I Know What You Need - ANOTHER New Craft, Yeah!

It's a funny thing, motivation.  Some people seem to have no issue conjuring up tons of it and driving themselves to new achievements on a regular basis.  For me it's always been something I've struggled with.  At school I wanted to achieve decent grades (of course!) but finding the motivation to sit down and study was like trying to put toothpaste back in the tube.  Nowadays I really like the idea of being able to run 5k without stopping (I am far from a natural runner) and I've read about the couch potato to 5k program numerous times.  No action on it though.

Knitting is something I've had no desire to learn, no motivation to do and most certainly no action to achieve.  My Mum knits and my Grandma used to knit for a living, working for a designer creating beautiful, intricate pieces that would then most often be beaded by someone else and sold for huge sums of money.  If knitting is in the genes then there's a good chance I'm predisposed for it!  But I sew, I make cards, I paper cut and of course I bake.  I don't need or want more hobbies right now.

I'm sure you know there's a but!  And I'm getting to it in my usual long winded way.  About a year ago I came across an amazing looking infinity scarf and I wanted it soooo bad.  Trouble was, I couldn't buy it, it was a knitting pattern and I'd have to make it.  I can't for the life of me remember how I stumbled on this.  Perhaps I was searching for one to buy and this popped up, I really don't know.

Anyway the thing was all of a sudden I found myself really motivated to knit it.  So I learned!  Thanks You Tube and my Mum!  I made the scarf in only two weeks and buoyed by the success of it started looking around for other things that were similarly motivational.  I found another scarf pattern this time in a feather and fan design, thought it was stunning and elegant and got the stuff together to make it.

Look at the pretty waves!

This one took quite a bit longer but I did get there in the end and proudly showed it off to anyone that would listen.  My friend Sandra initially took the piss out of it for being relatively short (scarves are looooooong to knit!) but then she tried it on and all of a sudden she's cajoling me into making one for her too!  Well that took a while (man I am sloooooow) but now it's finally finished as well so I've two feather and fan scarves to show you.

This is one of those lovely items that looks far more complicated to make than it actually is and I would totally recommend it to a beginner knitter.  You have to knit, purl, knit two together and do yarn over which let's face it isn't actually a stitch, it's just putting yarn in position.  Yes, that's all you need to create this beautiful effect!

The wavy edge happens automatically out of the straight rows you knit

In case you're wondering why there are no photos of the infinity scarf - well it's in knitting hospital (at my Mum's).  I stupidly left it on the sofa one day and while I was out of the room it was accosted by my dog.  She really loves a good chew!  Anyway Mum is seeing if it can be saved as clearly my skills only extend as far as knitting rather basic things, not fixing anything with issues.

Pattern - Feather and fan scarf
Yarn - Caron Simply Soft in Passion and Plum Wine.  1 ball per scarf.

Plum Wine version for Sandra

Passion version for me