A 'Stolen' Scarf

Have you ever made an item for someone else and wanted to keep it for yourself?





That's the scenario for my most recent silk mohair scarf, finished this week.

I loved the deep, vibrant magenta and chose a neutral colour as a foil.  I wanted nothing to detract from the stunning pink tones which ranged from a warm dark red to a cool light, bright magenta. The sheen of the silk fibres highlighted the differences in tones.

The magenta was paired with a multicoloured grey.  A variety of tones, ranging from a cool silver grey to a warm french grey, added interest and sophistication. Juxtaposed against the magenta, the silver grey revealed some underlying blue tones in its darkest sections.

The scarf went everywhere in this pretty quilted bag
so I could work on it anytime, anywhere.

The more I worked on this scarf, the more I appreciated its beauty. The scarf went with me everywhere in a pretty quilted bag so that I could work on it as much as possible.

It was destined for the local gallery shop to be displayed as part of the autumn/winter collection so I was mindful to have it finished before winter, and preferably well before autumn's end.



One particular day, while waiting for an early morning appointment, as my crochet brushed against my sleeve, I noticed that the scarf contained the same tone of deep pink as the jacket I was wearing.

The jacket was a deep magenta but, depending on the light, it sometimes looked bright pink and at other times more purple.  I loved this jacket because of its intense colour but, because it was somewhere between pink and purple, none of my accessories matched.

I was wearing these colours
at the time.

I examined the scarf.  I examined my sleeve. Yes. They matched precisely.  What a shame this scarf was earmarked for the gallery. I would have to make another one for myself next, but this was the last of the pink.  The yarn is hand dyed so delivery of the same colour cannot be guaranteed.  "Maybe I could steal it for myself," I puzzled.

Conscience wrestled with desire as I continued crocheting. Different people came in and out of the waiting room.  My doctor was going to be late, I was told.  No worries - more crochet time. 

The longer I crocheted the more time I had to become aware of just how perfect the scarf would be with my jacket; until the lady next to me spoke: "That must be your favourite colour." 

There it was - the "a-ha" moment. She had noticed too! Yes, I do want to keep this one for myself, I finally admitted. Surely, that lady's comment was a sign!  

I placed my work on my lap to chat to my new friend and noticed that my skirt had the same grey and blue-grey tones as the  scarf as well!  That does it - this scarf must be meant for me!

My friends and family agreed, noting that I crochet so much for others that I deserve to keep something for myself occasionally.  

Uh-oh!  This may not be enough!

The final signal that I was meant to have this scarf was during the last stage of crochet.  My 'gallery scarves' have ten stripes - five of each colour.  For some reason (perhaps loose tension on a previous scarf consumed more than usual), it looked like I wouldn't have enough yarn to complete the fifth pink stripe. 

Let's check the scales.

I checked and double checked the scales. My experienced eye was doubtful and I reminded myself that silk mohair is almost impossible to frog if it runs out halfway through. This was a serious decision.

Double crochet (UK) edges instead of another wavy stripe.

Certainly there wasn't enough to make one whole stripe so I decided to use the last portion of pink to make a double crochet border on either side.  This was the best decision ever because I got to the last stitch and fastened off with less than 12 cm of yarn to weave in!

The scarf was not the full width as the others and was now unsuitable to become a 'gallery scarf'  anyway.  Guilt calmed, I am now the happy owner of a beautiful silk mohair scarf and have solved the problem of what to wear with my jacket!

This scarf is named "Silver Orchid"

Project Details

Yarn: Alchemy "Haiku"  2 ply lace weight
60% mohair 40% silk
25 grams & 325 yards (approximately 297 metres) per skein.
The scarf used approximately half a skein of each colour.

Pink colour: 155c 'Charm School' 

Grey colour: 09c 'Diamonda'




Hook: 5.5 mm bamboo straight hook

Links

Alchemy, Yarns of Transformation, Sebastopol, CA, USA: http://www.alchemyyarns.com/