Sock Yarn

While up at Estes Park today, I got asked "What is your favorite sock yarn?" My answer after a few seconds of thought was I don't have a favorite. It depends on the pattern, who it is for, and what I want at the time.

I have some favorite socks, such as my Spiraling Corilios socks out of Opal yarn. My Conwy Socks knit out of Lorna's Sheppard Socks were fun to knit and are really comfortable. I plan to make another pair some time. I have two pairs of Friday Harbor out of Bear Foote. I have made lots of socks and there are several yarns and patterns I would do again. I think color has more to do with what I pick than brand.

I do have two requirments for sock yarn that will be knit into socks, machine washable and some nylon or other tough fiber in the content. Socks have a hard life.

Scarf with Bramble Leaf Center

I started this in October 2009. It is the "Scarf with French Trellis Border from Weldon's 1890 and Bramble Leaf Center by Jane Sowerby" Out of Victorian Lace Today. I used size 4 needles and some more of the orange Aurora Whisper Yarn. There is still some yarn left and I have started another scarf with it. The first scarf was a Tiger Eye Lace Scarf.

Starting out this took a lot of concentration because it has pattern stitches on both sides, fewer on the wrong side than the right side. Also, the edge took two repeats before I could 'see' what was going on and catch silly mistakes like forgetting a yarn over. For some reason, when I got to the middle section, I caught on to the pattern faster.

Even once I understood the pattern, it still had to be worked when no one expected me to carry on a conversation. That is why it took so long. Interesting TV shows and knitting groups just don't seem to go with this pattern.

After blocking, the scarf is about 12 inches by 66 inches which is close to the measurements mentioned in the pattern. I used 32 repeats for the center section which is more than the 16 called for. The yarn I used is a finer weight and I used a smaller needle. Smaller than I normally would for what the pattern called for. So, some of the extra repeats are probably because of my choices.

I was slightly dissapointed that the yarn is darker on one end of the scarf than the other. On the other hand, I still haven't run in to a knot or extra ends in the skein, which I do appreciate. So, just two ends to weave in and they were by the center section.

I think the scarf could be laid out and just have the ends pinned for blocking. I did block along the sides and the ends with pins. Maybe, I will pick up a blocking frame or wires some day.

I would be willing to knit the pattern again. Admittedly, in a different color or yarn to mix it up. Also, I am not dissappoint that I have one more skein of Whisper in my stash of different color. I will check for the color change because I may want to base my choice of patterns on that.

I hope whoever ends up with the scarf likes it.