Illusions

Look! I'm knitting a rumpled mess.

I know the magic of knitted lace normally only reveals itself in the blocking, but oh my, is this scarf ever homely right now. I'm thinking of it as the Ugly Duckling, because I know that one day soon it will be perfectly lovely. Here's how it looks after being beaten into submission a stout carpet blocking.

This is of course the Falling Water Scarf pattern from Bonnie over at Toward The Blue Peninsula. I've had this pattern filed away for quite a while, but I had forgotten about it while my head was so full of socks. When I saw a preview of Jodi's version, though, suddenly this pattern was back on my radar.

I wanted a simple pattern so I could practice knitting with laceweight, and this pattern fits the bill perfectly. The chart is a snap to memorize, particularly since I've done this pattern in sock form before. My only complaint? Scarves are boring to knit.

The yarn is Knit Picks Shadow merino laceweight. I love the heathery colors. Plus, it's great practice yarn because—I'm just going to be blunt—it's so cheap. Despite being such an economical yarn, the quality is actually pretty good. (I also have some Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud laceweight, which ranks quite a bit higher than Shadow on the yumminess scale. Ahem, I may have actually rubbed my face in it once or twice.)

I'm knitting this scarf on size 2 (2.75 mm) needles, which are a bit smaller than the needles usually recommended for lace. However, I just wasn't thrilled with the fabric I was getting with larger needles. This fabric seems just right—light and airy, but still substantial.

All of this practice is in preparation for a larger lace project. Details will be forthcoming.