starts..

Today is the official start day of the KAL.  I'm admitting now that a few of us got a one day head start.  Amy, Bridget and I started knitting it during Knit Club lunch on Friday at work.  More on our discoveries shortly.

Thursday night I pulled out my swift, ball winder and skeins of recycled sari yarn.  I took what looked like the larger skein first.  Well it looked larger because it was a shorter loop length skein.  Thing was a yard if it was lucky.  As a result, I had a heck of a time getting my large wooden swift to work with it.  It kept sticking and  sliding and eventually just fell off the swift.  Ugh.  You'd think I'd just gotten this thing rather than having had one for 5 years.  It just made a mess and I spent over an hour untangling and hand-winding.  I did pause to capture the beautiful sight that hijacked my Thursday night. Needless to say, I was not a happy camper.  Robbed me of precious knitting time too!  I was about 5 minutes from trashing the whole thing.

Here's where I left it last night as I got off the train.  Its a good thing we started in a group.  There was a little confusion as to the repeats of the pattern. 

CO 15
K 4 rows
Next row: * K1 yo2 * across, k last st
Next row: *K1, drop yo's*
It isn't clear whether the repeating till done included the 4 rows of garter stitch between the  YO and drop rows.  Amy and I both read it as the 4 K rows were nothing more than a garter border on the scarf.  Bridget felt it should be included.  As I got there first, I tried leaving it out and just alternating the YO/drop rows.  Eww.  Way too sleazy.  The 4 rows of garter are necessary to give the thing body.  I also upped my needle size from the 8's in the original pattern to 10's. 

It's quick, easy knitting, but the yarn is just not me.  I'm a plain jane yarn chick.  At best you'd find a handpainted yarn or roving in my collection, but geebers this is bright, colorful stuff.  Not to mention the texture is definitely not what I normally work with.  Mom likes it so far.  It's hers.  Funny thing is I was considering making it for her birthday but hesitated. 

Okay fellow KAL's, how have you progressed?  Send me a write-up/pictures and I'll be happy to post it for you.