Knitted Mark of Zorro

Now, I do think it is likely that if Zorro were to knit, he would probably not knit for children and he would certainly not knit with pastel blue funky baby novelty yarn. Nonetheless, I present the second knitted gift I've made for the holiday (there will be a third gift, but I don't need it until after the holidays are over):

Filatura di Crosa Bon Bon Scarf

This little scarf is almost exactly 36" (I think that will be perfect for the 18 month-old that it's for and maybe give her another year or two) and is just over 3" wide. It's made out of Filatura di Crosa Bon Bon, color 12 (which I mentioned briefly here) -- a very funky novelty yarn with tufts at regular intervals. It's 100% polyamide and machine washable, so even though it has an impractical looking texture, I think it should still be a mother-friendly gift to give a child.

The pattern is a very simple one:

Cast on 14 stitches on US 10 needles.

Knit 2 rows
Knit 1 row
Purl 1 row
Knit 1 row
Purl 1 row

Repeat this unit until you have enough yarn left to knit 2 more rows and bind off... then knit 2 more rows and bind-off knitwise. Basically, you are alternating 2 rows of garter stitch with 4 rows of stockinette -- a pattern I chose so that I could minimize any curling that the stockinette wanted to do. In a wool yarn, I probably would have needed more garter stitch, but in this yarn, which doesn't move much from where you put it, the garter stitch balance is fine.

Up close, the texture looks like this:

Bon Bon Scarf Up Close

You can see the garter stitch ridges framing an interval of stockinette. I chose not to do all garter stitch A) because I wanted as long a scarf as possible out of 99 yards and B) because I think the tufty things come out better on stockinette.

While I am not going to run out and buy any more of this yarn (it's not a real blast to knit with for the same reason that it makes a neat texture) I do like the fact that the tufty bits make it so that both the "right" side and the "wrong" side of the scarf look more or less the same or are at least equally nice to look at.

Chuckle... I just have to add an aside here that I think it is a testament to my wordiness that I can create so much hypertext about a simple scarf for a baby

And on an unrelated note... a front view of "Cerys" the purple Point 5 sweater for Claudia:

Cerys From the Front

Not the best picture, but the only other picture they provide. Looking at the pattern, I think the shaping is almost the same as Margot's, there's just a few places that the sweaters differ (neckline, cuffs, zipper and bottom edging). I do think it's the sweater that my Shimmer 5 was meant to be though. Much ripping will ensue as soon as I have the chance to get back to what will only briefly be Margot. Looks like I am going to get my money's worth out of those 15 mm tree trunks that I bought!

I almost forgot! Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it this weekend, and for the rest of you, a peaceful and happy weekend!