I like to make things. Lots of things. I tend to make things for other people more than myself. This is especially true when it comes to knitting. I’ve got so many works in progress (WIPs in knit terminology) that it’s getting a bit out of control. And out of all these projects I’ve got on needles, only one or two of them are actually for me. The rest are for my friends and family.I’ve progressed in my knitting so I can knit larger projects, like sweaters, but there is some simple comfort in knitting a scarf that I just can’t get enough of. The scarf is something you can make rather quickly, depending on the pattern, and it’s a work of art when you’re through. It can be lacy, or have cabling, or it can just be a simple knit stitch. There are long scarves, skinny scarves, chunky scarves…the possibilities are endless.

And so I make scarves.

I try to match up patterns with people, when I’m making them for others. If I see a pattern I like, I think about a) who would actually wear it, b) what color would suit them and c) what yarn would they like the most. Sometimes this is easy. But sometimes just finding the right pattern is an adventure on its own.

Patterns can be very interesting. If you use the same pattern on two different types of yarn, you will have two very different scarves. A chunky yarn will make a much thicker scarf than a lightweight one. Summer scarves should be light and airy, while winter scarves are warm and toasty. I’m still searching for just the right pattern to make the ultimate warm scarf that doesn’t curl or bend in on the sides. I just finished knitting one with large chunky cables but it’s already bothering me the way it rolls itself into a tube. It’s already chunky enough without this happening. I have discovered a linen stitch that works pretty well, and looks very cool as it makes the scarf look like two different scarves, depending on which side you’re looking at.

I like knitting for people because it’s a way for me to keep them warm without me actually being there. They can wear my scarves, or gloves, or hats, or whatever I make for them, and they will be warm (if it’s a winter-type knitted item). And if I don’t see them all the time, they can wear their knitwear and remember that they have a friend who cared enough for them to make them something. I have plans to make something for all my friends at some point, after I’ve finished my current projects.

And even though I don’t purposely do it, I always find some flaw in everything I make. Some stitch that was knit the wrong way, and it doesn’t conform to the pattern. But I tend to like this. It makes the piece more handmade, more unique. You don’t find flaws in store-bought knitwear (at least, not the ones I’ve seen) and, I don’t know, I like when things aren’t perfect. We all have flaws, so why shouldn’t the scarf I’m wearing. It adds depth to an otherwise simple garment. And I like depth.