First scarf challenge

[vaneramos]

I worked on this scarf over six months but finally I can share it. I made it for the Men's Spring Knitting Retreat scarf exchange so I had to keep it secret. We didn't know who our fibre had come from and who would receive the finished scarf. On Friday evening at the retreat I found out who sent me the fibre and gave him the finished scarf, so the secret is out.

This was one of my first handspinning projects, and the first time I spun yarn for a complete weaving project. Labels were even removed from the fibre so we couldn't figure out where it came from, but I guessed my fibre was Ashford merino top. It was beautiful and soft and produced a lovely, squooshy, two-ply, roughly-DK-weight yarn. I started spinning in the fall but had to take a break to work on other projects and ultimately finished on my own new Lendrum wheel, a birthday gift received in March.





I finished spinning and plying the yarn on April 16 and then asked Donna at Wellington Fibres for advice about the sett. From the beginning I intended to weave a herringbone twill, and the slightly tweedy colour variegation lent itself perfectly. Donna suggested weaving a small sample on a piece of cardboard to make sure the fabric would not be too dense. I did so and finally decided on a sett of about 11 ends per inch (2,1,1 in an 8-dent reed).

The scarf came off the loom on May 12, then I washed and blocked it before finishing. The top photo was taken at that time. On the car trip down to Easton Mountain last Wednesday I made the fringe.

10 men participated in the challenge, and I knew who they were so couldn't help wondering. I had met Veryl at last year's retreat but we are both quiet guys and I didn't get to know him as well as some of the others. Nevertheless, while I was working on the scarf, his name came to mind most often. Evidently it was a premonition, so I'm pleased that this labour of joy went to him.