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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

Another Fan Lace Scarf

This is a scan of my second fan lace scarf. This one was knit on my standard gauge with Brown Sheep Nature Spun, 100% wool, in white-white. Hardly ever does my husband comment on my knitting---in a positive way, anyway----but he liked this one. I used Jaquard Textile Paint on it and then heat set it. I really need to wash it in Synthropol to soften it and get the excess dye out, but I'm doing a presentation on the technique at our guild tonight and don't have time for it to dry, I don't think. Always doing things at the last minute. Hopefully, when I do get around to the Synthropol, the vibrant colors will stick around. I also want to sew on a button because this is cowl-sized, rather than scarf-sized like the red one I showed previously. I can't decide if I like the midgauge or standard gauge version better. I actually did block it exactly like the red one by pulling out points. When I painted it, the points disappeared and went back to their natural bent, which is a rounded edge rather than a pointy one. It's nifty how the 3 stitch edge curls a bit and looks finished. I guess both gauges are equally appealing, other than the midgauge produced a longer scarf faster, naturally.

For the guild, I'm bringing my midgauge because it's so portable. I'll crochet the first 3 rows the width of the cowl, which will be a repeat of 9 stitches plus 3 at the end. I'll do that at home to save time. I think this hand crocheted edge looks more finished than the end of the red one, which is just one row of stitches crocheted with the latch tool. Easy to do and I think it looks more sturdy and more decorative. I like how the edges fan out a bit too. Also easy to make both ends of the thing look absolutely identical, which isn't always so easily accomplished on knitted stuff.

I hope my guild likes it. It's hard to find things these seasoned knitters don't know about!!! If you missed the directions, see my previous post about it and you can watch Cheryl's You Tube videos to learn how.
Later...OK, now I added 3 blue buttons, buttoned up the thing then folded over the top and buttoned again. Added a little flair and give the chin some breathing room. Seems like you could button this in a number of ways. Now I'm ready for tonight, just have to pack up my machine and accessories.