Dear Ann,
Here in Manhattan, last Friday/Saturday’s snowstorm was really just a very nice snowstorm. We enjoyed it a lot, while suffering none of the treacherousness endured by those to the north and east. Olive particularly enjoys a nice snowfall. She hates things that are cold and/or wet, but she loves snow. Our Olive contains multitudes. After a single walk in the snow, she sleeps for a minimum of 5 hours, out cold and snoring delicate terrier snores.
Sitting around got me to the finish line on my Chevron Scarf from Scarves, Shrugs and Shawls. This scarf was a stashbuster supreme, meaning that I only had to buy one skein of a Madelinetosh neutral (French Grey) to use up nearly every yard of leftovers from late, great Honey Cowls I have known. My own Honey Cowl is in there, as is Carrie’s, my mom’s, Diana’s Emma’s, Rosanne’s and Colleen’s. The only nubbin I didn’t incorporate was the Artyarns from Rosie’s cowl, because its Easter Egg pastel clashed with the gentle murk of the other colors.
The pattern calls for Rowan Felted Tweed, which is a smaller gauge than Madelinetosh DK. I knew that, but did not give it a single thought as I cast on 427 stitches and upscaled my needles to US8.
And so, as surely as God didn’t make little green apples, and it don’t rain in Indianapolis (in the summertime), the laws of gauge are rigorously logical (bigger yarn + bigger needles + same number of stitches = bigger scarf)– and the finished scarf is 104 inches long. This may be a Personal Record scarf length for me. It’s nearly too much scarf. I may give it to a tall person. It will grow with washing and blocking, but hopefully only in width, as it was knit side-to-side.
427 stitches! The issue with such long rows, especially when you are using leftovers, is whether you are going to make it to the end of a row without running out of a color. In a couple of spots I had to change color. Which makes it, very subtly, a bit raggedy. Nobody but me will notice it, but I do notice it. Isn’t that always the way?
It was so much fun to feather & fan!
Love,
Kay
OHMANTHATISTREMENDOUS! #LOVEIT #STASHBUSTER #FRUGALITY
Can you post a photo of the whole thing? I’d love to see it.
If we ever get daylight in these parts, I will post a photo of the whole thing!
It’s in the sink right now, getting its pretty Soak smell installed.
PS for Mary K: I promise I wove in all the ends before I took that picture! Wasn’t cropping them out. Honest.
Very nice! Nice use of scrappy bits, yet clever placement of colours so it all looks perfect. 104 inches is very long, though! You could sew the ends together and have a mega-cowl.
That looks absolutely amazing! Even though my moral fibre has failed me in attempting to focus on a 220-stitch honey cowl, somehow I’m tempted to cast on 427 stitches for this puppy. Like Olive, I, too, contain multitudes.
Lovely piece. And all hail the lightning blogging!
What – no picture of Olive playing in the snow or delicately snoring? Bummer!
Oh, well, the scarf is pretty, anyway. I like the way the colors blend together.
I’M TALL!!!!!!! Pick me! (It looks beautiful.)
Who knew? Beautiful!
Who knew? Beautiful!
Who knew? Beautiful!
Oh Kay, it’s really stunning. Truly.
Darn. I’m short.
Very lovely. I used to think there was no scarf too long, but now I have one that is actually… too long. Not for cold days, because then I can wrap and wrap and wrap, but it drags if it isn’t looped at least once, and it’s a little silly. But yours can certainly join the great tradition of “wrapped so much it’s basically a blanket” – especially appropriate for ye knitter of blankets.
Stunning!! Great way to use what you have and create something new. This weekend I broke into my fabric stash to add pieces to a baby quilt. I love a good snowy weekend to hunker down and create! Sadly our part of PA only got 2 inches of the white stuff.
absolutely gorgeous!!
Really pretty! The colors complement each other perfectly.
Oh, and thanks for the Bobby Goldsboro flashback. (Ribit.Ribit.)
Thanks, Kay, for FEATHERing our knitting nests with that FANtastic scarf idea! (I too, like Olive, contain multitudes…)
LoveDiane
Lovely use of leftovers. And I may be forever banned from the blog, but garter stitch will grow sideways, so I think the scarf may end up longer after a soak and blocking. Remember, I am just the messenger! 😉
Lovely! Really lovely – has a vintage/modern vibe going on.
Oh, and I’m tall(ish). Just putting it out there. 🙂
Hahaha. If the last two years are anything to go by, it definitely *don’t* rain in Indianapolis in the summertime. But are you telling me God didn’t make little green apples?
Because I certainly can’t argue with you about the laws of gage. The scarf is lovely and the feather and fanning does look fun. If I make one, I’ll have to consider gage, because I am short.
Love the Olive story. My dogs love snow too, but not so much the 40 degree house still without power when they get home. Fleecy dog coats indoors all day apparently not a plus!
That is lovely, Kay. But no commentary on Jack White’s Grammy Performance? Nothing on the all-girl band with the sparkly sister-wife dresses or his own Elvis Presley suit, adorned with jeweled peacock feathers? Huh.
(if that double posts, I apologize)
Very beautiful. Sort of has a Missoni hand knit vibe. I wish my pea brain could understand the math of gauge. Sigh.
It is sort of like an old fashioned patchwork quilt, with remembrances of cowls past. I love it! I am on the taller side of things; I would take it off your hands if it proves to be too much! Just tell me what local lovely yarn you would accept in trade…
Missing our Olive. Please send pictures.
Gawgeous. I love it. I usually have no patience to cast on so many stitches, but I’m tempted now.
I don’t see the color change even in your close-up, so there.
Absolutely lovely! Glad you didn’t have to endure a blizzard . . .
That is beautious!
My female relatives of the previous generation used to crank out bright Red Heart acrylic feather-and-fan afghans by the acre and bestow them upon any in-law, niece, nephew or grandchild who happened by.
So for me, feather-and-fan : stitch pattern :: Red Heart : Madelinetosh.
But now you (and Grace Anna Farrow and Kate Davies) have made f&f look so gorgeous and modern and just plain COOL …!
I think I’m going to need to do this with leftover sock yarn. I love the look and I certainly have enough sock yarn both in partial and full skeins.
Not a huge fan of the feather and fan stitch (it was my go-to baby blanket pattern before I discovered the ease and infant developmental wonder that is the crochet v-stitch, and I kind of burned out on it), but Little Green Apples was my third favorite song as a kid, after Red Rubber Ball and Sweet Pea.
I don’t think you can go wrong with feather and fan. Unless it’s a bathing suit.
However you can go quite wrong by sticking an earworm into someone’s otherwise happy afternoon.
Oh, Gale, so true!
I’ve tried to like feather and fan. Really I have. It’s so easy I wish I could like it. Is there a trick to it as to finding the love in this stitch pattern? So I am in particular admiration of your feather-and-fan extravaganza and also wish I could see the whole Missoni-esque length and breadth of it.
Feather and Fan is such a classic and a lovely, lovely pattern – am I correct that there is also an old school name for it? Something like “Old Shale?” Shell?
My, just googled that and fell down the rabbit hole… Northernlace is quite adamant they are not the same! Don’t go there unless you have some time to spend…
Love the 15 minute formats, swooning yarny pictures, and the tweets, ya’ll rock. Hugs to Olive and all.
Very pretty, Kay!
excellent use of left overs too!
just wondering if I may be tall enough to wear it…
I have not had a new scarf in a looong while… :))))
I also got (quite pleasantly) schooled on the difference between Feather and Fan and Old Shale by Elizabeth Lovick of Northern Lace.
I don’t get the dislike for feather and fan, either. I think that any stitch pattern (or almost any yarn, for that matter) is only limited by your imagination!
Thanks for the inspiration, I have loads of STR
(Socks That Rock) scraps and decided to make up my own version of this!
Either I’m easily influenced or I’m tired of knitting on the everlasting afghan. I’m knitting my fourth one since October. Yes, I am crazy.
Truly beautiful! Those colors: WOW!
I know it sucks that your see what you and no one else thinks is “raggedy”, but it’s a beautiful gem nonetheless!