Diamond-Motif Scarf with Yarn from the Kangaroo Dyer

Completed: 2008
Finished Size: 8" wide by 62" long

Finished scarf

I crocheted this scarf using yarn I won as a door prize at the 2007 Franklin County Fiber Twist festival in Greenfield, MA. (This festival is now known as the Fiber + Fashion event at the Little E).

Detail of crochet diamond motif

The yarn had no label on it, so I'm not sure what type of wool it was or how much of it I had or where it came from, but I think it is a merino sock yarn, and I'm guessing it was about 400 yards. I wasn't sure I'd have enough yarn to finish the scarf, but it turned out to be more than enough.

I do know it was hand-dyed by the Kangaroo Dyer, and that my photos on this page don't do it justice; it is really a nice variegated combination of autumnal colors, from ochre to burgundy to black.

I used a crochet pattern from Jojoland called simply "Cashmere Scarf," which doesn't really do the pattern justice either; it is a good-looking, well-proportioned, lacy but sturdy pattern of interlocking diamonds. I kept it for myself and it's been one of my totally unreproducible favorites for years.

Steamer Trunk Baby Henley Pullover

Completed: October 2014
Finished Size: fits a 0-to-6-month-old baby

Working a sweater from the top down
feels awkward at first.

I knitted this using Erica Kempf Broughton's Simple Baby Pullover pattern, which is a free pattern you can download from Ravelry.com.

It is a top-down pattern, and I'd never worked a sweater from the top down before, and I didn't have the right length #7 circular needle so the needle I made it on was enormously long, so it felt a little bit awkward while it was in progress, but it was interesting to see how it came together.

The finished product

The pattern is written for a Cascade Yarns worsted yarn, but, on the advice of Webs Yarn Store, I used Mrs. Crosby's Steamer Trunk yarn as a direct substitute with no change in gauge.

The sweater knits up very quickly with such a big yarn, and the roasted chestnut color I used had really nice color variegation. I had originally planned to put black buttons on the placket, but after seeing the color in person, I decided red would be better (not to mention more fun).

The superwash merino is also machine washable and dryable, which should certainly be a plus in a baby sweater.