The Scarf Project is Completed

   About a year a go I decided that I wanted to knit a scarf for each of my stepdaughters. Since my stepson did not want a scarf, I knitted one for his wife. Each scarf was going to be in the owner's favourite colour. I bought all the yarn I needed and went to work. Now, a little over one year later, the last scarf is finished.
  It's been an interesting exercise to make these scarves. I decided that I was not going to use a pattern. I was going to use several types of stitches and then randomly change them. Each scarf was going to be unique. The scarves I made for Denise, Carrie and Carmen were made from different colours of the same type of yarn. Mariah (my daughter-in-law) has a scarf made from a thinner variegated yarn. Elin's scarf is made from black and silver threads. Today I'd like to write about some lessons I learned from knitting these scarves.
  It's all right to not use a pattern. This was something of a leap of faith for me. I've never made anything without a guide of some type. When I cook I always have a recipe which I follow carefully. I did use instructions for various stitches, but had no overall pattern for a scarf. I had two reasons for doing this. I wanted to see if I was capable of free styling. I also wanted each scarf to be unique, just like the woman who would wear it. It turned out well. It seems that I do have a small ability to be creative.
  Black thread is hard to knit. Elin lives in Texas, so she does not need a warm scarf. Her favourite colour is black. I decided to knit her scarf from black thread which  looks like dental floss. It was not easy. I used larger needles because I wanted it to look lacy. (It actually looks like a fishnet.) It was hard to see the stiches because they were so loopy. I had to stop and count once in awhile to make sure I hadn't added or lost stitches by accident. My original plan was to weave a silver thread through the stitches to give it some interest. After feeling the scratchiness of the silver thread, I decided I would use it at each end of the scarf. Knitting with one strand is hard, using two is even harder. I kept getting my threads tangled. Finally, I figured out a way to keep things straight. Then my point protectors came off and I lost a bunch of stitches. I wound up having to unravel several rows to reknit them. I was so glad to finish that scarf.
  Crochet borders look nice. Mariah's scarf was made from self patterning yarn (the colours change randomly on the yarn). I decided that the best way to make her scarf was to use a simple garter stitch to accent the colours of the yarn. It worked out well. I wanted to add a little interest at the edges, so I crocheted a simple border. It looked good.
  It's not a mistake, It's a design element. Sometimes I would goof something up or I would try a stitch that just didn't work. Rather than tear out my work, I decided to leave it. This was a sort of experiment, as I don't like making mistakes.  I remember my knitting teacher telling me of a civilization where needleworkers would make deliberate mistakes. It was thought that a perfectly executed piece of work would offend the gods. Since I'm not polytheistic, I thought of the mistake as the result of something made by hand. It gives the piece character. If you want flawless, use a machine.
  I got faster as I went. The first scarf I made was for Denise. I didn't think I was ever going to finish it. It took forever. The last scarf I made was for Carmen. It didn't seem to take much time at all. I think I might have finished it in about three weeks.
  I'm very satisfied with my work. That's not normal for me. I can usually find some flaw in almost anything I do. I feel good about these scarves. They are the very best work that I could do at the time. I made them with love and thought about each woman as I knitted hoping that my thoughts, prayers and love would go into the yarn I was stitching.
  Now it's done and time to start on something new. I think it is time to knit something for myself. I have three balls of yarn and a pattern ready. On to the next adventure.