Thoughts on the Economical Baker Street Scarf

Yes, well, when I saw the Gaea "Say Nevermore" version of this scarf at Knitty a few months ago, I somehow found myself on the Blue Moon website clicking "purchase" as though in a trance.  Maybe it was the daze, maybe it was the summer heat, maybe it was just the idea of paying over thirty-five dollars for one skein of yarn -- however indescribably gorgeous -- but when I sat down to knit the scarf, I discovered that the pattern actually calls for two skeins.

I thought, and for some time, I admit, about ordering a second skein, but luckily the weather was cooler, and sense won out.  So this is the "Economical Baker Street Scarf," modified slightly from the original by Joan of Dark.

My version is over 32 sts, but this is different from the pattern only because the label was vague enough that with the original stitch count I might have ended up with something anywhere from 6" to 8 1/2" wide (!), so since I was already being economical, I shaved 2 sts off of the original count.  This still got me 6 3/4 in. on US8 needles!

I also, as I say, used pretty much all of just one skein instead of two -- when I got close to the end, I unwound the rest of the ball and from the non-working end cut fringe for the cast-on edge and attached it, then cut more-or-less the same amount (in one length, to keep it from becoming a mess), then worked as far as I possibly could with the remaining yarn -- the only bits left are the wobbly piece from the beginning of the skein, a length that I cut too short to add to the fringe, and a shaving or two from the finished fringe.  The resulting scarf is about 6 3/4 in wide x 50 1/2 in. long, not counting the fringe (17 x 128 cm.) -- so considerably shorter than the 6 ft. of the original (!) but also a lot more frugal. 

A word of warning -- it does curl.  The stitch is very easy to memorize, and looks handsome, though different, on either side, but it does curl, so if that's important, knitter beware.

But the yarn is delicious -- you can tell that I think so by the number of close-up photos I've taken! -- with a subtle blend of navy/black with a lighter blue here and there, and a little revelation of tawny gold and perhaps even a hint of teal at times, and it has that wonderful quality of revealing more or less of the colors in different lights.  I am delighted to say, too, that I wrapped it around my shoulders this morning after I took the photos, and the weather is cool enough that I am still wearing it an hour later ...

Comments

[--Deb]

Love.

[Jeanne]

PS, I actually hadn't blocked the scarf when I measured it for this post, and when I washed it later and laid it out neatly, I found that without any effort at all on my part it now measures 7 1/2 x 59 in. (19 x 150 cm), so not a bad effort for just one skein of yarn!

[Mary Lou]

ANd really, in your climate you don't need a giant scarf now, do you?

[Toffeeapple]

Over $35?! You did well to work it out like that, it looks very good.

We seem to be having a resurgence of summer over here, it is rather delicious.