Birthday score! (and a knitting hint)

Amy Lane, of writerslane fame sent me an extravagant birthday present! There's a Chinese brocade bag with a top zipper and an inner zippered pocket, and the bag is the perfect size for carrying the knit in public projects! And in the bag, she tucked the most clever needles - a toothpick of wood with a loop of nylon attached. Super easy for these old eyes to thread! And she added some sweater-shape point protectors, so the needles and knitting won't get away, one from another. She had a splendid card of a porcupine with the motto, "I don' need no stinkin' needles." And she sent the CD of her family Christmas. Oh, and by the way - a skein of Petite Voodoo silk and merino fingeringweight yarn. Ooooo! I rubbed it all over my face and neck. Sooo soft. And unlike kitties, no claws.


So, enough bragging. Today we have a quick lesson in how to use up those odds and bobs. Take three partial balls of yarn that sort of talk to one another and play well together. I like to stick within color families, but strong contrasts will work, too. Take the biggest ball and a needle that seems right for it. (worsted weight, 8. Sport weight, 5. fingering weight, double it and use a 5.) How wide would you like your scarf to be? Measure that length three times, put in a slipknot there, and do a long-tailed cast-on. now, pick up the second color and seed stitch across. Pick up the third color and seed stitch back. Well looky thar! Color number one is sitting there, waiting for you. Pick it up and seed stitch across . . . Repeat until you run out of one color. seed stitch the next row and break off the yarn. Using the last color, bind off in seed stitch. Weave the ends in.

Voila! (vwa-lah, or vi-o-la, as you prefer.) It's a short scarf? Good. Someone in the world wants a short scarf that will just cross his throat and tuck into his coat. And you have knit it. Good job!

I don't think there is any way to do this wrong. Tell me if you find it.