Thursday, March 30, 2017

The "Simple" Scarf

A little while ago I spotted a crescent-shaped scarf/shawl and fell in love; ever since I have been chomping at the bit to design one. This couldn't be all that difficult, could it? Little did I realize what I was getting myself into!

This adventure began at the beginning of March. I decided that I wanted to have a curved ridge to mimic the crescent shape and to give it a more modern look. Then, since I have also fallen in love with gradient color schemes, I chose to use Michael's Loops & Thread Woolike yarn in ivory, beige, and cool gray with just one row of charcoal to strongly define the edge. Seemed like a plan to me. Ha!

Gradient Color Bands
 

I am now on the third version of this scarf. (Amazingly, the yarn did hold up to all my frogging.) At first I tried to figure this out by myself and failed miserably. Then I found a free crescent pattern to give me some guidance, but after a few rows I didn't like the extreme "U" shape it was taking, so that was frogged. Then I tried my own version, but that turned out too straight. Finally I came up with what I have now, and I think it's going to be all right. Up to this point my designs have been very simple, so I just wasn't ready for one to give me such a fight!

There are still two problems, though. 1) It seems that when you start a crescent shaped scarf with a short neck row, you end up with a separately curved neckline from the body of the scarf (see photo below). This has happened to me three times now. I've seen a video where this was mentioned, but I also saw a photo of a full crescent shawl without this problem, so I'm not sure if it's just me or not. I am hoping that I can correct this with an inside edging of some sort. 2) I wasn't thinking clearly enough to realize that on some row ends I had three stitches and some I had four. The four makes a little bump-out that I don't want (see top of photo below). I can easily correct this in the written pattern, but I am hoping again that I can correct this with the inside edging of some sort.  (Insert deleted expletive of your choice here.)

Wonky neckline and end of row bumps

I have one or possibly two more sets of the three-color bands to go, and then to come up with my miracle edging. But I won't give up on the scarf/shawlette after this one is done, because I saw such wonderful designs while researching this project that I'll just have to keep on going!

P.S. - If anyone knows of a solution to the wonky neckline, PLEASE let me know. I will be forever in your debt.



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