I used to have other projects

The scarf.

Norostripesc1131108

It’s all about the scarf.

Norostripe1131108-1

It’s so much about the scarf that last night, by the time I got to Lettuce Knit for knit night, I had fully accepted that it is so much about this scarf that I was going to have to make at least one more, and I headed straight for where the Silk Garden should be.

Norostripedet1131108

It wasn’t. Megan is out. She doesn’t have any. I was so shaken by this, having become so involved with the scarf, that for several really weird moments, all I could think was “Oh man, what am I going to do? I’m not going to have anything to knit.”

226 thoughts on “I used to have other projects

  1. I think they have it at the Purple Purl and at Passion Knits if you feel like going yarn shopping.

  2. I am patiently waiting for my silk garden to arrive in the mail. Yours is lovely! And, I am really enjoying your latest book!

  3. I feel your pain.
    I knit SOOOO many of those for christmas presents last year. This year it’s all about the watchcap to match.
    good luck.
    🙂

  4. I make scarves very every other person on the planet but myself. I saw this and the Flickr gallery and have been drooling ever since.
    Are you breaking your yarn between rows? This is the only thing holding me back from making this scarf, since it’d be a TON of ends to weave in.

  5. Jeez-louise Stephanie, I’m coming towards the end of my semester and you are making me feel absolutely weak!!! Can not start a project absolutely can not.

  6. MUST RESIST URGE! Gah! The lure of the beautiful yarn is simply too much. I may buy some, but I will be sure to SOAK it first to make it nice and soft for my hands.
    Too bad you don’t have any yarn at home to knit.
    😛

  7. *snigger* Just the thought of you having nothing to knit. a) It’d never happen, unless you were abducted and locked away, and b)If you were locked away, you’d just ravel your clothes and start finger knitting.

  8. !!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Soooo preeeeetty!
    Imagine my heartbreak, when I searched my stash this morning, that I only had one colorway of Silk Garden on hand. Guess I’ll have to hit the LYS.

  9. Oh no! I feel your pain.
    I have a funny story to tell you. I take the VIA to school. This morning I was knitting on the train like I always do and somehow my ball of sock yarn must have been on the floor. A man passed me and must have gotten it caught on his boot and didn’t notice. He walked all the way to the front of the train with my yarn spinning out behind him the whole way. Dude still didn’t notice. I made my way to the front of the train, winding my yarn back up and laughing helplessly. I was in stitches. I was crying I was laughing so hard. Pretty soon half the train was laughing with me – although I am not sure whether they knew what they were laughing at. I laughed even harder when the man said that I should put a bell on him because he felt like a cat.

  10. For ONCE- I’m ahead of you:)
    Made the hubby a loverly variation in Boku last winter:) I should make MORE! Except I’m currently addicted to knitting lace tams…. wich is against all logic- HATS should not be knit on 2mm needles..

  11. I dreamed of Silk Garden yarn last night. This was after spending an hour on the internet trying to decide on a colorway for a project. (Not a scarf but something fair isle.)

  12. Obsessed by the scarf? Not much…
    Hope you can find more “Silk Garden” to feed your addiction. And SOON!!!

  13. Yeah, I know what you mean.
    I held out until 3 weeks ago when I made one for DH out of Matsuri and Silk Garden Lite. I finished it in 3 days.
    It’s all over now.

  14. I definitely know that let down/what now feeling. Such a sense of being at loose end that it can affect my ability to sit and knit anything despite having well more yarn than I could ever knit.
    I like the light/dark effect you’re getting even though the tones of your colors don’t run especially dark for Noro.

  15. That is too funny! Not the lack of Silk Garden, but the fear of not having anything to knit! The scarf is very pretty. I’m thinking that I could knit that.

  16. Stop with the scarf! Please? My wallet cannot take the $40 it’s gonna cost me to buy the yarn to make my own! 🙂
    (Plus I’m, um, in the middle of 2 other knitting projects and about 6 sewing projects. )

  17. I was similarly obsessed with my silk garden entrlac scarf… It is the yarn… that yummy happy yarn! I may need ot make a striped on now too…

  18. You are too funny! I am about to start my Xmas knitting – gifts for those dear members of my family who celebrate Xmas. Since none of them read your blog, here goes: Watch cap for Dad. Fingerless gloves for niece. Little sweater ornaments. Maybe a knit bangle for my niece. Maybe. The trick is, I must have all this done by Thanksgiving as that’s when I’ll see the family! I better get started!

  19. ROFL! I almost fell out of my chair here at work! Nothing to knit? Isn’t that the worry of all knitters? I feel your pain and if you are in need of yarn to knit, I can certainly send some your way! 😉 I even have some Silk Garden . . .
    Pretty scarf — Makes me want to dig mine out and work on it (hard to work with wool when it’s 90+ outside)

  20. nothing to knit? when did hell freeze over/ did I miss it?
    very pretty yarn…if I wasn’t moving internationally in a couple of weeks I might weaken…but I am going to have a hard enough time explaining my stash to customs!

  21. Didn’t I just post a comment on your post about how you have chosen the yarns for this project? And you have already knitted what looks to me like 4 feet of it?
    Pretty pretty.

  22. Why is it that the project that we’re currently obsessed with requires yarn shopping, regardless of how much is already in the stash. No other project will do or is capable of filling the void. Sigh. It is a burden I think we all bear (and share).

  23. Good gravy, you did all that since yesterday? I too started a scarf yesterday, and it’s now at least 3 cm long. Truly, I am not worthy to wind your wool.
    (Notice that I am doing my best to think in meters. Having noticed that you translated all the km to miles in Free-Range Knitter, I figure it’s the least I can do. I will continue to spell my way, however.)

  24. I hate that. It’s such a disappointement to have something you actually “need” to buy at the yarn store, and then it’s not there. Total bummer…
    Scarf’s beautiful, though.

  25. Now you’ve got me wanting one, and I am a poor college student that can’t really afford Noro. Perhaps I should save up.

  26. Well duh. You knitting the scarf was the cue for everyone who hasn’t knitted it yet to empty their LYS of Noro. Including your LYS!

  27. Hell’s bells, that’s GORGEOUS! Ever since I read your post yesterday I’ve been looking at the various Noro striped scarves and pondering colourways. Allow me to join the sheepy parade. Baa.

  28. Wow, any scarf that can have that affect on you I need to knit too. I need to go pillage my LYS… I think you’ve restarted a craze!

  29. Ack!! There is nothing quite like the feeling of denied instant gratification. For what it’s worth… I think the scarf would look great in some of Fleece Artist’s or handmaiden’s yarns.

  30. I’ve pulled my half-completed Noro out of the ‘too warm for a scarf now’ stash to complete. Thanks for the mojo!!

  31. Oh my god! It looks exactly like the scarf I finished last week! Now it’s going to look like I copied you… But seriously, I had the same experience – the scarf knitted itself. I * could* not * stop! I’ve been wearing it every day for a week.
    Now I want to make stripey everything. (I think a pair of mittens with silk garden lite, or maybe a striped narrow clapotis like http://www.ravelry.com/projects/GraceIvy/clapotis-2 or http://www.ravelry.com/projects/kaisakaisa/clapotis-2, or figure out how to make a striped cardigan like http://www.ravelry.com/projects/micheline/striped-cardigan, only knit instead of crochet.) I couldn’t stop myself and bought a bag and a half of silk garden from webs last week, at stiches east. Then ordered some more in a different color from another place, so I could stripe myself silly.
    Enjoy the addiction. 🙂

  32. Love the colors in the scarf!
    I have some Silk Garden sock yarn and now I’m thinking that I should try alternating skeins to get the same gorgeous striping effect in some socks!

  33. Funny how I have so much planned, but I keep having that “what if I run out of things to knit” idea. But, thanks to you, I bought yarn for the scarf that I also wasn’t going to knit.

  34. Why did you do this? I’ve spent yesterday and today picking out the colors I want to do mine in. And now that I’ve got them picked out, I discovered the yarn store that I loved that is 1 1/2 hours away has closed so I’m hyperventilating over that!

  35. I made that scarf last year, and it is completely addictive knitting. I think it’s the color changes and seeing what’s going to happen next. Took me forever to pick the colorways. Eye candy, thatis. Re Katie’s post above- you don’t have to cut the yarn ends. Since its a short repeat you can just switch colors and weave the yarn up the side. Now you have no excuse. Knit one.

  36. That really looks like stockinette. Is it really 1×1 rib? You can’t see the ribbing at all. It’s gorgeous. Must…Not…Start…New…Project…

  37. To answer Katie at November 13, 2008 2:26 PM, no the yarn isn’t broken in between color changes! The unused yarn is carried up one side. Knit two rows, drop color A and pick up color B. Whichever method of twisting or not you use on the edge, be consistant from start to finish. While I can tell on which side I carried the yarn, a non-knitter won’t see it from 3 feet away!

  38. I feel your pain. I made one for my sister for her birthday, somewhat narrower than Jared’s or most other folks’. And had enough leftover to do a funky spirally smoke ring for my middlest granddaughter. And almost wept when I ran out and had to stop.
    I resisted NoroVirus for two and a half years, but now I have it *bad*.

  39. Well… I used to have other projects too, until I read your post yesterday and promptly drove to the LYS to get some silk garden. I couldn’t resist! DH says you’re a bad influence. 😉

  40. Yegads, woman, how could you knit that much that fast – get a life! Oh, wait, knitting is your life. Sorry. It is lovely, really. But it is also your “fault” for blogging about how necessary it was to knit this lovely stuff. And if I were you, I’d be expecting a thank-you letter from Noro at any moment (maybe they’ll even send you some more yarn).

  41. The speed with which you produce things makes my head spin. Are your fingers double-jointed, or what? A fabulous scarf with a breathtaking colorway. Another beauty from your hands.

  42. Since you posted about this the other day, I’ve been wondering if I could/should try this in STR. I have 2 skeins of medium weight that I ordered for a Chevron scarf. I’m thinking I like this scarf better though….thoughts?

  43. Ok, here’s the ironic part. When I used to work retail, we would get an express memo any time Oprah would mention a new product, since the masses would immediately flock in to buy us out of stock on whatever it was. How does this relate? Your LYS may be out of stock because the locals flocked to buy the yarn because YOU MENTIONED IN YOUR LAST POST. As Kathy R. noted above: “Buy first; blog later.”

  44. I’m pretty sure there would have been some Silk Garden there if you hadn’t gone and blogged about it…..

  45. I KNEW that would happen! I knew it would happen someday. Now is my time to shine with my gigantic stash of Noro aging gracefully all over the house.
    Bwaaaa Haaa Haaa HA!

  46. While you are knitting your scarf/searching internet for other sources of Silk Garden, any chance you could pop over to Beth Brown-Reinsel’s blog http://knittingtraditions.wordpress.com/ or http://www.knittingtraditions.com/ for details and possibly spread the word? I’m thinking it would be great if anyone who has taken one of her classes would like to knit up an extra sample to send to her as a replacement for the lost one(s). I know she would appreciate any help that can be given.
    Many thanks and cheers, Barbie O.

  47. I DON’T NEED another project, but going home to my yarn room and see what I have in Silk Garden. I know I have one color but not sure how much more.

  48. Oh, how I know the feeling. This ia why you are truly the everywoman of the fiber world.
    This is the more critical version of a full closet and not having anything to wear.

  49. …so that’s why yarnmarket.com is “temporarily out of stock” on all the colorways I seem to like…I feel a covert mission to my LYS comin’ on…DH doesn’t know the extent of my stash(I hope)…a few balls of Noro won’t be too noticable…

  50. Are you evil, or are you good? After seeing your scarf, and finding that I only had one colorway of Noro on hand, I went to my LYS to get more. Left a considerable piece of change there (bought more than one scarf’s worth). Bad for me; good for the LYS.

  51. But what about Waves of Grain? My beads just came today and I’m waiting for the yarn any second….

  52. Welcome to the addiction that is the Noro Striped Scarf! I’m on scarf #3 and still enjoy it!

  53. I FROGGED mine. It was too beautiful to not wear and I DID NOT wear it. I didn’t wear it because the edge that carried the yarn up the side was tighter than the other and I couldn’t STAND that! PLEASE, tell us how you are slipping your stitches, wear and how you are fighting tightness.

  54. Just because of you, I too am going to make this scarf. I went to my LYS and found the Noro. I was informed by the shop lady that their prices had gone up considerabley of late (from 8.50 to nearly $12 a skein). She asked if I had seen the Plymouth Yarn “Boku” (wool 95% & silk 5%) at $5.99 a skein. There were beautiful color combinations – making it very hard to decide. But I did settle on all my favorite colors and will be starting it soon. I would imagine there are folks all around the world heading for their LYS this week, after reading your blog. If nothing else, its good for the local economy – good on you!

  55. WHAT am i going to knit sent me into a fit of laughter. You don’t have to knit, spin spin spin until Meagan gets some more in her stock. It’s terrible to have you heart set on a certain yarn only to find it all gone. I’m sure most of us have been there and suffered from it too UNTIL we see feel or smell some other enticing enchating yarn and then we completly forget what yarn it was that our heart craved before . fickle bunch we are , Lovely scarf.

  56. that is one lovely scarf. me thinks the 57 scarfs I have knit in the past year or two aren’t enough and I need to knit another, as soon as I finish my Irish Hiking Scarf!

  57. Oh man, Stephanie, I am so glad I finished my latte before reading the last line of your post. As it was, the janitor stuck his head in my office to ask if I was ok. I guess my laugh came out a bit strangled. 😉 I, too, have been avoiding this particular scarf but you’re wearing me down! Of course, I can still say I held out longer than you did. Kind of my own personal furnace war, only with scarves. 😉

  58. That is hilarious! Now you see what the big draw is – watching the colors change & combine with each other in & out of the stripe changes is just so enjoyable! I have made two of these because they are so much fun to knit, and am now contemplating what other options might so pleasantly combine this kind of stripe pattern with silk garden.

  59. Alas! My family has told me very firmly that they do NOT need (or want) any more scarves.

  60. You know even though I had my doubts yesterday when you showed the two colorways of silk garden in your stash I had my doubts. But that scarf is making me DROOL! I might have to put down my fifty so odd other active projects and start a striped scarf myself. What will the beau say? Good luck!
    ~L~

  61. No, see, now you get to EXPERIMENT. There are many, many other (much softer) self-striping yarns out there. Try different types, weights, etc. Your world has not ended — it has only begun! ^_~

  62. Your posts made me eyeball the Boku at my LYS. But I’m going to stay strong and not start this project, no matter what you show us.
    Strong. Must stay strong.

  63. Must. Resist. Lure. Of. Cool. Stripedy. Scarf. Must. Save. Money. For… uh… uh… something… uh…
    Dammit.

  64. Nothing to knit? I just shot diet coke out my nose. If nothing else, I am pretty sure there is a gansey languishing at the back of your linen closet that would beg to differ.
    And for those of you who only have one colorway in your stash: you can always stripe it against itself by starting two balls at different points in the run.

  65. I don’t have a LYS, but I’ve been drooling over the Noro yarns online for a few weeks. I think your scarf put me over the edge and I’m going to have to buy some and knit away. It’s not like I don’t have about 12 other projects to start as well. Thanks for the boost.

  66. Oooh, pretty Silk Garden scarf!!!
    I want to knit that sometime too,but I got seriously distracted by the Knit One Below scarf….I’m doing what marie in NJ suggested: striping one Kureyon colorway against itself.

  67. oh my lord, after these two posts i want to make that scarff sooooo bad. but i just cannot justify the money on the yarn with x mas so close. and with making x mas gifts where would i find the time? its so beautiful i feel i will die if i dont make it. help!

  68. Wow, and I know exactly what you mean…! Scary, man. The scarf is very pretty; how long do you have to wait to get more yarn?! This reminds me of a story by Tracy Ullman in “Knit 2 Together”, titled “The Heroin Yarn”. I identify with that story a lot. I hope you are able to find more yarn soon and can finish the beautiful scarf!

  69. Well I hope you’re satisfied! Now I have to get to my darn weaving class early so I can buy more Noro. I’ve already made two entrelac scarves out of the tummy Silk Garden and thought I was over it, then you post those pix. Darn you! I’m going to tell my dh it’s all YOUR fault! I’m also changing my gift list. To heck with it–everybody is getting scarves!

  70. Well I hope you’re satisfied! Now I have to get to my darn weaving class early so I can buy more Noro. I’ve already made two entrelac scarves out of the tummy Silk Garden and thought I was over it, then you post those pix. Darn you! I’m going to tell my dh it’s all YOUR fault! This is beyond obsession–it’s a disease and we should name it after you. I don’t know how my scarf can turn out as lovely as yours so maybe that will get me to stop this insanity.

  71. “Nothing to knit”, eh? Dang, woman, that could get ugly. For once, I’m glad I’m not within shouting distance of Lettuce Knit. However, I’m not feeling too sympathetic with you right now (but that will soon fade), because it’s YOUR FAULT that I now want to knit one of those freakin scarves. ‘snot like I have nothing to knit and spin already. And my budget – ouch! It was already blown on ‘too much fiber’. Thanks EVER so much, Miz Stephanie Ma’am!

  72. Can someone talk about carrying the yarn up the sides? Does it really look ok if you just do that (rather than breaking yarn every two rows)? I haven’t done a lot of changing colors on my projects and I’m curious how this works. Thanks!!

  73. I dig what you’re saying. When I made that scarf…well..my boyfriend thought he lost his hat in the middle of it. And I had to stop making it to start making him a hat.
    That really upset me. I was almost done, too. But then I was kinda happy, like, “hey, now I have more time where I’m not done yet!” But then he found the hat I’d made, and then I finished the scarf…and I moved on…because there was no more yarn.
    But yeah. I dig that.

  74. I’m knitting my own “Faux”-ro Striped Scarf, I found a great similar yarn at my LYS in London called Boku by Plymouth Yarn, that doesn’t totally destroy my student budget. I can see this scarf getting quite addictive, my mom is worried her afghan is never getting finished.

  75. You must have started a run on it, by mentioning it’s beauty and subtle colourways…..
    I’m sure you’ve found some by now – I think Mary’s Yarns in Unionville has some.

  76. Ha ha ha. Nothing to knit. Tee hee hee. Oh, I see from above that I’m not the only one who thinks this is precious.
    What a scarf! I stayed off that bandwagon too…man you and Brooklyn Tweed make it look like staying off that wagon is a BAD idea. Guess that was the point of your last post, huh?
    I’m quick. Like Lightning.

  77. You crack me up! Mostly because I have had the same panic for the same few moments. It’s so funny what knitting does to our brains!

  78. Did you see the Noro on sale at Webs?? I wonder if it would work? I bought some (drat, I can’t resist, especially when YOU mention something) such power you have!!

  79. Wow, the idea of you having nothing to knit is outrageous. The scarf is beautiful. I can picture how you wouldn’t be able to stop at just one.

  80. I lost my knitting. I think I left it on the bus. I’ve been working on this project for months. It was a buttery yellow cascade sock yarn but I was making a baby sweater dress. And what’s worse is that I had an additurbo circular needle in the bag. I’m so sad and I had to tell someone who would understand how upsetting this is. I’m sure whoever found it did not undertand it’s value and threw it away. Sigh. Thanks for letting me share.

  81. So I just purchased “Free Range Knitter” at the local book store. I asked the gal behind the counter if she had noticed my mom looking at the book (what with THaT holiday coming up), and if I should’nt buy it with the possibility that mom wanted to. Now what am I going to get next month?
    Yarn’d be okay too.

  82. If you’ve got nothing handy to knit… spin, lady, spin! The scarf is beautiful, but I’ll bet you’ve also got some wonderful roving patiently waiting its turn. And Noro kind of reminds me of hand-spun, anyway. Doesn’t it get your spinning wheel itching? 🙂

  83. Steph, if you’re really out of things to knit, I could use some help… I have two baby sweater patterns I need test knitted for which I’d gladly send you the yarn and a post-paid envelope, I also have several christmas presents to do … 🙂
    and could you please quit showing pictures of that scarf until I’m at least done with the Tomten sweater for my grandson?

  84. 2 scarves on Ravelry not made from Noro, but sooo pretty= YarnBabe’s out of Berroco Jasper and badknitter’s using Nashua Handknits Vignette. To Lucy, WebDen on Ravelry says “The trick for the clean slipped-stitch edge is to slip the stitch with the yarn in front”

  85. It’s your own fault. Once you say you’re knitting something, the Knitting World rushes out and copies it. You’ll never find any now.

  86. Stephanie, i have some questions for you on the Noro scarf:
    1. do you knit with only one strand of yarn on a row at a time?
    2. Is the 2 ball color the contrasting stripe that pretty much runs the whole length of the scarf?
    3. did you only do the same slipping of stitches as BrooklynTweed did, e.g. purlwise on the first and last stitch on the second row of every stripe? THANK YOU SO MUCH…I LOVE the scarf and want to try it!!

  87. Maybe because you tell people about what you are knitting and people get all excited and have to go to the store you go and they bought it all before you got there because you were busy doing your blog! DON’T STOP BLOGGING!!

  88. That’s a great design, I’m not sure how you resisted so long. I don’t think I will…I can already hear a voice whispering “January is for scarves”…
    kit

  89. Maybe spin some color-changing yarn?
    I think the stripey scarves are way sexy but I don’t have the patience to do ribbing for more than 2 inches. Maybe 2 1/2. But that’s IT.

  90. Well Stephanie, thanks to you and your archives, I have just come out of an afternoon-long yarn ordering trance and am soon to be the proud owner of the Marr Haven AND 2 skeins of Kauni (which took me two hours to find in the US – I figured out how to get it in the cart in Denmark or wherever, but got stumped at checkout. Believe it or not, eBay saved the day). Tomorrow’s mission: to continue to either find some Noro Silk Garden (although from reviews have read, I am not sure if I will like it), or a suitable substitute.
    On a side note, I knitted and felted a bag for my mom for Christmas, but could not get enthusiastic about a knitted handle. So I took it to my local leather work shop and they are not only going to fashion a nice wide strap for me, they are going to sew it on! I am so excited about this project, I had to share it with someone other than my husband, who just sort of gave me that glazed-over single nod with a “that’s nice”. Useless. I knit him a scarf last year, and when I started talking about knitting him another one for this winter, he just looked at me and said “sweetie, you already knit me a scarf” !?!?! Of course I said, “Look, I have spent tens of dollars (heh) on this hobby and you think you are going to get away with one scarf?”
    All right, I know I am completely off-topic and vearing into Why is She Telling Me This, I Don’t Care territory, but it is all your fault anyway, since I am still coming down from my yarn shoppinig high. Pretty sure the Kauni is going to be the Best.Yarn.Ever.

  91. if I were you and I ran out of yarn and the LYS didn’t have ( the shame) and if I had some nice fibre and some dye, I would dye and spin up some striping yarn….
    yup, that what I would do if I were you.
    😉

  92. It’s worth the drive to Milton – Carriage Square, corner of Main and Martin Streets, Main St. Yarns…a Billy bookshelf trembling under the weight of the stuff. Just so you know.

  93. Well knock me over with a feather – you are a speed demon! But I agree – I am off to the yarn store this weekend to get some yarn to make a scarf. I don;t want to miss out on ALL the fun…

  94. I am so excited! This is the first time I have made something before you did!
    I completed my (first) Noro striped scarf as seen on Brooklyn Tweed’s blog just last week. My husband has been wearing it every day (he who did not want a new scarf, because he loves his 38 year old one so much).
    Now I am maniacally selecting colors to do a clapotis for myself on the same principle; I will probably just use two different colors, but it will certainly be gorgeous!

  95. Wow. I kind of hate Noro a little bit (so scratchy!), but I am feeling an irrepressible desire to knit that scarf … you have hypnotic powers, O Harlot.

  96. I was eyeing Lang Mille Colori after knitting a scarf for my MIL and there was your post and one of the LYS is going out of business and they had 7 balls in 3 colors, sooo: of course I cast on. Only a few rows so far, but I am all exited!

  97. I only had two skeins of Noro Kureyon, but once I got load of the scarf, I HAD to knit it. So now I have a rough and short but very beautifull scarf!

  98. Wow, that is stunning. How do you do the striping in it? I can’t wrap my head around it. Two colours? Three?
    Please share if you can.
    I was looking at my scarves, mitts and hats and I realised that none of them were made by me and none of them were necessarily what I wanted. Does that mean that $40 is worth it? Hell yes.

  99. It’s looking good!
    I still don’t see any problem with doing a project that everyone else is doing/has done, if it’s worthwhile and beautiful. Maybe I’m just an unsophisticated 2 year newbie, not yet immune to the varied charms and potential of Noro (and honestly, Silk Garden is very cosy and snuggly around the neck. It’s never going to be cashmere, but it’s fine. Especially if you pull out the little pieces of twig.). But doing something that everyone else has done doesn’t take anything away from your more esoteric projects. I can’t wait to start mine (but it will have to wait until after Christmas and my slew of knitted presents, because there’s no way I’m giving that scarf away).

  100. I am weak. Weak, I tell you! I saw your post, went trolling online and found some Noro Silk Garden ON SALE.
    Wasn’t even a thought needed. Four balls are on their way to me.

  101. I think I’m with the lady who commented about “Buy first, blog later.” You don’t realize the terrific powers of persuasion you have over other knitters, do you? That’s why I read your blog….totally unpretentious, funny, and really, a complete lack of knowledge of your celebrity! 🙂
    PS – beautiful scarf!
    PPS – WEBS???? 20% discount! 🙂

  102. It is addictive.
    I was knitting the same scarf when I was out with girlfriends for lunch Saturday. One of my friends is newly taught knitter but all three ladies where fascinated with the scarf. Got a phone call last night from the new knitter wanting to know WHERE I CAN FIND THAT YARN LOCALLY??? It seems she has now been bitten by the Noro scarf bug.

  103. Now I know what to do with the noro I bought at the knitter’s fair in the fall and have been looking at longingly ever since. I am torn by the excitement of the project and the fear that this could be a whole other obsession waiting in the wings. Thanks for the inspiration.

  104. Who’s got enough Latin to Harlotize “Quis custodiet ipsos custodes” — “Quis harlotiet ipso harlota?” — Who Harlotizes the Harlot? (Why, she does!)
    At least working on that’s been keeping me from looking up the citation for “They have fallen into the pit which they have digged…”

  105. I am making this scarf but using Berroco Jasper in two different colorways…. It’s sooo soft and just as beautiful. Alot of other knitters are making it as well since they have seen mine… all in different colorways and all so beautiful.

  106. That pattern is the MOST FUN EVER. I had the exact same reaction when I made mine. I’ve made two more since then. Sometimes it’s just really nice to have a simple knit that comes out so gorgeous just by growing longer! Great gifts too.

  107. The scarf is gorgeous, though I have to admit that I want to know how attractive it would be with sock yarn instead of Noro Silk Garden. Maybe you could make a whole new “Take the Rav by Storm” scarf with a happy variation on this one!

  108. Y’know, when I read your last post (and didn’t have time to look at the links), I was thinking, ‘hmm, what’s all the fuss about a striped scarf?’.
    Now I get it- truly gorgeous. However I am stronger than your temptation (I think. Probably. Kind of. If I don’t go into a yarn store for a while.)
    Besides, there is no scarf in my Christmas Master Plan. Did you know there are only 41 knitting days left until Christmas? I’m just saying.

  109. Maybe you could work on Joe’s Gansey a bit while you’re waiting for more Silk Garden to come in….

  110. Nothing to knit? I understand. I’m going away on a spinning retreat this weekend. I’m planning on bringing 4 oz. of ready to spin fiber, About 12 oz. or so of mixed samples that need combing or carding, an entire lamb’s fleece (about 4 lbs.), my drum carder and mini combs and 2 knitting projects. And I’m still concerned that I might run out of “entertainment”.

  111. It’s the most horrible thing that could happen to any knitter, not having anything to knit.
    A couple of years ago, my daughter decided to knit some Christmas ornaments for friends and family.
    I knew she was hooked when she texted me lamenting that she was going crazy now that all the ornaments were knitted, and she HAD to have something else to knit!

  112. All I can say is that either you are the speediest knitter ever or you have a lot of free time to knit. Either way, I’m a bit jealous. Scarf is gorgeous. 🙂

  113. Hon, it’s time you realized the potency of “I saw it on The Yarn Harlot.” Buy all the yarn you need BEFORE you mention your project on the blog. You’re like Oprah for knitters.

  114. You know you’re a bad influence on us all. I’ve admired that scarf on countless other people’s blogs, Jared’s included, but it wasn’t until I saw you making it that I found myself in a fugue state at my LYS with four balls of Silk Garden clutched tightly in my hands. I narrowly talked myself off that ledge, but for the love of god, woman, consider the effects your every action had on the populace in general! Yarn stores everywhere are wondering why there’s a fire sale on Noro all the sudden.

  115. You are like Oprah, when you endorse something everyone goes out and gets it. This time it came back to bite you in the butt.

  116. Even though I was a middle school English teacher, I resisted reading Harry Potter for years because surely anything that popular must be lame. Now that I have finally given in, I can’t stop. I have been listening to the audio version repeatedly for six or seven months.
    I think the penalty for mulish resistance is obsession.

  117. Ruth at 12:08 — are you calling Noro the James Frey of yarns? Sound like you might get some support…

  118. I love it. Like you I resisted for so very long on this scarf. Especially since I don’t really use scarves. But now I’m starting to think that would look pretty damned cool in either handspun or one of my stripey dye jobs. And then they’d be even more uniquely mine.
    You’re evil. Here I’m already planning how to dye the roving to get the colour combination I like. And I don’t use scarves.. really.

  119. Rams, Is that anything like being “hoist with your own petard”? I’ve always loved that phrase.

  120. I have now started one as well for hubby and bought Noro for my own scarf. As far as the trendy part goes……have you noticed that you seem to be driving the trends? You started with the socks, we all knitted socks (even me, although I held out a really long time). Then it was the lace…now the Noro scarf. I even have the pattern for the tiny sock monkeys. We’re a bunch of sheep for sure (in a good way) but I am not sure you are! 🙂

  121. I love this scarf. I knitted one in July for my grandfather’s 80th birthday. It looked just as fabulous on him as it did on me and my 11 year old. Would love another.

  122. Oh Cr@p! It’s like getting a song stuck in your head…
    Now I want to knit….no, must knit that scarf!
    As another song once said (sl. paraphrase)” if loving it is wrong, then I don’t want to be right”.

  123. I hope I’m wrong, but I bought some Silk Garden a few months ago half price and was told by the lys that Noro was discontinuing it.

  124. I don’t want to hear it…I live 90 miles from the nearest Silk Garden…BUT, don’t you LOVE this scarf???? What colors are you using?

  125. I am so in love with the “scarf” that i’ve made a large afgan from Kaffe Fasset’s self striping yarn, 2 color ways, it’s gorgous!! this was the only natural thing to do after knitting 20 of the scarfs…. maybe I should have sewn them all together?

  126. You’ve created a run on the yarn!!
    Have you tried the Turn a Square hat? Also a wonderful (Jared Flood) was to use Silk Garden…

  127. Just make a quick trip to Ottawa…if there isn’t any at Wool’n’Things there’s sure to be some at Wool-Tyme. (and did you hear about our new yarn shop yet?…it’s just around the corner from me but so far I’ve been too afraid for my wallet to stop in!) 🙂

  128. Remember that animated cartoon that made the rounds, oh, a year or so ago? The lady sitting in her rocking chair, knitting, on the edge of a cliff?
    I wonder why I thought of her when I read this blogpost . . .

  129. It is a slippery slope, I’ll tell ya that. I am on my fourth, have the yarn for my fifth and I don’t even know who I am going to give them to. I have to avoid Silk Garden in all yarn shops.

  130. Stop showing the scarf! Stop showing the beautiful scarf! I have a scarf on the go plus mutter mutter other projects and I still have some Christmas knitting I might do. You are weakening my resolve and reminding me I have Noro in the stash. Still would be a stash-busting exercise, no?

  131. Dear Miss Harlot,
    You used to be my favorite blogger. I used to rave about you to all my friends. I told them how funny you were and what a fast and talented knitter you were. Well, no more Missy! I know who and what you really are and a Yarn Harlot is NOT it! Oh no! You are……dare I say it……a YARN PUSHER!!!!! Yes, don’t you deny it! Here I was sitting at home, drinking my coffee and reading your blog. Then you did it! You had to go on and on about that darned scarf! I had my Christmas knitting all lined up. I was almost finished with the first item on the list, and wham! you had to tell me about that darn scarf! And if that wasn’t bad enough, then you had the audacity to put those beautiful pictures up. I managed to resist somewhat at first. The first day I managed to put off the urge somewhat, but I knew I was in trouble when I found myself thinking that my niece would really like that scarf. Then….YOU DID IT AGAIN! Oh the inhumanity of it all!!!! So guess what I did?! I actually went down to the LYS that carries Noro and I BOUGHT SOME! Then, I remembered what you said about going back and having it be out of stock so guess what I did…….I BOUGHT SOME MORE!!!!! Yes that’s right. I’m now the proud owner of 8 skeins of Silk Garden, budget be damned!!!! I never spend that much money on yarn (well at least not at one time LOL! Being a spinner, I tend to spend that much on roving, but not yarn.) My husband looked at me very puzzled and concerned and said “Why are you spending money on that yarn when the house is full of dyed and undyed yarn?” (My name is Dyepotgirl after all so guess what I do LOL!) I agreed there’s a lot of yarn, but explained that this was special yarn and had very long stretches of color and while I could spin something like it, I would like to give it to our niece this winter LOL! So he cracked up and told me to have fun. Which is what I did as I cast on and proceeded to knit away. I think I could be obsessed, or is it mesmerized? Those colors! The way they shift! I must go now and knit. The scarf is calling me. I’m trying to resist but I don’t know if I can. You should put a warning label on your blog that says “Warning! Portions of this blog may cause an irresistible urge to knit the Noro Striped Scarf!

  132. I have a really, really silly question. Is this knit with the worsted or sock weight? Logically I feel like you could use either…but I’m curious about what everyone else has done.
    I wonder if my local yarn shop sells Noro…

  133. I’ve made several of these scarves and have been happy with results. Scarf is even more dramatic with choice of light and dark colored yarn. I saw one made with Berroco Jasper in 2 shades that was beautiful…and softer. My first time commenting, Stephanie, but I’m a faithful reader and audience member when you visit Minneapolis/St. Paul. Happy holidays to you and yours. Janet

  134. Pretty,pretty, I want it, it’s mine…it must be mine….my own…my precious…..someone stop me!

  135. Oh how I love that scarf. Such a simple idea, but everybodys version comes out different. I made one with some of Elisa’s gorgeous handspun and a cream coloured yummy somethingorother from Brooks Farm. Gorge! Your colour choices are great. I love the combo of muted beigey and the muddy pop of colours.

  136. Now see, I’m doing the crochet ‘landscapes scarf’ in the Noro sock yarn (yes, I know it’s dark side, one-stick knitting, but you have to see the scarf…) and I’m totally with you… I used to have other projects. Damn that Noro anyway…

  137. This pattern is way too much fun….a good one for knit nights, if you want to contribute to the conversation and not totally screw up a project (like I usually do).

  138. I was at the LYS today looking at their shop model of that very scarf. I bought Malabrigo today but KNOW I’m going to have to go back for Silk Garden…..resistance is futile!!! LOVE it!!

  139. Hey Harlot,
    When we went to one of the LYS, the people who were working there saw us eyeing up the silk Garden yarn. They asked if we were going to make a Yarn Harlot scarf. Apparently, when you make something on your blog, the yarn store rushes to make sure they have enough yarn for all the folks who are going to come in looking for it. Who knew you were such a trendsetter?

  140. Just cast on for the scarf last night. It tends to have a life of its’ own. All other knitting has been put aside and I knit just to watch the gentle (and some not so gentle) color changes.

  141. Well my dear, you’ve created a monster! I bought Boku yesterday and am happily knitting away and making plans for another. Might even spring for the real thing, I am not sure…
    Watching the colors appear is just sooo much fun!

  142. I haven’t read all the comments BUT did anyone see the HUGE spike in the graph on Ravelry for the number of hits the Noro Scarf received for new additions to folks’ marking it in their ques? Says something about the influence one Ms. Yarn Harlot has on the knitting world, eh?
    Debora in Wyoming

  143. This scarf is addictive. I loved knitting mine and want to do another. The silk garden feels so lovely and it just gets softer as you wear it. For a simple K1P1 rib it doesn’t get boring because you never know how the stripes will play out. I am going the turn a square hat to go with but doing a variation on the striping so it matches the scarf.

  144. As a variant on that pattern try this: Cast on the requisite number of stitches and knit it diagonally. Increase on stitch at the beginning of every RS row and decrease one st at the end of the row. So each row starts with an increase and ends with a decrease. I did that and knit it in garter stitch. While I love the one your doing when I did it I found that the K1P1 was making a fiber with less drape than I like in a scarf. But thats just me being amazingly anal retentive. And Im surprised you have not done anything in entrelac with Noro. Its almost a hypnotic as the stripes. Go check out the rav pages on Lady Eleanor or Danica.
    And completely randomly and off topic- I read all your posts but the ones that make me laugh the most are your disaster epics. You handle horrifying situations with so much humor and grace and such a forgiving nature (except for the moths and the grey squirrel who, btw, has moved to upstate New York, in case you were wondering about his fate. Hes up here and apparently on a diet. He doesnt eat fiber anymore, just rips it down and tangles it and stomps on it.) ANYWAY I had a catastrophe of my own lately (http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/remnants/411760/1-25) and it just made me think of you. Actually, and this may be a little creepy/weird, it happened and one of the first things I thought was “oh my god, this is a harlot moment.” So yeah, just entertaining and food for thought.
    Tommy

  145. Speaking of squirrels, also totally OT…and I hope you haven’t already seen this a jagillion times… Another find from Rav. (Via the Completely Pointless & Arbitrary Group, of course.) Have you seen http://www.squirrelunderpants.com?
    If not, go. View the video. Read the testimonials. And ponder. Underpants may curb that furry little pervert’s raging lust for your wool.
    I leave the problem of getting them *on* the little rat bastard to you. [eg]

  146. Wups – forgot to credit the Ravelry member who brought these to our attention: orcoastknitter. Truly, a knitter on the lookout to protect us all from squirrel nudity.

  147. Are you tabulating contributions to MSF this year? If so, I sent my $100 Xmas contribution by mail, and wrote on the reply slip,
    CONTRIBUTED THRU ENCOURAGEMENT OF
    Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
    THE YARN HARLOT

  148. Don’t you find it incredibly ironic (I know that I do!) that in giving in to a ‘fad’ you have merely contributed to it’s ‘faddishiness’ (if that’s even a word…). I mean, do you think it’s coincidence that you LYS ran out of Silk Garden immediately after you blogged about this scarf!
    I want to knit one too!

  149. Want to know the converse of that problem? I am broke, but have 17 skeins of Silk Garden…all in the same colorway. I must make this scarf, but need a different colorway. lol

  150. That is a lovely scarf. And I laughed when I came to the end and read that you had nothing to knit — that will be the day!

  151. You harlot, you! Of course, I had 2 balls of leftover Silk Garden and immediatly ran to my LYS to choose a contasting color. Just doing my part to help our economy!!!!

  152. So… has Lettuce Knit got any Noro SOCK YARN? And have you seen this:
    Stripey Noro Socks
    by Rachel Brown
    on Ravelry? Heh heh heh heh heh!

  153. You’ve been away knitting that scarf for too long!Come back to the blog! When you do come back, could you please explain the instructions for the Noro striped scarf for those of us who can’t understand why you don’t slip stitches on each row!!

  154. I saw someone on Ravelry had used Patons SWS for the stripedy scarf-more in my budget range. I happened by Michaels on Saturday to get a birthday gift for daughters friend and saw that SWS was marked down to $1.50 from $5.99. Well, needless to say, everyone is getting a stripedy scarf this year and I truly scared my 7 year old daughter by plunking down on the floor of Michaels to pick out 30 (+) balls of yarn. Boy I had some ‘splainin to do when I got home…but really, $200 worth of yarn for $50? How could I not!! I really think it was fate! Right?

  155. So, I didn’t pick up the first one I started (too dark), I started a new one! Only it’s Noro Kureyon. Striping with 2 balls of the natural colorway and 2 other balls of something bright and shiny, I mean pretty! Oh, it’s addictive, and I’d be further along if I hadn’t wanted a finished Kittyville hat with earflaps before the cold hit here in NH. Back to the scarf . . .

  156. Since reading this I tried it with Patons Soy Wool Stripes as I had a couple of balls of that and couldn’t decide what to do with it. It works pretty good for this project (Noro silk is a bit beyond my budget!) but reading the original instructiins I can’t figure out why he suggests casting on an ODD number of stitches. With an even number and purling the last stitch & slipping the first you have nice neat edges that look the same as each other!! And you can’t even see where you change the colours up the side.
    And this is very bad because I deluded myself into thinking I could knit 4 pairs of men’s socks by Christmas, and here I am making this %@#*in’ scarf.

  157. A friend gave me two skeins of Silk Garden. I was planning on using them for more crocheted coral reef… now I’m debating using them for a hat… I’d need to buy more for a scarf… Yeah, you get totally enraptured by Silk Garden.

  158. So glad to hear this scarf had a similar effect on you. I don’t even like making scarves and I’ve had trouble stopping with these. There’s just enough of each color to keep me from getting bored, and I get totally entranced with the color changes. Perhaps I am simpler than I sometimes think!
    Also, I know I am late to your banana party, but I love the recipes from this site: http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2008/11/wholesome_banana_chocolate_breakfast_bars.php

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