Simple Satisfaction

I am in sort of a knitting limbo currently. It's the time before the Ravelympics and the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics which is Feb. 12th. I have committed myself to two groups and hopefully I will accomplish the goals I have set for myself. In the meantime I want to continue knitting but on a project that I can finish by the time I have to concentrate on my two projects.

So to fulfill the need to be obsessive about knitting every single day, I decided that knitting my very first project for the Red Scarf Project was the way to go. I joined the group on Ravelry and have been looking forward to my very first project and yesterday I completed my very first project to be sent to them when the time comes.
So here is a close up of my very first non-pattern effort. It's a simple nondescript pattern of K3P3 for 6 rows and then do the opposite for the next 6 rows. I cast on 36 stitches on US 7 Addi Turbos. I used acrylic (please do not run from the room screaming) yarn because these scarves and hats are going to very busy college students who don't have time to worry about hand washing and blocking a lovely wool scarf and nor do they always have the money to have something dry cleaned. So truly acrylic or a super wash wool was the way to go. I went with acrylic because of the affordability.

I used Caron One Pound skein in the color called Claret 562. It's more of a maroon than a "real" red. I paid about $8 for it at our local A.C. Moore. I don't usually buy yarn from them but I really wanted something super affordable as I mentioned above.

It's such a simple knitting pattern that it only took me two days to make. I am not really a fast knitter but it was so easy, it was hard not to whip through it. I was so happy with the way it turned out I thought it needed an accessory... a nice warm hat to match. I did not have a pattern but used the basic concept from another hat to make this one.

I cast on enough stitches (78) to make it around my head and then continued the same pattern that I had used the for scarf. I knit about 5-6 inches of the pattern before starting the decreases. To start the decreases I knit 7 and decreased in the pattern by either P2tog or K2tog. Then one row of knitting in the pattern and so on and so forth. I did try to stick to the pattern of changing the K3P3 every 6 rows and then switching to P3K3. It worked out pretty well. I was pleased with the end product even thought it's not perfect. I hope that who ever gets the set, will have a nice warm head and neck!

Here is my model wearing both the scarf and the hat together. She looks warm although she wasn't so sure of my choice of fashion eye wear for this photo shoot.

If you are thinking that you would like to do some charity knitting and you belong to Ravelry they have a great group and their site has all the free patterns you could hope for. The site also has care labels and washing instructions. I printed them off today to wrap around my scarf and hat.

I wound up the rest of what was left of the One Pound skein and have it ready for scarf #2 . I have chosen a cabled pattern for my 5K Stashdown Ravelympic challenge. I haven't done anything with cables in over 5 years so I thought this would help me get back into cabling. The name of the scarf is the Irish Hiking Scarf. I sure hope I can get it done in the time allotted. I don't know if I will end up doing a hat to match the scarf but I will know after I have finished the scarf! Nothing like a new or rusty skill to shore up your knitting confidence!