~ Vertigo ~

Some time ago, I saw mosaic knitting in Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns, but never gave it a try. It was stuck in the back of my mind though. When I saw her book "Mosaic Knitting" I had to have it of course and I started the Magic Mosaic Blanket, which will be made of 63 squares with all different design patterns. I haven't been able to knit my two squares a week quota, but it always was a long term project anyway. Later, Roxana Bartlett's book "Slip-Stitch Knitting Color Pattern The Easy Way" crossed my path and by then I was in love with slip-stitch knitting. Although I adore Fair Isle knitted items, I find it tedious to knit with all the strands tangled and my knitted fabric was never smooth and even. I find it very hard to do. So imagine my joy of still being able to do multi - color knitting, but the easy way! Always the easy way out for me! Na, that's not true!

Because - I DARE YOU-

to make this scarf! It will bring you on the edge of sanity. You will learn a lot about yourself, your strength and your weakness, and all this because of this incredible trying "monster" scarf. Yes, with it's 112" length, it's a monster, a beast, and it almost defeated me! Almost, I say, as you can see, I brought it down and managed to finish it! It started out innocently enough, as you could see in an earlier post, posing nicely for the pre-Christmas foto shoot. Red and white, how Christmasy! Oh, hi Pat! You were wondering what I meant, with the scarf not staying that way. Well, what are you thinking now? Like a cameleon it changed it's colors several times (just not as clever to camouflage).

This one was getting really on my nerves. It took way longer than I expected, although it turned out the way I thought it would, just longer. Once, as I was sitting down to knit another few rows, I had a severe case of vertigo just looking at it (hence the name). Secretly I called it the monster and the beast as well. My husband asked if I was knitting for an elephant, since no human could/would wear such a large scarf. Well, only an elephant would probably wear it anyway, since it's kind of really scratchy, with the 100% wool content, at least my delicate and sensitive skin could not handle it for more than a few seconds. Does it matter? Not to me! This project was something I had to do for myself. Will it ever be used? Maybe. I did this just for knitting sake. Does one do that? I don't know, but I sure felt like it.

~Vertigo~


Material:
basically two contrasting colors of yarn with the same weight; in this case I've used Evilla 100% wool in the color "Rainbow", 6/2, one 185 g skein and 5 ½ balls 50 g/125 meter each of Schoeller & Stahl Fortissima 6-fach Socka, sock yarn in natural white. There was no yardage on the Evilla yarn label. The sock yarn was slightly heavier yarn than the Evilla, but the closest I could get.

A pair of straight 3 ¾ mm needles(or whatever you are comfortable with)

Gauge is not important, since it's a scarf.

Finished size: 10" x 112"

Slip - stitch pattern:

The two pattern designs I've used are from Roxana Bartlett's book "Slip-Stitch Knitting".
The first column of the charts tells you which color to use. The dark boxes are the main color (dark) and the white boxes are the light color. You'll always knit with only one color for two rows (right side and back side). The other color will wait on the right side to be used later. Depending on the color you work with, you will knit the boxes in the color you are using and slip the stitches from the other color. On the right side you'll slip the sts with the yarn in the back. On the wrong side you will slip the sts with the yarn in front of you.

This scarf is worked in garter stitch throughout.

With the main color (in this case the rainbow colored yarn) cast on 66 sts. Work 5 rows in garter stitch.
Next row: with light yarn K1, slip one stitch, knit to the second last stitch, slip one stitch, K last stitch.
Next row: K knitted stitches and slip the slipped stitches as they appear.

Now start with chart one. Knit chart one for 24 rows.
Start chart 2. Knit as long as you feel like you can stand it.
Don't forget to mirror the end with the beginning and knit chart 1 for 24 rows again.
Knit 2 rows with the light colored yarn. Knit 5 rows with main color.
Bind off.

The edges are three sts in the beginning and in the end. They are knit always in the same manner. The first sts of the three are like a checker board, dark, light, dark, light and so on. The second sts. are knit in the dark (main color), the third sts. is knit with the lighter color, after that the pattern from the charts begins.

My beastly roll.

Here you can see the one fault this yarn had. One color change was too sudden, all the others went very smoothly from one color to the next.

I started the scarf on December 8th and finished it on December 25th.

Sam, a very reluctant model this time. He was much more interested in his tail, contemplating "Why does it move on its own???"