For Bonnie

Earlier this year, in March, we went to Hood River and The Dalles in Oregon with our friends Bonnie and Richard for some wine research. We also paid a visit to Sporfarm to meet Patty’s Shetland sheep and shop in Patty’s studio. I told Bonnie and Richard I would knit a scarf or hat for each of them with their yarn selection. Richard chose a nice reddish yarn for a hat. Bonnie could not decide between two yarns so I told her to buy both.

After some consultation, Bonnie chose two of my favorite scarf patterns to highlight the beautiful colors in the yarns. One was a basic bow-tie scarf and the other the Landscape scarf.

We already are talking about another wine research trip in 2014. No doubt yarn will be involved as well.

More Landscaping

I normally do not knit the same pattern twice in a row. Yes, I have knit maybe dozen Landscape scarves since the pattern was published in 2000 but never twice in a row. However, the stars lined up so that just as I finished the Bluefaced Leicester version (see June 14 post), I bought this yarn during a visit to Richmond, Virginia. After several false starts on other patterns, I was back to Landscape.

The details:

• Yarn: Cestari fingering; 67% cotton, 25% wool, 8% silk; 190 yards/2 ounces; Sea Shell (the color is deceptive; it looks like off-white but it also has flecks of green, red, and blue).
• Needles: US5
• Finished size: 14½ inches back neck length

Of course, I made modifications:

• Alternating garter and stockinette bands
• Beads instead of picots (Toho round 6/0 gold-lined rainbow aqua)

Bluefaced Landscape

The Landscape Scarf is one of my go-to patterns when I want to show off some special yarn. And, wowee, is this special. It is Bluefaced Leicester in natural colors from Sporfarm. I purchased it on a trip to The Dalles, Oregon, earlier this year.

Working with it was a dream, so soft. And I love the natural colors and luster. I started with 258 yards and knit nearly every inch of it on US6 needles. I did change the pattern (as I usually do) by alternating garter and stockinette bands. And I made the picots on two stitches instead of three because I thought it looked better.

Fall Landscape

Evelyn Clark's Landscape Scarf is one of my favorites because of its versatility. My standard Landscape Scarf differs from the pattern because I alternate only garter and stockinette. I make it as big or as small as I want based on the amount of yarn available.

This one is extra-special because I used yarn dyed by my friend Naomi. She says the yarn is Knit Picks Palette, originally in a variety of colors intended for a Fair Isle project. She over-dyed it all to these beautiful fall colors. Naomi has taken to dyeing yarn in a big way, with great success.

I knit the scarf on US6 (4mm) needled. The finished back neck length is 16 inches.

Landscaping

No, not garden landscaping, but Evelyn Clark's Landscape scarf. I love this pattern; I've made it a dozen times with all kinds of yarn and all sorts of variations. This time it's Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight in a color called Gypsum, US6 needles. My variation on the pattern is to use only garter and stockinette for the sections.

Landscaping

Last night, the charming and talented Sonya from Yorkshire Yarns invited me to talk about my favorite pattern, the Landscape scarf from Fiber Trends. Little did she know that I can talk about this pattern for a long time. I've blathered in the past about how much I like this pattern, and welcomed the opportunity to blather to a new audience at Sonya's Monday night knitting and crochet group. Fortunately, Sonya's shop offers a stunning selection of yarns suitable for this pattern.

In short, I like the flexibility of this pattern. I've made it with lace weight, fingering, sport and DK; with solids and variegated; with wool, cotton, tencel and blends. I've made it with as little as 250 yards and as much as 500. I've made it with and without picots. I've made it with beads instead of picots. I've made it with tassels.

The scarf also offers an opportunity to shop for beautiful and complementary shawl pins to fasten the tails in front.

Landscape that Rocks

Two of my favorites: the Fiber Trends Landscape scarf and Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight yarn. This one is the Farmhouse color, US6 needles, alternating garter and stockinette sections, with picots.

My friend Debbie "made" me buy the yarn. Thanks, Deb!