Working on the series of scarves that Jill and I have designed with the goal of teaching something new about knitting mitered squares with each scarf has reminded me of why I got back into knitting. Even when knitting wasn’t so popular, I always needed to have a project going at holiday time. I finally realized that the knitting was my escape, the calmness for a hectic, chaotic time of year. And now I’m seeing that again. Knitting scarves allows you to use any weight yarn you enjoy working with – from lace weight to bulky weight. They are also a great opportunity to experiment with design. You can find a pattern designed by someone else and make a few changes to make it your own. For example, in the photos below, you can see Cody’ Wildflower scarf, the first scarf in the series, which consists of three texture squares in 2 different sizes.
I used the basic construction of the scarf but changed some of the garter stitch and stockinette stitch rows to lace rows. It makes the scarf look completely different.
You could also change the weight of the yarn and size of the needle to make it look different. Or how about making one using your favorite stitch pattern. Even if you are following someone else’s pattern, gauge is not too crucial for a scarf. If it turns out a little wider or a little narrower than your instructions state, who will know? Scarf patterns are usually easy to memorize so when you sit down to knit, you can just enjoy the calmness of the knitting. With a scarf, you don’t have to worry about whether or not it is going to fit right. As for mine, it's not finished yet. Who knows what I'll do with the edging. Picots? All around fringe? I'll keep you posted. It’s not quite Thanksgiving but as knitters we are already thinking of knitting something for someone special. With only a month to go, a scarf might be a more do-able project to start on. With a nice yarn, whether it is plain, variegated or self-striping, you can knit something unique to give as a gift, enjoy the calmness and comfort of the process and let that be a gift to yourself to help you through this hectic time of year. Happy Thanksgiving and Season’s Greetings to you all.