Ta-da post - knitted twirly scarf

*taps screen* Is this thing on?  Anyone still out there?  It appears to have been getting on for 3 weeks since I last posted.

I'm so lazy about doing this.  And it's not as if absolutely nothing is happening in my life, well, I mean there's nothing drastic going on, just life bimbling along at its inexorable pace.  But if I put my mind to it, I could work up a post or two about it but, you know, I have a lazy streak about this sort of thing a mile wide and I also seriously don't think my life is all that interesting.  I count it an achievement to get up and get dressed in the morning.  If I was then working on a cure for cancer or building my own home in a field by some woods with a river running through it or even just caring for my own kids - that would be something.  But I don't do any of that.

So what AM I doing at the moment?  I'll tell you what I'm doing, I'm KNITTING, that's what!  After finishing the cowl that I mentioned in my last post, I decided to move onto another simple pattern, if I could find something I liked.  I rather fancied having a go at some legwarmers.  Don't laugh.  I used to wear them in the 80s when leggings were first fashionable.  But the 'simple' pattern I chose turned out to be one knitted in the round and it defeated me.  Further searching on Ravelry took me to an incredibly simple pattern for a knitted twirly scarf (the pattern calls it a 'potato chip scarf' which is a name I don't care for), quite similar to the one I crocheted last year.  I know I said I didn't want to make another scarf because I've got hundreds of the damn things but then I realised that I could give the scarf as a present!  Genius!

I went rummaging in my stash and grabbed one of the balls of Stylecraft Life DK yarn in Fern Green.  I've got 2 or 3 of these left over from when I was crocheting stuff last year.  It's a mixture of wool and acrylic, and is quite nice to work with.  The Fern Green is one of my favourite colours and, I've found out, also a favourite of my eldest niece so guess who's getting this scarf for Christmas this year?! (She doesn't read my blog so she won't know about this - hopefully!)

This took one 100gm ball of yarn and I just started knitting and stopped when the ball ended.  I've no idea how long it is but the length was fine on me so should be ok on a lanky 15 year old.

It was also long enough for an elderly cat but it gave him The Fear, as you can probably tell.

The jug of daffodils didn't seem to mind as much.

It took me 12 days in total but that was only knitting for about an hour or two each evening in front of the telly.  Unfortunately I'm not competent enough yet to be able to knit without looking so the latest Danish TV serial 'Borgen' is currently going unwatched because I can't knit and read subtitles at the same time!

Of course, I then realised that my eldest niece has a younger sister and it wouldn't really be fair to make a scarf for one and not the other.  My second-eldest niece is much more girly than her elder sister and she loves pinks and purples.  I chose to make the second scarf from Stylecraft Special Double Knit in Violet.  This yarn is 100% acrylic which means it slips off the needles really easily.  It's also a kind of acrylic that is amazingly soft - there are some acrylic yarns that are very cheap and nasty, and so rough you could use them as an exfoliant, but Stylecraft Special DK is just lovely.  It's also inexpensive and comes in some gorgeous colours - I've used it quite a lot and will again.

This is as far as I'd got (i.e., just started) as at 3 February - it's much further along now, but you get an idea of the colour.  I'll post photos when it's finished.

I'm enjoying this simple-pimple knitting very much, and this pattern is incredibly easy.  If you want to have a go at it yourself, then you can find a tutorial with pictures for it here.  The pattern is free.