Over the winter, I had knitted up two Seaweed Scarves from designer Grace Akhrem’s pattern by this name. What better place to photograph a Seaweed Scarf than the beach?
We thought they looked a bit more like rays or skates, than seaweed, but nonetheless, this is a lovely, easy pattern that works up quickly and I would highly recommend if you are looking for a shawlette-style scarf. The pattern gives three different sizes of yarn and needles to work with, and it doesn’t require too much yarn (around 300 yards), so it is pretty versatile as to what you can work it up in.
For the green version, I used the sadly discontinued (and out of business) Nashua Yarns Creative Focus in an olive green color. The olive wasn’t really olive; it was shaded with coppers and blues and really is lovely. With its lettuce-edge finish, it really had a seaweedy effect. Or manta ray, we still haven’t decided which:
Yes, I know the photo looks a bit like it was posed in Death Valley, but I assure you, only the Jersey Shore. This is what Hurricane Sandy did to some of the beaches in terms of erosion.
It was quite breezy at the beach when we shot these. We tried to get some arty shots on the rocks with the water, but the breeze threatened to carry off any light-weight knitwear. My husband was under strict orders that if anything blew, he was to immediately go after it, even if it went into the water. He then suggested maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to keep posing things on the rocks near the waves:
Another ray on the rocks!
Of course, the breeze was helpful when styling other shots:
The blue scarf was knitted in Rowan Kid Classic in a pale blue color. I used two skeins and made the scarf slightly larger than the green one. For the green one, I only had the one skein and was afraid it wouldn’t be enough so I skimped on the cast off which requires a picot edge. It turned out that the edge was curly enough to hide this omission. I did add the picot cast off to the blue scarf but it was a little like gilding the lily …. you really don’t see it that much with the other curls.
Searching the horizons for my next project ….
I would highly recommend this pattern for anyone looking for this style scarf. You need a couple of stitch markers to make sure you keep the back seam and increases straight. I think I used a size 9 or 10 needle, so it works up fast. Add a couple of extra rows for a shawlette rather than a scarf. Wear and enjoy!
The Wool Merchant's Daughter 
Hello, I just found your blog this evening, searching for all things about spinning and wheels, because I want to visit a major fair in The Netherlands, my country, next week. What you wrote in 2010 about the MSWF? seems to be about this fair over here, although I must say people are coming to look at all breeds too. I was looking for spinning blogs, because I want to make a real start now (three years of dreaming). So I had bought two spinning wheels second hand for about 40 dollars the two of them (a Saxony and an upright) no brand names, they are working fine, then 3 weeks ago I found a real childrens Saxony style for about 10 Am. Dollars and two days ago I really stumbled in a charity shop over a real adorable one with a pricetag of about 7 Am. Dollars, I had! to buy it, it fitted nicely in my cartrunk. To my amazement you bought in 2010 a same one, a Little Peggy from New Zealand, thank you for the link, I will keep the information with this wheel. I have started drop spindle spinning (seems I do a thin thread by nature), now I will use the U tjube;-) to learn to spin on my spinning wheels. I know one is not supposed to buy second hand from non dealers, but as I can repair hand sewing machines as long nothing is broken, I guess 7 dollars is worth to try at least how it works, It does not wobble, it does not have a disturbing noise, it is not rusty,. I think I can use it until I have grown up (I am a starting pensioner BTW).
So thank you again, I love learning new techniques, now I will go back to january 2011, reading about your adventures. WE7
If you found a Little Peggy wheel anyplace for under about $250 AM., you got a bargain! These wheels are excellent spinners. One little quirk I found, at least on mine — only one track of the whorl is the correct size to spin with. The other track is the same size as the bobbin whorl, so if the drive band is in this track (when spinning double-drive), there is no momentum to turn the wheel. Because you can use the Little Peggy either single-drive or double-drive, this may be part of it — I never spin single-drive, so didn’t experiment. BUT — properly banded — she spins like a demon. An excellent wheel for beginners or experienced spinners and I think you’ll have hours of enjoyment with her!