Finally finished
With this darn scarf!
It felt like it took for-freaking-ever! I think it felt that way because:
- I didn’t care to work with this yarn (Patons Metallic in Blue Steel*). It kept snagging on my fingers and that was making me bonkers. It was also easy to accidentally knit through the metallic mesh, revealing the black yarn underneath it.
- This was my first time using this pattern, and I didn’t fully understand it until I’d been working on it a few days. With patterns I’ve used a few times, I become familiar with what the stitches should look like as I am working on it, and it’s easier to fix mistakes because I can tell something is amiss. Er… not so much the case here, at first! The end of the scarf is definitely prettier than the start, but you can’t tell by looking at it… from far away… if you have bad eyesight.
- I was eager to finish this and start something new. Mica was telling me she heard that a hat may be a better beginner knitting project than a scarf, because it goes faster. I think I would agree (although I haven’t made a hat yet). I want things to move quickly, apparently.
All in all, it didn’t take too terribly long – I started it on a Wednesday morning and finished it on a Thursday night a week later. And although I kind of hated it when I was working on it, and thought it was fug, I actually liked it a lot when I tried on the finished product! I hope my mom does too! It’ll ship off to her today for Mother’s Day. I will laugh if today happens to be the one day she reads my blog and sees this!
It’s actually my maternal grandmother’s fault that I was so eager to get this scarf finished and start something new. Ha ha. She called me last Friday and was raving about how much she loves the dishcloths I made her, and asked if she could pay me to make some for her to use as gifts for her friends! Sure thing! Dishcloths are fun and quick to make! And this meant I could go get some fun new yarn colors to try:
Note: she asked for six washcloths and I bought enough yarn for fourteen, ha! (that yarn on the top is to make a scarf like the one above for her).
Of course, I am not going to make my grandma pay me for labor, but I think I will ask for a few dollars to cover the yarn (it was on sale, woo hoo!).
This is getting hella long but I have to share this tidbit about my grandmother. For as long as I can remember, she’s always had a damp washcloth inside of a plastic bag, in her purse. Whenever we were sticky as kids, there she was, to clean our hands and faces. Why does she still carry it? Ha, because my cousins’ ages are staggered enough that she is still looking over very young children, to this day!
So I was thinking of that when I first made her the monogrammed washcloths. But I knew she would use them for dishes, because she prefers a washcloth to wash dishes… and thinks it’s an abomination (slight exaggeration, written jokingly) that we use a sponge at our house. She actually asked me last Friday, “So does this mean you are using washcloths at home now to do your dishes?” “Er… no, grandma, I haven’t made myself any yet…” Ha ha ha. “Oh. I suppose you put most things in the dishwasher, anyway.” Buuuuuuuuuuuuurn. Ha!
*Totally missed opportunity to do a Zoolander face when posing for these photos, ha ha.
Themocracy
Definitely needed a Blue Steel zoolander pose, but you redeemed yourself with the Stuart Smalley quote.
And the scarf is cute!! I can crochet but knitting never works for me. That is a super cute end product!
Phew, thank you for granting me redemption! 🙂
Thank you! What do you like to crochet? I think I would like to learn that in a few years 🙂
Well yanno, just this once! 0:-)
I have crocheted lots of random things, I used to make dolls when I was little…crocheted stuffed animals are super cute.
I knitted what I would say is a square last night…..cause Martina was teaching someone else who came over to learn and I had FOMO. Forgot how therapeutic it is but I don’t think I’m gonna be taking up knitting any time soon!! Enjoy those colors (of your new yarn) looks nice.
It is SO therapeutic! That is what I like about it. And it’s a better way to pass time on the couch then by playing with my phone!
I’m surprised Data stood still long enough for you to take a picture. The scarf looks great, even if the yarn drove you bananas.
Ha. Me too. Me too. He was kind of resistant 😉
Thanks!
As you progress with your knitting, you’ll get pickier and pickier about yarn – my theory is, if I’m spending so much time handling it, I’d better LOVE it. And a scarf usually ends up being killer to finish, simply because you have to knit and knit and knit! Your scarf turned out great and I bet your mom will love it. 🙂
Cute story about your Grandma and her washcloths. My mom only uses a sponge at the sink, and every time she comes to visit, I have to go buy a package for her, because I only use a scrub brush. See? We always disappoint the prior generation, no matter which implement we choose!
I can tell I am getting that way! Hee hee, I feel like I need to justify it with actually knowing what I am doing though. I am such a knitting n00b! I really don’t understand yarn much yet! 🙂
Thanks!
Ha! Ha ha ha! I wonder if I would get scolded less for a brush than a sponge? I do get in trouble for not having a vegetable brush 😉
I love the color of the scarf. Depp blues are great (unless that’s not deep blue and I’m just color blind?)
Nope, you’re right! It’s a deep blue! 😀 A deep shiny one, lol!
Who wore it better? Data or Kim?
Hmm, we are both wearing gray and blue… his looks more natural. Sigh.
Things taking way too long is why I couldn’t get in to knitting. I just want things to be done right away! That scarf turned out really well though! I like it 🙂
My grandma has some knit wash cloths, but I swear she always used them as pot holders. Or maybe they were knit pot holders, who knows.
LOL! It’s nice to pick up when we’re sitting around at night, and on the train. But yeah, if you are on the go all the time it’s not a great hobby!
Thanks!
Hmm. Maybe a washcloth pattern with a thicker yarn! 🙂
Nice! Are you blocking your finished objects? That’ll help with the “one end is better than the other” type of issue, among other things. It’s totally worth the time, even for scarves! (For things like sweaters or lacework, it’s pretty much mandatory.)
I am not but a friend recently told me about blocking! Maybe I should start with these cloths?!
I prefer dishclothes vs sponges too, I have used knitted ones, they are the best. 🙂
That is what she was saying – that they are really good for getting in little crevices.
Your mom is going to love it!
Thanks! I can’t wait to hear what she says. She just asked me yesterday to make her some washcloths, too!
Your mom is going to love it! And I hope you’re not reading. Your grandma’s burn is so funny! It’s all sponge all the time here too.
Thanks!
Hee hee. I hope not too! She can’t be. LOL.
NO! ANOTHER SPONGE USER!!!!!! 😛
Data looks PIMP with that scarf on! haha It really does look great!
All he needs is a feather! LOL
Thanks! 🙂
The washcloth story reminds me of another story. My coworker wanted to start a “fast” crochet project that wasn’t a scarf so I suggested a washcloth and she said “Who even uses one of those anymore?” like it was a bad suggestion. But I still use them! All of the time! Our dishwasher is not very good at actually cleaning the dishes so I do most of them by hand with a washcloth! I like them because I can wash them in the washing machine after a few uses!
Ha! I totally get why she said that, because when I took a class to learn how to knit and found out that was what we were making, I couldn’t think of anyone except my grandma who uses them. So did she make some?
I think the scarf turned out great! Those sparkly/fuzzy yarns can be really hard to work with. One of the first scarves I made was with this horrible bulky yarn. I got it tangled and had the wrong number of stitches, and someone’s grandma had to unravel it all for me…and I don’t think I ever finished it! In retrospect, I wish the lady at the yarn store had cautioned me against buying such a difficult yarn for my first project. DUMB.
We also use a sponge, haha! I keep a dishcloth I messed up for wiping down the counters though. I like that I can throw it in the washing machine regularly to clean it.
Thank you! I think beginners should be warned against yarns like this and your bulky one. You just get so dayum frustrated! After working with cotton for all those washcloths, and now moving to some synthetic blend for that devil scarf (ha ha)… I miss the feel of the cotton! It’s funny that you find your preferred yarns!
LOL – so my parents dropped off the package of washcloths to my grandma yesterday and I taped a sponge to the outside to be funny. Ha! I think I need to make a dishcloth for me, for the counters though. I gave my messed up ones (the first two I made) to my mom 🙂