Stripey

This is the scarf (with matching hat) inspired by Perdita's Gryffindor scarf. I knit the scarf in the round to avoid having a right side and wrong side, with the bonus of extra warmth and cuddliness. I believe it was knit on size 8 needles. The wool is a merino/silk blend I have long since lost the info for. (The label was green, it had a picture of a sheep, and it came from New Zealand. If only I could remember useful things.) It obviously passes the neck/head test, as I've been wearing these for almost two years now.

This picture gives you a bit more of a look at the hat (and slightly truer colors--the green is cool, but not really that cool). It was adapted from a pattern in Hip to Knit, the first knitting book I ever bought. I can't recommend this book highly enough. I've made my share of fairly hilarious mistakes working from it (ask Jane about her furry hat . . .), but it's never been the fault of the author. Mostly my refusal to swatch for gauge. Actually, now that I think about it, maybe I didn't adapt this pattern from Hip to Knit. This could be the hat I adapted from the pumpkin hat. Erm. Well, what can I say, I've knit a LOT of hats, and my memory has quite a few holes. And I've knit the Most Basic Hat from Hip to Knit so many times that I've obviously lost track. In any case, I still recommend the book. It's a good book.

And finally, a picture of hat and scarf in use. I call it "Portrait of the Knitter, with Flash." Regarding the shirt, when I was wearing it once, K looked at me in puzzlement and asked, "Why do you have a Louisiana State shirt?" (Bear in mind that I lived my whole life in the northwestern US until I moved a few years ago to upstate New York, and none of my family or close friends live in Lousiana.) As it happens, it was a souvenir from a trip my mother took to Baton Rouge, but it got me thinking. I have rather a lot of collegiate shirts . . . but only one from my actual alma mater. I really should get more, considering how much I loved it there--and how ratty all my other shirts have gotten.