Homemade Friday: Octo Scarf

This scarf began because I needed to knit something.  Right then.  I didn't want to wait on yarn ordered online or knit another washcloth. I wanted something new and interesting and simple.  This obsession hits me every August, when school is back in session and it seems like it should be much colder than it is.  Especially now, when summer finally decided to show up after a relatively mild few months.

I want fall.  Now.  Everything in me screams for turning leaves and chilly breezes and gray skies and being able to eat soup without sitting in my own sweat.

And we all know that with fall comes the need for warm, soft handknits to keep close.  So I searched through my yarn, trying to find something that caught my eye.  This is especially difficult as my craft closet is piled high and only about halfway organized and contains a ridiculous amount of yarn and fabric and books about knitting and sewing and all the various tools that go with those life skills.  Plus there's always the danger of all of it collapsing down on top of me so I have to be quick when I go digging.  One time I found some leftover Christmas chocolate that I hid from my kids, so that was a good day.

I found a gray ball of Cascade Superwash 220 in gray.  I'd bought it years ago when I was cloth diapering Adele and made big plans to knit a bunch of wool soakers.  Hence the unused ball of yarn.

I thought it was a pretty color, and that maybe it would be enough for a scarf for Chris and I could mark one thing off of my list of winter accessories to knit for loved ones, while simultaneously getting my new project fix and convincing myself that I was 'cleaning' the craft closet by removing one ball of yarn.

I searched on Ravelry until I found something that would work.  The  Octo Scarf is a simple pattern, easy to memorize and even easy to knit in the dark while watching Boardwalk Empire.  Though in hindsight maybe that wasn't a good idea because when I was blocking the scarf I found a dropped stitch that I have no memory of dropping.

I worked the scarf until I had just enough yarn left to bind off, blocked it, and that was it.  I do wish it was a little longer, however, but it'll work.  I think Chris likes it, though he refused to model for these pictures.  That may have had something to do with the 90-plus temperatures and the fact that he was attempting to fit a bike rack on the car at the time.  Maybe.

So I made him take pictures of me wearing his scarf.  It was really hot.  You're welcome, Christopher.