More Scarves

Scarves are always good carry-along projects, projects to try a new or unusual yarn, and a way to use up some stash yarn. These two recent projects fit the bill.


The turquoise one is Flutter by Miriam Felton, an old favorite. I picked this pattern to try a yarn that was new to me. This Flutter is slightly shorter than previous Flutters, 40 repeats of the center instead of 50, but still successful.

Yarn: Jojoland Ballad, 100 percent wool, 220 yards/50 grams; 2 balls.
Needles: US 3 (3.25mm)
Beads: Toho 6/0 gold-lined rainbow crystal
Finished size: 7.5 inches x 54 inches

This Flutter will end up in my gift box, waiting for just the right recipient.

The green scarf is Mead Scarf by Elizabeth Morrison. Finding a pattern for this marled green and gray yarn required some work: a pattern that would show off the yarn and be interesting to knit. Mead filled the bill.

Yarn: 50 percent merino/50 percent yak from School Products in New York City.
Needles: US 3 (3.25mm)
Finished size: 8 inches x 78 inches

This scarf is for my husband, who selected the color. One of his “rewards” for hanging around yarns stores with me is that he can find yarns that he likes.

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving! And, if you are so inclined, a successful Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday.

Ready for Winter

Thorpe hat

Earlier this year, one of my husband’s students brought me some llama yarn from Peru. I had asked for llama yarn anticipating a presentation on llama fiber that I made at the annual Boise lace knitting retreat. He did a good job for a rookie yarn buyer.

The yarn is sort of chunky weight. It still has some guard hair, which is not unusual for llama yarn, but overall, it is not too scratchy and definitely wearable on a head.

Because of the weight, it is not great for lace knitting, but it is excellent for warm winter hats. One hat was Thorpe, a free pattern available on Ravelry. The other is Jared Flood’s Quincy, one of my all-time favorites, available for purchase on Ravelry. I used size US8 (5mm) needles both both, going to US7 needles for the top of Quincy.

Quincy hat

One thing about llama fiber is that it is warm. Very, very warm. And these hats are no exception. We get exceptionally cold weather (for us) about once a year, and these hats will get good use.

In my llama research, I came across this poem by Ogden Nash:

The Lama

The one-l lama,
He’s a priest;
The two-l llama,

He’s a beast.
And I will bet a silk pajama
There isn’t any
Three-l lllama.

Then Sheri introduced me to the llama song. I will not post it here; you can search for “llama song” and find several videos. Listen at your peril; it will become an earworm in no time! Llama llama duck!