This is the story of a fun design project I’ve been working on that will bring you two new scarf patterns, and which I am very excited to share with you!
It all began when I came across this scrumptious yarn by Expression Fiber Arts one day,…
Pearlescent Fingering yarn (50% superwash merino wool / 50% mulberry silk) by Expression Fiber Arts, in colorway “GIVERNY.”
I fell instantly in LOVE with it. All the creative wheels in my brain went into overdrive, flooding my mind with endless possibilities and ideas… I could practically hear that yarn calling my name! But I had such a huge yarn stash already… So of course I had to show my girlfriends Kathryn & Kayla the amazing yarn so they could talk me into buying it anyway! 🤣 😉
Kathryn and Kayla fell instantly under the spell of the gorgeous yarn too! But not being knitters or crocheters, they weren’t sure what they’d do with it… Which sparked one of the best ideas ever: We’d each buy a skein, and I would design similar “sister” scarves for each of us, specific to our individual style and taste! It was perfect! I got to play with 3 whole skeins of the amazing yarn, and they got scarves custom designed and handmade just for them by a friend! 😄👏🏻🎉🎈Needless to say, I went back to my cart and clicked “submit” on my yarn order right away!
While waiting for our yarn to arrive, we discussed neckwear shapes, styles, and construction techniques. Kathryn and Kayla are both very artistic people, but in different ways and with unique styles. They were both very certain about what they wanted though, which made things SO much easier (and more fun!) for me! 😉 Kathryn had her heart set on a super long and thin, flowing scarf with a light, airy, open feel. She wanted to be able to style it in many different ways, and wear it in any Season – even Summer! So very Kathryn – elegant, lovely, dramatic (the good kind only!), yet practical! Kayla on the other hand, favored a medium length infinity type scarf that she could choose to loop around her neck once, twice, or three times. So very Kayla – Gorgeous, super fun & trendy, cozy, yet versatile! I couldn’t wait to get started!
Once the yarn arrived, I immediately got out my swift and ball winder…
I was anxious to start swatching as soon as possible! 😀 I knit several swatches, using different stitch patterns, but we found it near impossible to choose between them…
Stitch Pattern #1: Norwegian Fir Lace
Stitch Pattern #2: Falling Leaves
Stitch Pattern #3: Arrowhead Lace with Cables
So we put them on display in the office so we could look at them and think about them throughout the day. We even talked about them with our customers and kept a tally of customer votes as to which swatch was favored and why!
It was SO much fun! We also put photos of the swatches on Facebook and Instagram so our friends and followers could give their feedback as well!
The time for un-hurried visual contemplation, along with the discussions we had with friends, co-workers, and customers turned out to be super helpful, in addition to being super fun! In the end, Kathryn fell in love with swatch #3 (Arrowhead Lace and Cables); while Kayla was drawn to swatch #2 (Falling Leaves). We concluded that although we all loved swatch #1 (Norwegian Fir Lace), that particular stitch pattern would look better in a solid colored or at least less busily variegated yarn, and shelved it for another time. 🙂
Knitting Kathryn’s Scarf…
Once I had done all my math and charted my Arrowhead Lace and Cables stitch pattern, it was finally time to cast on for Kathryn’s Scarf!
I like math. I like planning and charting and writing. But the actual knitting has always been my favorite part, and I have a feeling it always will be… 😉
This is my doggy niece, Pepper (an adorable Boston Terrier). She is one of my best knitting buddies, and kept me company through most of the knitting of Kathryn’s scarf! 😀 (I can never get over her tiny doggy socks! They make me squeal every time…! XD Wish I could say I had made them for her… ;))
Tools shown in the making of Kathryn Scarf include…
Needles – Knit Picks Options Interchangeable Sunstruck Circular Knitting Needles.
Tape Measure – from The Loopy Ewe, one of my favorite yarn stores! This tape measure was a little gift they tucked into one of my orders a while back (they have a fabulous rewards system! 😀 ). I think the tape measures are macaron themed now… SO cute!
Knitters Tool Tin – by The Sexy Knitter, this one was a special edition featuring an angora goat from Juniper Moon Farm. The cable needle shown (my fav!) is just one of the handy knitting tools included in the tin!
Coffee is also a faithful knitting buddy of mine… 😉
Although the scarf is really long, it’s not super wide, and the stitch pattern is easily memorized…
…so it was a delightfully relaxing and satisfyingly quick knit!
Kathryn Scarf before blocking
Many thanks to my gorgeous sister-in-law, Annelies, for modeling the finished scarf for me; and to my wonderful technical editor, Allison O’Mahony of Kniterations, for her help in polishing the pattern so it can be it’s best self! 😀
This pattern has just been released, so if you’d like to knit your own Kathryn Scarf, well now you can! Customize your scarf to whatever length you prefer, and use only one skein of any fingering weight yarn you have available in your stash! 😀 Or if you want to use the same yarn used in the sample, hop over to Expression Fiber Arts and have a look at their lovely colors! 😀
Check out my Ravelry shop and use coupon code: New20KS to receive 20% off your purchase of the Kathryn Scarf pattern through Monday, May 13th, 2018!
Or, if you’d like to save even more (50% off new patterns!), and receive knitting tips, discounts, notifications of test knitting opportunities, and/or the latest news from Sarah Inskeep Designs, sign up for my e-Letter!
And of course we’d LOVE to see your projects! Share pics & progress on social media with hashtags #kathrynscarf and #sarahinskeepdesigns !
P.S. Stay tuned for Sister Scarves Part 2: All About Kayla to get all the details and back story about Kayla’s scarf and it’s pattern release coming soon! 😀
Sister Scarves Part 1: All About Kathryn This is the story of a fun design project I've been working on that will bring you two new scarf patterns, and which I am very excited to share with you!
