Yup, it’s Branching Out, from Knitty. In Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool (oh, how I love you, Silky Wool).
My first Branching Out was my very first lace project. I was appalled to find that this was considered an ‘easy’ lace pattern, because it firmly kicked my ass. Repeatedly. I despaired of ever being a real knitter, if I couldn’t even knit an easy lace pattern.
However, by the time I finished the scarf, I actually reached the point where I could ‘read’ the lace as I was knitting it. The symmetry of the pattern made it fairly easy to predict what I should be doing next. I still screwed up at least once per ten row repeat, but I got much better at quickly finding and fixing my mistakes.
And the end result was very, very pretty, but not terribly practical for New England, since it’s not actually, you know, warm. I realized it was just about perfect for a slightly chilly fall day in, let’s say, California. Hmmm…
And so the Best Friend Scarves idea was born. I could knit Quinn a scarf just like mine, in a different color! It would be like those goofy heart-shaped necklaces popular in junior high (where each necklace has half a heart-shaped charm, one saying ‘BE FRI’ and the other saying ‘ST ENDS’), but with knitting! Awesome!
So I knit it again. And gave it a chance to visit with my scarf before packing it off to California.
The scarves even got to frolic in the last of the summer flowers.
And now whenever I wear my scarf, I’ll think about how very much I adore my best friend. Because, really, you can’t ever be reminded of that often enough.
9 comments:
BFF! You rock my world!!!
Adorable all around!
Very cool!! And you are over the hardest part of lace now. Once it all clicks and you can read the knitting, you can tackle any lace project!!
That is so sweet of you!!! The scarves look great. I get irrationally mad at people who say a lace pattern is easy - because all of them have kicked my butt so far. And I know that it's not me that's the problem, it's the lace. ;)
I have a tragic BFF story from the 6th grade. I was best friends with Marjorie and Lynn. Marjorie went on some exotic vacation with her mom...and she returned with a BFF necklace....sniff and guess who didn't get the other half? Okay, okay, it was me! I am still traumatized.
What a great BFF gift! Much better than a silly broken heart necklace.
This also reminds me of 6th grade. There were three girls in my class who got one of those three-way best friend necklaces. You know, B FR, ES IEN and T DS. They got in a fight and one of them flushed hers down the toilet. The horror! Not that I was involved or anything...
ooo! oooo! I think macoco and risa have it right . . . we need a 'best friend disaster story' contest. Imagine all the painful jr high memories that it'll drudge up? It'll be like "Mortified," only with more knitters.
Aww, those scarves look so happy playing in the grass together!
Great idea, and beautiful job on the scarves.
Your scarves are gorgeous and I love how they frolick amongst those gorgeous flowers! Excellent photo.
By the way, I've always said WWLD, What Would Link Do. I mean, he'd probably kill the little red and blue spiky creatures who shoot wasabe peas out of their long, tubular orifices, so, you know, it's pretty good advice.
Love the BFF Scarves. Really lovely.
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