Latest Knitting Project: Hand-Dyed Chevron Scarf

chevron scarf knitted with hand dyed yarn

Back last summer, I took a yarn dyeing class at my LYS.  You may remember, I contemplated a number of scarf patterns to make with my hand dyed yarn.

My hand dyed yarn

After a few false starts with other patterns, I settled on Cheri Borden's Pearl-barred Scallop Scarf.  All the other patterns I tried caused my VERY variegated yarn to pool and puddle.  So I went back to my old standard: a chevron pattern.  Variegated yarn always seems to look good in a chevron pattern.  And Cherie's knitted scarf pattern had a different purl detail that I think gives my scarf a pretty woven look to it.

Of course, as is my habit, I ended up making some small modifications to the pattern.  My yarn was slightly lighter than what the pattern called for, so I increased the number of stitches and changed the row count a bit.  Since Cheri's pattern is free, I'll share my changes.  Here's what I did:

Co 48 sts using a #5 needle, than began pattern:

Chevron Row 1 (RS):  K3, *yo, k3, cdd, k3, yo, k2,* repeat from * to * twice, then yo, k3, cdd, k3, yo, k3.  (cdd = see original Pearl-barred Scallop Scarf pattern on Ravelry for directions)
Chevron Row 2:  K3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.

Repeat Rows 1 and 2 for a total of 7 times, then do purl detail below:

Purl Detail Row 1 (RS): K3, purl to last 3 sts, k3.
Purl Detail Row 2:  Knit all stitches.

Repeat Chevron Pattern and Purl Detail in order above until you reach desired length.  I knit this pattern until I was almost out of yarn, then bound off as directed.

My finished scarf is quite pretty.  I love the lightness of it.  I'm not sure any of the pictures really show the color changes in the pattern, but I'm very happy with it.  I'd love to try hand dyeing again some time!

Top Ten Local Yarn Store Names

logo for Ball & Skein from their website

I love to visit local yarn stores (LYSs) when I'm traveling. Its always great to see the different products that different stores carry and how the merchandise is displayed. I particularly like stores with great names. I lean toward LYSs with cute and clever names, and I love a good play on words.

I've put together a list of the best names I've come across. I'm not receiving any compensation from listing these stores. I don't have any relationship to any of them. In fact, I've only been to a couple of them (which I've indicated with an * ). These LYSs are on this list solely based on their names. I've included links to their websites if you want more information about them.

Top 10 Local Yarn Store Names

 

1. Knit and Stitch = Bliss in Bethesda, MD

2. Yarnia in Portland, OR

3. Ball & Skein* in Kennebunk, ME

4. Knitorious in St. Louis, MO

5. (tie) We're in Stitches (no website) and We'll Keep You in Stitches, both in Chicago

6. Yarntopia in New York City

7. TheTaming of the Ewe in Gadsden, AL

8. Yarnivore in San Antonio, TX

9. Strings& Strands in Atlanta, GA

10. Purl's Yarn Emporium* in Asheville, NC

 

Honorable Mentions

Twisted in Portland, OR

String in New York City

Bad Woman Yarn in Seattle, WA

I have a dream (more like a daydream) of opening a yarn store in Maine when I retire.  And I've already got a great name for it!  But I'm keeping it a secret :)