There’s a new scarf pattern out on Ravelry by designer Jamie McCanless called Crosstalk Scarf.  I am very excited about this design for five specific reasons!

Why I Love Crosstalk Scarf

1. Learning a New Technique (1) – Jamie uses a new (at least new to me) cast-on method that makes the scarf look almost woven. I never could have come up with this idea. Or even if I had, I would never have taken the time to perfect it. Jamie did that for me.
2. Cabled Pillows of Squish – Using an all-over cable pattern without background reverse stockinette creates a lush and squishy fabric. Yes, the yarn I’m using is soft and luscious. But the rolling hills of cabling accentuates the softness.
3. Multiple Design Options – Jamie provides both a striped version and a color-block version of the scarf. I am going to do the color-block version.
4. Learning a New Technique (2) – There are multiple techniques in this design. The second one I love is the woven interplay of color transitions. The designer again walks me through the process of transitioning from one color to the next in a way that is organic to the woven appearance of the cabling. Way cool new technique for me!
5. Personal Color Choice Guidance – Okay, you don’t get this when you purchase the pattern, but I have been interacting with Jamie for a while now. He has a very different aesthetic viewpoint than I do. And his aesthetic is so beautiful. So I asked him to choose the colors I used in my scarf and I am thrilled with his ideas.

This small list doesn’t even describe two additional techniques in the pattern. One I’ve learned (woven-like selvedge)…and one I will learn when I finish the project (tabbed bind-off).

I can’t recommend this pattern more highly.  Favorite it on Ravelry. Or add it to your queue.  Better yet, purchase the pattern and cast on immediately! You won’t be disappointed.

Current Knitting

First of all, I did end up finishing the Scrap Yarn Crochet Basket.

Mine is not done in scrap yarn. But you can see I still have a lot of it.  I also have a bit more work to do on this basket. Based on sage advice, I plan on crocheting a swatch of the same fabric of the basket and washing it to see how it affects the fabric. I’m hopeful it stiffens the fabric a bit more by “blooming” the yarn.  If it does, I’ll wash the entire basket. More to come.

Second of all, I clearly started work on the new Crosstalk Scarf design.

The beginning required a lot of focus. It was new techniques that I couldn’t figure out by just looking at photos. I had to read EVERYTHING in the pattern. But now I’m on a roll and can’t wait to get to the next color-block.