Project: Chunky Scarf

I've been inspired by the whole Natural Kei/ Mori Girl aesthetic so I decided to knit a scarf and keep the colour natural. Originally, I was hoping to knit a chunky scarf inspired by the one that I wore during my travels before... back in 2011-2012.

An example of Natural Kei - it has a whimsical quality to it.

It was this scarf I was referring to, in its basketweave glory.

As for the yarn I had chosen, I decided to work with a pure and undyed alpaca yarn. I love my wool but I was hoping for a little bit of a change. Wool can be quite itchy and I've never been fond of woollen jumpers or scarves.

Alpaca is lovely to knit with and definitely a great alternative for those who are allergic to wool. I particularly like it because it's softer than pure wool and lighter in weight. The only thing I'm put off about pure alpaca yarn is the amount of shedding. I had alpaca fibres all over me while knitting.

Three skeins of alpaca yarn

As for the design, it really isn't anything original. While I had in mind what colour and the general idea of the scarf, I was unsure what stitches to put in. Secretly, I've always wanted to have my poupee's wardrobe and when I got a fringe scarf for my poupee, I thought I'd replicate it. It's embarrassing but I adored the design on that scarf, even though it wasn't real.

I spotted something that resembled garter stitch near the ends, fringe (which I was planning to have in the beginning) and a rather thick chain cable.

Knitting in progress. Attempt 1.

I had a few attempts, trying to figure out the design. In the first attempt, I doubled up the yarn but as it got longer, it got a bit too heavy for my liking so it was back to the start. Instead of the 1x1 rib I was knitting, I thought it'd be better if I did a seed stitch instead.

My second attempt ended up with some seed stitching on the ends and a some pseudo-mistake rib (not quite a mistake rib... but it's close). I was pretty much improvising and found a combination that worked.

Knitting in progress

Eventually, I finished the scarf. It probably took more than a month to finish since I was knitting a little at a time. I've always hated knitting scarves because it gets very repetitive. I'm quite pleased with my finished project.

Finished product

Comments

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