Knit and Crochet Away!, tierneycreates

Scarf finally done

tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

This is a quick follow up to a post I wrote in February 2018 – A Case Against Procrastination. 

Experienced knitting blogging buddies: please see the Postscript section for a question/request for advice, thanks!

The title of this post is Interesting as it is obvious that I ended up seriously procrastinated because I finally finished the scarf for this hat I made in December 2017 (Library Stack Catch Up):

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(I think I had a couple less wrinkles in 2017)

Well over 2 years later, the matching scarf is now done:

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I could not wait to try them on together the moment I finished the scarf:

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However ever as soon as I put it on, I took it off as I could not wear it outside today (without looking very strange) as it is was 52 degrees F (11 degrees C) and that is a little warm for scarf wearing.

It felt wonderful to have this scarf done and I am sure our snow and cold will return this winter in the Denver metropolitan area!

Postscript (Question on Blocking Knits)

Experienced knitters reading this post – tell me about your experiences with blocking scarfs or other knitting pieces.

I used a garter stitch to make this scarf. I used a blend wool-acrylic yarn, and the edges on the scarf curled. So I blocked it after I was done knitting it, just like in this video below:

But after all that work, the edge of my scarf still slightly curl under.

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Any thoughts?

Is it because I used a wool-acrylic blend?

Published by tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles and smiles

Quilter, crafter, obsessive tea drinker and lover of all furry creatures (especially dogs and cats) - join me on my tierneycreates blog as I share stories from "A Crafter's Life".

22 thoughts on “Scarf finally done”

  1. I found in my knitting that it’s the garter stitch that causes curling, not the wool. Now, I put several rows of anything else along the edges to prevent that.
    I don’t know about you, but I get such a high from finishing something I started, especially a long time ago. Those ufo’s hang over me like a cloud!

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    1. Yes putting on an edge would be a great solution, and now I have to decide do I just want to use as is or make it “unfinished” again and have to finish it – ha! 🙂

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  5. Bravo on this scarf-knitting milestone, Tierney! I do adore that set that you’ve made. 🙂
    As for the curl, unfortunately I’ve found that that stitch continues to curl even after a good block (and acrylic is much less ‘blockable’ than wool, so it tends to hold its shape more and resist blocking efforts a bit).

    In addition to the other great suggestions above, I recommend trying a ribbed stitch for a scarf (something like knit 2 purl 2) — another way to eliminate that curl.
    Either way, BRAVO!!

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  7. I’m confused. Looking at it (I love the soft warm color by the way) it looks to me as if you were knitting in stockinette (knit a row, purl a row)? I can’t tell what you did on the cast on and cast off edges exactly from the photo. Anyway, stockinette stitch in any yarn will always curl in at the edges – it is the nature of the construction. I would suggest garter stitch for the whole thing (knit all rows) as it does not curl. Or moss stitch or a rib pattern K1P1 or K2P2. These do not curl. Or, you could do the body of the scarf in stockinette stitch but make wide borders of garter or moss stitch so that the edges do not curl.

    I made a long skinny scarf once to exploit the curl – 20 stitches on #8 needles, knit a row, purl a row. I made it very long, forget how long but it was LONG – it curled up like a tube, and I called it scarfghetti. Wrap that thing around your neck quite a few times and you are set to go.

    I hope I am right about what I think I see in the photos otherwise I’ve gone off on a tangent for which I hope you will forgive me! And, I don’t block any of my knits anymore. I just put them on and wear them and they take on my shape or whatever. I am lazy about blocking, want to get to wearing!

    Happy New Year.

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    1. You are right! I think I did knit then purl! Oh my goodness I cannot remember – yikes! I think I should have gartered, thanks! I like how you used the curl as part of your design – a scafghetti! Awesome 🙂

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      1. I made quite a few of these in the past. I associate them with a friend of mine, a knitting and fiber designer, who died of cancer several years agao. I wrote about a project of hers on my personal blog – you might be interested – https://claudiamcgillart.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/scarves-friends-new-things-every-day/

        in this post there is a link to her Ravelry site where my scarf was featured. Her project of one scarf a day for a year did not happen due to her illness, but this was part of it. I am thinking of her now and missing her.

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  9. Looks amazing, and always good to have something finished. I rarely block anything when knitting, so I would just take the curl as a design feature 🙂

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  11. Well, everyone else answered your knitting query, so I’m off the hook here! But for a quick flattening fix to the curl – provided the scarf is wide enough – fold it in half down its entire length and sew it! You’ll get an extra-cosy double thickness flat scarf, and you can tame the curly ends by closing them off with fringes. The fringes will look good in a contrasting colour too – perfect if you used up all your yarn already 😉

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