Why did I decide, just ten days before Christmas, to knit my husband a scarf as a gift? It may have had something to do with the fact that I spent hours last week trying to find a company that would deliver and set up a gas-powered patio heater--the only item he requested this year. He wants to fire it up so he can sit outside and smoke his stogies in comfort during our long, cold New England winter (known elsewhere as fall-winter-spring). I REALLY wanted to get one for him, too--anything to keep him from lighting up inside the house. Well, no luck; I could have gotten one that had to be assembled, and normally I' m game, but when it comes to items that might explode if not put together properly--no.
I'm not a speed knitter, but even I can knit a scarf in ten days; the complicating factors which have led to said scarf being stalled at six inches are as follows:
1) No suitable yarn--meaning non-bulky cashmere, silk or some blend thereof (the husband is a definite fiber snob). I had
some lovely Alchemy "Synchronicity" wool/silk in "Madre Dios" (center ball) which I had purchased as a gift, and I gave that a try, but felt it was too variegated to work for him. I then visited three LYSs looking for a dark-but-not-black suitable yarn--nothing--and in desperation had WEBS (www.yarn.com) overnight the other two yarns in the picture: at right, more Synchronicity--too light, too teal (it looked darker in the website photo); and at left, Noro Hana, a silk ribbon. Lovely color, but after trying a swatch in 2X2 ribbing, I decided the texture of the ribbon was most attractive in simple stockinette. The resulting fabric is lightweight and attractive, but...shouldn't I be knitting something more complicated? Will he really like the ribbon effect? So I have two more yarns coming from WEBS: more Synchronicity in a darker colorway, and Filatura di Crosa "Elen", a cashmere/wool/silk blend, in navy.
2) Choosing a stitch pattern. I knitted several swatches before deciding to go with the Noro ribbon (in stockinette)--meaning any swatch time was wasted--unless I go with another yarn after all.
3) Other time-consuming holiday crap. You know what I mean.
4) Other time-consuming non-holiday crap.
5) Not being able to knit when recipient is around.
I just hope I don't end up like I did one year in high school, knitting madly away at 1 a.m. on Christmas Day, trying to finish a vest for my sister, in pea green Lopi (I'm getting itchy just thinking about it).
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