1.18.2010

Darling Daughter Scarf FO


Yarn Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Chunky
Colour: 33511 Dye Lot: 509
Needles 8mm
Start: January 6 Finish: January 13, 2010
Size: 26 cm x 170 cm (10.25" x 67")
Modifications: Adjusted all numbers upwards 30% (details here)

The 30% adjustment upward to larger needles, bigger cables, wider edging to make up for my use of "Chunky" weight rather than the "Extra Bulky" called for in the pattern successfully yielded the kind of large and long scarf the pattern is designed to do and DD was hoping to get...


And the tinkering was worth it because the yarn is utterly beautiful and I think especially so in this application.  On my monitor the almost luminous quality of this yarn is even coming through. I hope you can see it too! Its as if the yarn were lit from within!

The tweediness also adds a dimension once you are too close to make out the detail of the cable which quite frankly is anything closer than about 4' away! The Drops "Polaris"  yarn for which the scarf is designed is a pencil roving style in solid colours which does wonders for the knitting when viewed flat and from a distance but wrapped around the neck, the detail of the cable is lost, leaving the yarn to perform on its' own merits. If the singular feature of the yarn is its' large size and you're too close to appreciate its' performance in the big huge cable, then it's nice to have another level of detail in its stead and the tweed works wonders in that regard.

Then once you get even closer you become aware of the 15% Angora content through its' subtle but undeniable halo. The angora also makes the knit quite cozy and comfortable against Darling Daughter's neck where she really cannot tolerate pure wool.

All taken together of course, this is where, just as its name asserts, the DB yarn really is a "Luxury" Chunky. In all fairness, the Drops yarn is about 40% of the price of the DB. Since I had my Christmas Gift Certificate to use, I was lucky enough not to have to incur the full cost of all that "Luxury". The price tag to me of this knit was about $13.00!

On top of all that, it's also one very warm scarf! As we enjoy a bit of a January thaw here in Toronto the scarf is allowing Darling Daughter to go out in a spring/fall weight jacket, giving her winter coats a bit of a rest.

 
I'm gratified by this because I knit like mad for a week in the hopes of getting the thing around her neck in the bitter cold weather, which I didn't manage to do. Of course being chunky weight, the knitting did go quickly. I  bought 5 skeins rather than 4 at the urging of the ladies at Passionknit but I was hoping to get the job done in 3 and in the end, that's all it took.

So Drops Design and Debbie, (with a bit of help from me), have delighted Darling Daughter! Ta DA!

Thanks for dropping by!

4 comments:

Acorn to Oak said...

It turned out really nice and looks very warm! Maybe you could make a matching hat and/or mittens with the two left over skeins. :-)

Brendaknits said...

I don't know how it happened but I seem to be behind in my blog reading. I opened today to see that you have three posts. How much fun it was to read all your knitting adventures. Your daughter's scarf is lovely, lovely, lovely. I admire your tenacity. That's a lot of knitting. Re the DB magazine. I will not buy it, I will not buy it, I will not buy it. And it sounds as if your class was great fun Isn't it wonderful to know that 9 young people want to learn to knit?

Lupie said...

I have wanted to make this scarf and hat set. Your scarf is just beautiful!

Stephanie said...

What a cozy-looking scarf! Just the thing to curl up in while braving the outdoors in winter. You have a lucky daughter! I keep having to remind my mom to wear the things I've knitted for her so that I'll knit her more. ;)