Scroll Lace Scarf

When visiting my friend in Scotland last April I bought yarn at Old Maiden Aunt in West Kilbride. The color seen here was designed by Ysolda Teague and is called (you guessed it!) "Ysolda". It was a limited edition color and designed also for this project, The Scroll Lace Scarf. Note that the photos do not do the yarn justice. It is handpainted and has a lot more subtle tone variations. The pattern is the last one in Ysolda's latest book, Whimsical Little Knits 2.

The constructions method makes for very easy knitting. This was a 4 day project for me knitted Dec 22-Dec 25.

First you knit the lace border which is a simple pattern, one that I memorized quite quickly. Then you pick up the stitches along the top edge of the border and knit the stockinette part back and forth using short rows to shape it. The picot bind off adds a nice finishing touch. I do plan to knit this again but I'm going to use garter stitch instead of stockinette. That predictable roll of stockinette never rests, does it?

Damson is another word for Happy

This is my second Damson and both are knitted with Malabrigo Sock Yarn. The color of this yarn is called "Mossy Green" but it is so dark it really looks black. In certain light the green shows but only just hint of it.

Ysolda Teague is the designer of Damson. The shawlette, which is the new term for these small shawls, is started at the center top back with an ingenious method. By the time you get to the outer rows you have quite a few stitches on the needle. I particularly love the scalloped bind off. It is great fun to knit and it looks good too. Damson is a project you will wear for a long time.

Another Ishbel

It only took 6 days from start to finish on Ishbel in Old Maiden Aunt, Bracken (green).


I have laid the smaller red Ishbel on top of the larger one to show the size difference. The only difference is that I knit one more repeat of the charts A and B. As you can see there there is a considerable overall size difference with just this small change.

This is the amount of wool left after I bound off my second Ishbel. Whew! That was a close one. I was sweating it out on that last row. Needless to say, I can't run to Scotland for more wool. Or can I?

The lace detail is so pretty especially with this particular yarn. While it was on the guest bed in the blocking phase I kept going down there to admire it.

What I learned about Ishbel:

(1) Follow charts and ignore the written directions. On my first Ishbel I followed the charts but my stitch count was off so I tried to check it with the written directions. That only made things worse. The second time I stayed with the charts and had no problems.

(2) The pattern repeat is 8 stitches. Stitch markers don't work because the repeat shifts. At the center point, or before that point when the rows got very long, I counted the pattern repeats. The double decrease always lines up. That is important to note. Usually when I got off on the pattern it was because I forgot one of the YO's at the beginning and end of each row or forgot to psso on the double decrease.

(3) If you love garter stitch, as I do, it works fine to do the center portion in garter stitch. Make absolutely sure your stitch count is correct before starting on the lace.

(4) Pay particular attention to Chart C line 5. There is where you stop making the YO's in the center of the shawl.

(5) If you are accustomed to slipping the first stitch of each row, do not slip on Ishbel. The border is more flexible when this stitch is knitted loosely rather than slipped.

Proper photos will be coming shortly.

A Lovely Ishbel Shawl

Although Ishbel gave me fits for a while I believe it was due to my choice of yarn, or rather the color of the yarn. There is a strong contrast in the reds and purples which camouflaged the lace pattern. Araucania Sock isn't as soft as Malabrigo Sock but is still lovely and I do love the colorway. Since I bought two skeins of it back in June at A Sow's Ear in Verona WI, there is plenty left to make Damson or perhaps Aestlight by Gudrun Johnston. It is fantastic that designers are coming out with patterns for small shawls that can be knit with one skein of sock yarn. While I have knit my fair share of socks I do not consider myself a sock knitter. To me a Sock Knitter is one who always has a pair of socks on the needles and maybe even knits socks exclusively.

During these cool fall days a light wool scarf about one's shoulders takes off the chill, both indoors and out. We had our first frost last night. The woolens are coming out.

I enjoy wearing the shawl with the point on the side (top photo) or as Ysolda usually does, in the front.

To avoid a peasant or granny look (although I am old enough to be a granny), do your best to keep the point from aiming toward your backside. Since Ishbel has shaping to curve around the neck a shawl pin is not necessary to keep it in place.

I LOVE Ishbel and will soon post my tips for Ishbel along with photos of Ishbel #2 which is currently pinned on the guest bed.

A Finished Damson...Plum Dandy!

Just for laughs, this is me trying to look like Ysolda Teague, the young Scottish designer who created Damson, Ishbel, Liesl, and other clever designs. I am holding the camera out with one hand here. Ysolda has a winsome, wistful look in many of her photos and I just look plain ol' silly. And the worst part (or best) is that this was one of the better photos. Just so you know.

I am so in love with Damson that I wore it on Monday when the temperature was over 80 degrees.

There is not a single thing I would change in making this shawl. Well, I did do the edges slightly differently, a technique I have already mentioned in this blog. Instead of knitting or slipping the first stitch do as follows: Knit to last stitch. Bring yarn forward and leave it there. Slip the last stitch. Turn work. Knit into the back of the first stitch. Makes a lovely, tidy edge.

I feel like starting another Damson right away but I have been invited to two baby (girl) showers in the next two weeks so bring on the pink!

A Little Bit about Damson and Piping, Too

It's been a long time since I've update my blog. I've been busy with the pipe band on the weekends. We went to the Quad Cities for their Highland Games two weeks ago. Were were one of 3 bands that played throughout the day in small groups, solo, and then together in a "Battle of the Bands". The small groups were fun as it was like being wandering minstrel's/pipers. Between our gigs we roamed around the fairgrounds and sat in our little encampment, trying to stay out of the sun. It was a beautiful day with perfect temperatures in the low 70's but most of us ended up with a suntan line across our foreheads where our Glengarry (hats) end. The Glengarry is great for staying on the head during a stiff wind (Scotland) but not so great for keeping the summer sun out of the face (Illinois).

Last weekend I played a charity benefit for an off-duty policeman who was killed while helping a stranded motorist. I piped a color guard in at a golf course and then played Amazing Grace.

This weekend (Saturday) the band traveled to Waukesha Wisconsin to compete in the Highland Games. This competition was the last of the season. We placed 2ND (again) but it is probably the best we've played in competition this year. The 3 bands at our level were fairly closely matched. And aren't these two little guys adorable in their kilts. They are so happy to be just like their papa, who is a piper in our band. We hope they will be pipers in our band someday. Somewhere between these two piping events I hosted a bus of folks to Chicago to meeting Tami Longaberger and Bernie Kosar. Yes, I've been busy.

Today I've been preparing for the Official Visit for my P.E.O. Chapter. This event happens periodically when a state officer comes to observe our chapter and make sure we know what we are doing. Our visit is going to be September 14 but I have a lot going on in the days prior so I have to get everything done ahead of time. This afternoon I finished all the paperwork and weeded out our files. Now all I have to do is prepare an agenda, which is what I normally do for a meeting. So I feel pretty good about getting all that done.

A few days ago I couldn't resist casting on another project. Ysolda Teague's Damson Shawl is #1 on the Ravelry pattern list of new patterns and it is practically irresistible. It uses one skein of sock yarn and I just happened to have the exact yarn called for in the pattern, Malabrigo Sock. That happens so rarely that it seemed destined. At first I wasn't sure how the variegated wool would look in the shawl but it is turning out beautifully. Ysolda is such a talented young designer and she is cranking out the patterns faster than I can knit them. There is always something in a pattern that I have not seen before. In Damson the clever way of starting the shawl is a method totally new to me. If she came up with this idea, all I have to say is one word: GENIUS. If she didn't invent it then, kudos to whoever did. I can see myself making several Damsons for gifts and for myself. Put in your order now, Fam.

One caveat if you knit Damson: Pay close attention to the stitch count in the garter section. That may seem obvious to many; however, I didn't look closely enough at what was coming up. (Reading the pattern completely is a concept I apparently have not grasped in 35 years of knitting.) The chart of rows/stitch counts is very handy but only if you use it. When I finished the garter stitch section I was sadly off by several stitches and never did figure out where to put them in properly. It took me the better part of Sunday afternoon to get the stockinette section started correctly, after a bit of number fudging.

I am trying a new recipe for Oatmeal Raisin Cookies out of The New Best Recipe Cookbook. There will be a report on these after my Official Cookie Tester returns home from teaching tonight about 9 PM. Yes, at this university classes are in session on Labor Day, and that includes evening classes. I'm sure he'll be happy to do a little more grading when he gets home and it might take several tries before he can make a decision as to whether this recipe gets an A or a B. I can tell you it won't be any lower than that!