Oops...

There's a saying that goes something like this: "They don't know what you don't tell them."

In other words, if your presentation omits a bit of information, the only person who knows is you...unless the missing item is included in the class description or handouts.

I bet you know what I'm going to do now: Tell you what is missing.

A couple of days ago I decided to make my own fabric yarn, like the kind you can purchase that's made from sari material.

The scarf is finished, the how-to photos are finished. The tutorial explaining what—and how much—yardage to buy, as well as how to create continuous lengths of the fabric-yarn . . . they're all finished.

My photographer, Robert Gerheart, even created the most fantastic scarf shots outside in the dark.

The layout? I. Just. Ran. Out. Of. Time.

So today's offering, "Your First Project", is the fall-back plan. If you teach, go ahead and use it for the beginner classes to teach working a color repeat that doesn’t change at the same time as the stitch pattern repeat, as well as stockinette and reverse stockinette stitches, working sideways, and end-of-row color changes.

Click here for the directions to "Your First Project".

Twist and Shout

Do you own a cable needle? Or are you a cable-hater? Sure, the look is gorgeous, but sliding stitches onto the cable needle and then knitting them off after the twist bugs some people. Then there's another gang that avoids cables because they're bulky.

Today's scarf, "No-Cable Cable" overcomes these hurdles, with its two-stitch cable. It is so easy.

Click here for the instructions for the "No-Cable Cable".

Trending...

As a designer, it's important to keep up with trends: colors, textures, hemlines...the whole nine yards. Knowing doesn't mean the stitcher’s work has to be trendy, but it helps to know that, say, a certain color scarf won't appeal because it clashes with the color of winter coats on the rack that season.

After thirty-mumble-mumble years in the home arts, I'm noticing that the stitching and fashion worlds are colliding more often. Have you noticed all the super-bulky knitted cowls appearing on runways these days?

It's a fabulous look. But I'm cold sheep. And there's so little yardage on a ball of super bulky that buying enough can be an issue.

Here's my solution: triple strand. Like double stranding, all you're doing a holding strands together and working them as one. That's what today's featured scarf, "Triple Take", is about.

So, check out how to do it and download today's pattern, "Triple Take" here.

What Happened to the Plan?

Flipping through a notebook I filled with stitched samples, notes, and photos about 15 years ago, I came across some mitered corner experiments. Among the samples is a scrap-yarn piece that's worked with a space dye.

I love the way that the long lengths of color give the illusion that there are multiple yarns. So decided to use this stitched scrap as the launching point for a new scarf. Since I had also been thinking about the log cabin quilt pattern, it seemed a good idea to combine the two, using three yarns. The finished effect certainly doesn't resemble the log cabin but, when playing around with yarn, I often end up somewhere I didn't intend to go. But it's "Just Around the Corner"...

Click here for the instructions for today's pattern, "Just Around the Corner".

Obsession

Do you ever get caught up in a process, technique, or type of yarn? It happened to me last spring. I went on a massive I-cord jag. Massive. For two months every time I picked up the sticks I knitted yet more I-cord.

Today's scarf is called "I Love I-Cord". Surprise…surprise.

The challenge with this project was to create I-cord  warm enough to be a winter scarf. Since I-cord doesn't work as well with more than eight stitches on the double-pointed needles, a single strand wasn't thick enough. Doubled yarn was too unwieldly.

Braiding was the obvious solution. Three strands wasn't enough. The four-braid process I settled on is shown and explained in the pattern instructions.

Click here to download them...

Listening to Others

I had absolutely no plans to include "Baby It's Cold Outside" in the Year of Scarves. It was, instead, whipped up as another contribution to the annual Chase the Chill scarf giveaway and bombing.

My stitching group, which gathers every Saturday morning at my studio in Easton, PA, has a Chase the Chill  show-and-tell. When I pulled out this giant, pink, snuggly work the gals asked me about the stitch. It's just plain old garter (knit every row). The yarn makes it look trickier.

Well, chenille can be a stinker.

Click here to go to the pattern for "Baby It's Cold Outside"...

It Ain't That Hard

Are you tired of reading project introductions that tell you the stitching is a breeze? When you stumble, do you sometimes holler, "You lied!"? Maybe that's only me.

Laughing in the face of danger, I'm telling you that today's "One Color, Two Color" scarf, which features the fisherman rib, is easy. It looks like every row requires two colors, carrying and twisting as you go.

HA! Every row is worked in only one color. One. And the scarf is reversible—no floats on the wrong side.

The pattern is free. Download it. Try it. Prove me wrong. I dare ya.

Missing My Garden

The hyacinth stitch took my breath away the first time that I saw it. Only a black and white photo of a swatch, it still held such beauty. I found it in an old stitch compendium.

At first I thought the stitch had an impact on me because I was yearning for my spring garden.

But, no, it's the elegant movement of the yarn strands, and the dimensional effect that captured me. "Dreaming of Spring" is not a scarf for beginning stitchers. If you tackle this lacework now, however, you'll have an exquisite accessory by the time the flowers are budding.

Click here to download the directions to "Dreaming of Spring".

A Confession

I do not like purling. Not one bit. Except for k1-p1 stitch patterns because it's fun to flip the yarn strand to the front and back of the work with every stitch.

You know the Michelin Man shown in commercials? He needs a circular scarf, not the long, plain one on the original rendering. I achieved the effect with wide unblocked ribbing. But I'll be damned if I was going to work purl rows.

For a change this scarf didn't go through endless iterations, perhaps because the technique for short rows has been part of my repertoire for decades.

Click here to check it out and download the instructions...

Color vs. Technique

What happens when a cable isn't the primary feature of a scarf? In a single color, cable work takes center stage. Although I'm more of a technique/stitch/process kinda gal, in my mind's eye I saw color taking center stage for this scarf.

Development was easy because, after all, this scarf is nothing but a central cable flanked by seed stitch. I didn't even swatch. The project took way longer than anticipated, however, because people kept buying the scarf before I could take photos of the finished piece. And that's why the yarn for the how-to photos in the pattern are a different color.


Click here to download today's pattern and see how it's done.

It’s All About the Sheep

The vision was a scarf that used both knit and crochet in a meaningful way.  Having recently completed several morning glory vine-like scarves, I wanted this new project to represent an ivy-covered trellis. But it was not to be.

The trellis yarn needed the strength to hold its shape when saddled with the weight of the vine, and enough grip to prevent the woven vine from slipping around. But Briggs & Little Heritage looked so pretty that I pitched out the ivy concept. Maybe for another scarf.

I've always loved this strong, warm B&L yarn that's spun from the sturdy creatures residing on Canada's east coast.

Click here for the instructions for today's offering.

Welcome!

Soooo…this blog's title makes it pretty clear what I'm going to talk about. Really, what more is there to say?

Quite a bit, actually, because I don't think I know a single designer who just whips out, well, anything, without brainstorming, swatching…and usually a lot of frogging.

So here's what I'm doing. And what you're getting.

Every day this year I'm giving you free instructions for a scarf. Every. Day. Knit, crochet, or a combination of both. Here, I'm going to talk about the creative process for that day's featured work. There will be a photo. And a link over to Ravelry.com to download your instructional pdf.

But act fast if you like something because the next day those instructions won't be free. Inexpensive, but not free. You can also buy an entire week or month of instructions for less than getting each one individually.

Wait 'til you see what's in store for you...The fun begins on January 1. See you then!

All the best,
Susan Huxley