Monday, June 02, 2008

The Chevron is finished. Long Live the Chevron!

Velvet Grapes for Alice!
Thank you for revealing your knitting weaknesses to me in the last post. I will now be using them against you and serving them back up when you least expect it. Remember: my name is Heather and we are all evil...pure evil...*cuing Vincent Prince music*

Many of you wondered which cast-on I actually use since the long-tail method is beyond my capabilities. I vacillate between the cable and the knitted methods, and used to happily use the thumb cast-on until a local knitting acquaintance/wench called it the "kindergarten" cast-on, thereby ruining it for me forever but also giving me the opportunity to cut her out of my life. Many of you also noted your difficulties with the provisional cast-on, which I can inexplicably do, especially after watching the Lucy Neatby video on Youtube. Check it out, it might be helpful.

Regarding that Velvet Grapes that I no longer need, someone noted that perhaps I should be holding on to it since the Malabrigo mill experienced a fire last week. One glance at my stash on Ravelry will reveal that I won't likely experience a Malabrigo shortage any time soon, but thanks for your concern. The random number generator worked its magic and now the skein will be winding its way across hill and dale to Alice!
chevron in koigu
This weekend marked a very special moment in this knitter's life: I finished a Chevron scarf. I mean, how many times in your knitting life can you make that claim? I have to say that despite my passive-aggressive moments and anger management issues related to this scarf, I totally get why people love this project. Finally.
chevron in koigu
Yes, it takes forever.
chevron in koigu
Yes, you feel like a knittingbot that knits and knits and still doesn't get anywhere.

However maybe the Chevron's role is not that of main knitting project (i.e. you need it to satisfy your needs for a finished object) but rather that of stalwart side-project companion (you have it by your bedside, take it to you kids' orchestra concerts, work on it when your husband is lecturing you about money--oops, that's still passive aggressive), that is knit not with the expectation that it will be finished anytime soon, but fulfills your physical urge to stitch away and watch the nutty colors change up nonetheless.
chevron in koigu
The Specs
Pattern: Chevron Scarf, LMKG
Yarn: One skein each of Koigu can't-read-the-numbers and Koigu P-something-or-other-9
Needles: size 5 addi turbos
Dates: December 07-May 08
Mods: A fairly significant one, in fact. I only used one skein each, so in fact that the scarf is half the recommended length, which as it turns out is plenty long for me. It passed my French scarf tying technique and fit, so I am happy.

Another appealing aspect of the Chevron is the dizzying color combinations that it affords. You can spend hours and hours on the Ravelry gallery page and imagine all sorts of different outcomes. "Oh, STR Puck's Mischief and Titania, that would be amazing for so many reasons....". I do have another one on the needles and another one planned (STR County Clareand Lemongrass--I know, right?), but hopefully reality will set in and I will rein myself in. Ha!
and

25 comments:

Anonymous said...

If your scarf is only half the recommended length, then it's no wonder it takes forever to finish one of these. I have thus far resisted the urge, but one of these days, I'm just going to grab me some Koigu and knit like a mofo until it's done. Cuz I'm not one to just have a project to work one once in awhile. I am much too manic for that relaxed way of knitting. Kudos to you for pulling it off. Oh, and lovely scarf!

And congrats to Alice!

Philigry said...

love it. i think it like the shorter length too.

WonderMike said...

Your chevron is beautiful and looks lovely on your supermodel!

Kirsten said...

Oh that color combo! I'm weak in the knees!

Traci said...

i am in awe of your chevron knitting prowess...way to stick to it! and the colorway is oh so fab. :)

so far, i have been really good about buying yarn with a project in mind. so far...we'll see how much longer i can hold out. you need to stop that teasing girl!
;)

Anonymous said...

I love your colorway! Beautiful job!

Jennie said...

Great color combo on your Chevron!

Emily said...

Bravo! C'est super. ;)

Sarah said...

LOVE the colors of your scarf! There's definitely a good contrast, but not so much that I'm making myself dizzy looking at it.

I'm curious -- what's the final length of yours? I stopped somewhere in the middle of the second skeins, and it's still enormous. I think i would have done better to stop after one.

Michelle O said...

It looks beautiful! I haven't made one of these yet...about 4 years ago I knit scarves for all the women in my then-boyfriend's family and vowed to never knit another scarf again. A vow I have already broken. But, imagining what I could come up with using some pretty Koigu...very tempting!

nicole said...

The scarf was totally worth the agony, as it is, as expected, beautiful. Those colours are so awesome together!!! I'm glad you worked through your issue and showed that badass who was boss (let's ignore the fact that you gave up, uh, I mean finished "half way", shall we?)

Hilarious video. Love the part where the guy reassures his dog that it's ok, he's not French.

Now excuse me while I run to my LYS to buy up all the Malabrigo they have in stock. I'm like one of those Y2K nutjobs, gotta stock pile essential rations in order to face the impending doom...

Veronique said...

Is gray and orange the new choqua? Looks amazing!

Janet said...

Oh shoot. You're making me want to make another chevron. Please stop it.

a friend to knit with said...

ohhhhh! i LOVE it! your combo is perfect!
i actually think that half the recommended length would be great. mine is so damn long that i sometimes trip over it! :)

Sonya said...

Great colorway! Definitely worth the agony. I may just have to put that in the queue.

Anonymous said...

It is stunning...quite possible THE ONE that may inspire me to take on this project which never ends. The colours are gorgeous, kudos to you and koigu...

Yarnhog said...

I think I have to make one of these. I need a carry-along project that's not a sock. I don't knit scarves (because who in their right mind wears a scarf in San Diego?), but I love yours! Beautiful colors.

Octopus Knits said...

Beautiful! (I also love the Bobby Blue)

Dove Knits said...

Wow, that's nice!

KeanaLee said...

LOVELY!

Unraveling Sophia said...

Your Chevron is lovely! I enjoy seeing the endless variations of this scarf. I did mine in one colour - a almost solid deep red. It was endless!! And in the end, it looked like a river of blood. yup, it did!

Knitting Bandit said...

Gorgeous. Now you understand the strange addictive nature of this evil foe.

Anonymous said...

Makes me want to knit cevron socks and change the yarn every other row like this...can you imagine?!? Gorgeous!

weezalana said...

Nice job on the Chevron! Looks great with a tank top, too. ;)

Hmmm, sounds like maybe I should start mine now, so I can work through my passive-aggressive issues with it by fall...

Knittymuggins said...

Lovely!! I still need to make one of these one day....

Congrats to Alice :)

knittymuggins