Knitting therapy

More than a little rain has fallen into our lives during the past forty-eight hours. We cannot go outside to play because the Wood River has dramatically overflowed its banks. Water, water, everywhere! The neighbor's horses are quickly being constrained by ponding in their paddock. Our basement is flooded, the sump pump working overtime. Lola's daily walk has become a teeth-gritting slog. The deluge is predicted to continue for at least one more day. By then the water may have risen to the deck stairs. This is the highest it's been since 1998 and most likely that record will soon be broken.

Rufus, like me, is agitated by the rising waters. In the photo he petitions for rescue.

At times like this, knitting is obviously the coping mechanism of choice. I'm still working on the entrelac scarf (see post of 2/14/10) and Cy's dinosaur sweater (see post of 1/10/10). As of yesterday, however, I've completed the embossed vine and leaves scarf that I began some months ago, and Ted has kindly agreed to model it for my esteemed blog readers.

You'll notice that I've trimmed the edges with a lavender-chartreuse ombre i-cord, which though ultra-simple, is a great finishing touch. It looks fabulous on Ted, and I'm quite pleased with the way this scarf has turned out, so much so that I intend to do several more in different color combinations.

The design is, actually, simple. (Believe me, I don't do complicated.) Size 7 needles, medium weight worsted. I bordered the internal pattern with five rows top and bottom of seed stitch, and five stitches in seed stitch on each side. The internal pattern, free from Vogue Knitting at www.vogueknitting.com/resources/stitchionary/knit_purl/embossed_vine_and_leaves.aspx

goes like this:

(worked over 26 sts)Row 1 (WS) K5, p5, k4, p3, k9.
Row 2 P7, p2tog, k inc, k2, p4, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, p5-28 sts.
Row 3 K5, p7, k4, p2, k1, p1, k8.
Row 4 P6, p2tog, k1, p inc, k2, p4, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, p5-30 sts.
Row 5 K5, p9, k4, p2, k2, p1, k7.
Row 6 P5, p2tog, k1, p inc, p1, k2, p4, ssk, k5, k2tog, p5-28 sts.
Row 7 K5, p7, k4, p2, k3, p1, k6.
Row 8 P4, p2tog, k1, p inc, p2, k2, p4, ssk, k3, k2tog, p5-26 sts.Row 9 K5, p5, k4, p2, k4, p1, k5.
Row 10 P5, yo, k1, yo, p4, k2, p4, ssk, k1, k2tog, p5.
Row 11 K5, p3, k4, p2, k4, p3, k5.
Row 12 P5, [yo, k1] twice, k1, p4, k1, M1, k1, p2tog, p2, S2KP, p5.
Row 13 K9, p3, k4, p5, k5.
Row 14 P5, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, p4, k1, k inc, k1, p2tog, p7-28 sts.
Row 15 K8, p1, k1, p2, k4, p7, k5.
Row 16 P5, k3, yo, k1, yo, k3, p4, k2, p inc, k1, p2tog, p6-30 sts.Row 17 K7, p1, k2, p2, k4, p9, k5.
Row 18 P5, ssk, k5, k2tog, p4, k2, p1, p inc, k1, p2tog, p5-28 sts.
Row 19 K6, p1, k3, p2, k4, p7, k5.
Row 20 P5, ssk, k3, k2tog, p4, k2, p2, p inc, k1, p2tog, p4-26 sts.
Row 21 K5, p1, k4, p2, k4, p5, k5.
Row 22 P5, ssk, k1, k2tog, p4, k2, p4, yo, k1, yo, p5.
Row 23 K5, p3, k4, p2, k4, p3, k5.
Row 24 P5, S2KP, p2, p2tog, k1, M1, k1, p4, [yo, k1] twice, k1, p5.
Rep rows 1-24.

(S2KP sl 2 knitwise, k1, pass 2 slipped sts over k1.
K inc (knit increase) knit into front and back of stitch.
P inc (purl increase) Purl into front and back of stitch.)

Don't be put off--the pattern looks harder than it really is. I strongly suggest using transparent highlighter tape as you knit through the twenty-four rows, to mark your progress and prevent meltdowns.

After the scarf reaches the desired length, bind off loosely. Then, in a contrasting color yarn, cast on three stitches and knit an i-cord (for a demo of this, see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcGj6tpqeJA), using a number six or seven double-pointed needle. When you've reached a length sufficient to border the entire scarf, bind off and with the wrong side of the scarf facing, carefully attach the i-cord to the scarf's edge with a yarn needle, using small, almost invisible stitches.

And there you have it--a bright note on an otherwise dreary and sodden day!