A good start to the New Year

As was mentioned in my last post, I have 12 projects lined up for 2009 that are Strictly Stash.

The first one, carrying a 9 day deadline, was completed on day five.
Due to the fact that the project remains at work, and I only had my cell phone with me, the following picture is not particularly well shot. You will just have to clarify it with your imagination.

With no further ado, I present a 100% stash and 100% acrylic scarf designed to look like a letter "N":



Notice the use of Boa to make an impression of calligraphy.

This means I get a relatively early start on my next project.
I will be making the Isobel Scarf using Debbie Bliss Pure Silk (that I purchased in Minnesota).

Already it is prepped and ready for travel:



See? Everything I need is nicely in the bag.
Yarn, check.
Needles, check. (I grabbed the circulars, size US8)
Knit book with pattern written out, check.
Pen for tracking progress, check.

All in one little bag! Marvelous, simply marvelous.

It is going to work with me today so I can cast on and begin working on it.
Allow me to say, in rolling the two skeins for a center-pull ball, I actually found myself wishing for a ball winder.
Why?
Because this was the most difficult yarn to ball. Even more difficult than my shiny metallic Filatura Di Crosa Night, a beautiful yarn that tangles worse than anything.
The Silk qualified as more difficult due to:
A) Expectation.
It is silk! It should not constantly knot up. Seriously. I expected it to slide gently against itself and move easily. This was so not the case.
On the other hand, I expect the Night to tangle. A lot.
B) The Twist.
This is not a yarn that will just slide through your fingers. No, it has a strong twist, so as you go along parts of it start curling up as if you were spinning it yourself. This complicated matters a bit.
C) The Hour.
I did the winding after work.
Which means between the hours of 1am and 3am.
D) The Contradiction.
It is silk. Wonderful, soft and silky (good description, no?). It was a pleasure to touch, to caress and to run my fingers through.
And yet, like hair of the same feel, it had knots and tangles. Pleasure ruined in fits and starts. One moment of touching it and saying "YES! Oh so soft!" and then like the crack of ice, suddenly finding my fingers wrapped in strong blockades.
It was very frustrating.

That aside, the knitting hopefully will go much smoother and it will be a very luxurious scarf.