Noro Striped Scarf

Scene in a car:

DAUGHTER:  That's a pretty scarf, Mom. How do you get the colors to do that? 

MOTHER:  The yarn is self-striping, but if you knit it by itself it gives longer, less defined runs of color.  To get these more defined stripes that move from color to color, you alternate two skeins of different color numbers. 

[Pause.]

The yarn's brand name is Noro.  It's a Japanese yarn, and they do interesting and unexpected things with colors.  Lots of bloggers have been knitting these scarves this month, and because it's Noro yarn being knitted in the month of November, people have taken to calling it "Norovember." 

FATHER:  [laughing]  You people need therapy.

~MY THERAPY~




I finished the Noro striped scarf...




...and immediately cast on for another. 

I learned some things while doing the first, and I'm applying that knowledge to the second one. 
1)  Doing the scarf with an odd number of stitches cast on is annoying if one is slipping the first stitch of each row.  With an odd number of stitches, the slipped stitch at the beginning is then followed with a non-symmetrical knit on one end and purl on the other, requiring a mini-I.Q. test each and every freaking row to remember which way to pull the yarn before and after the first slipped stitch.  Maybe it's just me, but it resulted in unevenness of the two selvedges, and more-than-necessary frustration at each row, trying to remember -- forward or back?  behind or in front of?  around or under?  Sheesh.  This is supposed to be a mindless scarf, non?   
So the second one is 38 stitches.  Slip the first stitch, pull the yarn forward, between, and back, knit the next stitch.  No taxing of the brain.  I can't afford to tax the brain.  Call me Simpleton if you wish -- I never claimed to be a technically great knitter -- but this makes more sense to me. 

2)  This yarn is a Velcro wannabe.  It wants to felt, and the two skeins tangle like a mofo with all that back-and-forthing.  So this time I rolled the two skeins into nice, neat balls, which makes it easier for me to keep the two strands neatly separated whilst knitting...


...and just happened to make for a nice photo op in the fluffy-falling snow with my new camera.
3)  There were three times when, much to my surprise, both skeins of the first scarf ended up being so close in color that the striped effect became obliterated.  When that happened, I simply cut the yarn of one of the skeins and took out the matchy-matchy portion, and continued on knitting with whatever contrast color came up next.  There are parts of the scarf where I'm not so fond of the color combos, but on the other hand, I often would think, "This is my favorite part of the scarf.  No, this is.  No.  This.  Wait, THIS."  Noro provides a lot of color entertainment bang for the buck, and I think this scarf pattern is the best use of Noro yarn ever.

So far, I love the colors of the second scarf even better than the first -- more jewel-tone, less autumnal.  BUT I purchased the "new" skeins locally, and I'm guessing they've been around a while.  There is one helluva lot more prickly vegetable matter in these skeins than there was in the ones I recently purchased from Webs and used in the completed scarf above.  Webs, of course, goes through a lot more stock than a local Vermont shop, and perhaps Noro's Silk Garden has undergone some improvements in the time since that Vermont shop's stock has been sitting in the bins.  Or did I just hit it lucky with the Webs purchase?  I guess we'll never know.


The specs of the completed scarf:  Noro Silk Garden, Colors 217 and 230, 2 skeins of each; Size U.S. 7 Denise needle; 37 stitches; 6 in. wide by 72 in. long, unblocked.  Soft and warm and big and cozy. A wonderful scarf.

Comments

[Cookie]

No scarf for him!

You're making me want to knit one of those things, Norma.

[Kristin]

That scarf is gorgeous and it's absolutely a great use of Noro, but have you seen the Lizard Ridge pattern on Knitty? It's a blanket pattern that alternates ends of a skein of Noro (you could also use two skeins). Anyway, it's truly addicting! I'm on my second pillow made with a Lizard Ridge block. I think it's the best use of Noro, ever! My next plan is to make a Lizard Ridge wrap with Silk Garden- YUM!

[Lisa in Georgia]

I knit one last winter and was delighted with the surprise of color combinations that appear. L-o-v-e-r-l-y.

[Dave]

It's gorgeous! I mean, it has orange and purple -- how can it go wrong? Another one, eh? LOL!

[ann]

Me too. I think I have 2 skeins of noro. Do you use 2 different color skeins? OOh, just what I DON'T have time for- a mindless scarf!

[maryse]

i love noro.

just make sure you don't get the norovirus. that would suck.

[marianne]

Really Nice Therapy you've got going, Norma, that scarf is Gorgeous! I've been wanting to make one of these but am making a Noro mitred blankie at the moment, which definitely gives the Noro Buzz.....

[margene]

Simply beautiful. Dave should be happy your such a cheap date. ;-)

[sandy]

Oh My GOD, Norma, that ball of Noro with the snowflakes?? I LOVE IT! Your new camera is great! How fuN!
And SNOW???? Lucky you.
I think I need a Noro scarf. It's not too scritchy on your neck, is it?

[Carole]

I've never used Noro silk garden but it must be softer than that other Noro - you know the one for the booga bags? I've got loads of that in the stash but I don't think it would be very nice for a scarf.

[Teresa C]

I'm knitting on an uneven number of sts and slipping the first and last stitch of the row on the second row of each stripe. It is working well. Yours are so pretty and knitting mine I can see how they can become addicting.

[roxie]

Lovely and fascinating. And the photo of the ball of yarn with the real honest to gosh snowflakes sitting in individual beauty on it is just a knock-out!

[Angie]

Lovely scarf, Norma, and great therapy. Of course, I now want to make one of my own. *g*

Great snow on yarn photo.

[Anne]

I am obscenely jealous you have snow. It's cold here, but NO SNOW.

I am having a bit of Noroitis myself right now. Addictive little buggers.

[Cheryl S.]

I don't dare show the photos to my husband or he'll want one - it's gorgeous with those stripes!

[Elisabeth]

I've always thought of knitting as my therapy.

The scarf is beautiful. As is the snow! We got some flurries in Chicago, but it didn't stick. :(

You made that Norovember thing up, didn't you? Or is this a Ravelry thing?

[claudia]

That is a delicious-looking project.

[Kathleen]

very pretty.

[Susan]

That's a lovely bit of therapy you have there.

[Julie]

Love the Noro, love the snow (we finally dropped to a high of 65 today - woohoo! winter's here!!), but love, most of all, the fact that your post is nearly all centered.

[susan]

Love the scarf, Norma.
I've been thinking of doing one with 3 different colorways of Noro.

[kmkat]

Yup, those things are addictive. I'm making my, um, fourth one right now. And I have yarn for a couple more -- just need to decide on the victi--, er, recipients. It is amazing how even when the colors of the two skeins line up to be nearly the same, they are still NOT the same, and you get some ultra-subtle stripiness going on.

[Elizabeth]

Beautiful.
You know, I turned on the computer to search for a local yarn store's address before I went out and now look what you've done. I'm adding Silk Garden to my list.
But I've just bought a new coat so I need new accessories, right?

[DebbieB]

Damn you, Norma. It's your fault I just dropped a chunk of change on some Noro Silk Garden that I didn't need. Do you have any idea how much handspun I have lying around here that I should be knitting instead? Do you even care?

[Kate/Massachusetts]

Maybe I misread the instructions but I have been slipping purlwise the firt and last stitch on Row 1; then Row 2 is just K1, Pl. Also, this was done on an uneven number of stitches (39 sts). Actually, now that I think of it, I emailed Jared directly and those were his instructions. Give it a try on scarf #3! :-) I love this scarf! I'm going to make the Newfoundland Mittens with matching Noro and black. Have you seen those mitts? traditional Nova Scotia pattern and free, too! You'll find them at: creativewhimsy.wordpress.com

[Stephanie]

Dammit. I haven't wanted to make one of these yet. Dammit dammit dammit. ANd now that you corrected me on the Noro (I've only knitted with the Kureyon and couldn't fathom WHY someone would want that on their neck!!!!) I'm going to have to look at the silk garden. Damn damn damn. Thanks. PTHTHTHTHTHTHTHTHTHTHTH.

[Kate/Massachusetts]

http://www.woolneedlework.com/Yarn/Silk_Garden_by_Noro_Yarn.shtml

Better prices than WEBS!

[Kate/Massachusetts]

http://www.woolneedlework.com/Yarn/Silk_Garden_by_Noro_Yarn.shtml

Don't know why the link broke. Try again!

[Helen]

It's beautiful! And I suspect that you just got lucky. I've seen the veggie matter at Webs too.

[Carrie]

See?! See?! And you thought I was just being ornery. Turns out I was being ornery AND right...

[margaret]

je comprend totally about the self-felting issue ... I'm trying it in Kureyon and immediately the two different skeins are magnetically attracted to each other!

back to watching bad chick movies while hiding from DD who's home for the weekend.

[MonicaPDX]

You know, it's evil to force someone to chant, "I'm up to the budget, and I don't need a scarf. I'm up to the budget, and I don't need a scarf. I'm--"

I really have spent the amount I allotted, and that's it for quite a while. (Ok, except sock yarn.) But when I finish 3 or so sweaters composed of various lovely warm yarns, I should have leftovers, and y'know what? I think I'll be making a scarf. Those are gorgeous!

[Birdsong]

Doesn't he know this IS therapy?! It turned out great, but if I just cannot resist and have to make it, I am going to refer back to your hard-learned wisdom. That's the kind of thing that would bug me too.

[Marcia Cooke]

A suggestion and a question: I tried to comment yesterday that you might try sticking each ball in a ziploc baggie, with the end coming out through a hole snipped in one corner, but the comment got lost in cyberspace! That should corral the little suckers. The question is what you do with the yarn up the side? Just carry it along? Either side, both? I just cannot visualize this for some reason! (But I did go down and buy four balls of Silk Garden this afternoon!)

[molly!]

I love the striped scarf! And I know what you mean about loving each color combination more than the last. I felt the same way about mine!

[lizk]

It's beautiful!

[minnie]

being in the yarn business, i heard that noro recently hired a new quality control firm, as they were receiving tons of complaints about the amount of VM. you prolly got some pre-change.