Picolette Scarf

I'm trying to knit a small shawlette or scarf, using my fingering weight sock yarn, including some of my new hand dyeds. The idea is to make something that is summer wearable and can be tucked in the purse and popped on the shoulders when the AC gets frigid. This featherweight scarf is getting close to my vision. Compared to the majority of yarns I have used  in the past, this combination of yarns is much finer and the many eyelets certainly let the air flow through.  The light aqua yarn is my newly dyed merino/cashmere/nylon blend and it was so luxe to knit. That yellow/orange color is sock yarn I dyed about 12 years ago!

I'm running out of good TV and may have to reorder a streaming service again. As it is I have only Britbox, PBS, and  good ol' You Tube. I can still listen to books if what I'm knitting is mindless, but fancy designs require more little gray cells.

This little shawl/scarf measures 43.5" by 22". Size needles: 2, 3, and 4.

Autumn Whisper Scarf

O what fun I had with this piece. The yarns are all leftovers but are real goodies. Merino of course, in sock weight, making this scarf light as a feather. I was aiming at a smaller scarf but got carried away. Still, it does work to wrap it around the neck and cinch with its cutie cuff.   

 

Garter ridges alternate with slipped stitches and stockinette. Easy to remember, and no counting. The colors were chosen based on one graduated yarn, Willow Verbena, 75% Superwash wool, 25% nylon, and various other sock weight yarns, such as Koigu, and Malabrigo.

  

Knitting this was great for my diet, as I kept saying to myself, I will eat when I am done knitting this section, and hours would fly by and I was too enthralled to make lunch, so I ate an apple and had another cup of tea. I got up really early to get back to it and wished I had better stuff to watch on TV. I did manage to find Midsomer Murders, free on You Tube, so that helped. 

 The construction is different, and I've been happy with this design because it doesn't bunch up at the back of the neck, which I like. Beginning at the bottom point, increase every right side row with centered yarn overs, separated by one knit stitch, and keep increasing until desired height and width. This results in a diamond shape. Then one side is put on hold and the other edge is knit to form the wings or ties. Decreasing every fourth row at the top edge forms a gentle taper. 

 Here it is with one wing finished. The second wing was done faster as I knew which yarn came next, copying the first wing.

Here's the catch. Autumnal colors are gorgeous, but not in my wardrobe. Either I make or find a dark forest green top, or I'll wind up selling this scarf. 

OK onto the next one, with my wardrobe in mind!

#14 Babycakes Socks

 Babycakes socks, my hand dyed merino nylon, and Knitpicks Stroll in Dogwood Heather. I designed these socks to feature the color changes of the yarn, yet interesting enough to knit. A few cables, some plain stockinette and lots of nice stretchy garter. Size 1 needle on 64 sts. 

 

I love these pastel colors so much that I dyed another skein using the same color ways. They are very 'Springtime', but now that it is August, I am thinking of autumnal colors. I have accumulated (from an estate sale) lots of Koigu fingering weight merino in darker tones, enough to knit 200 more socks, which would be kinda boring, all dark. SO ...I am taking a short break from sock knitting and have cast on a scarf, in hopes of using up the scraps, and doing a bit of stash busting at the same time. 

We'll see how autumnal I can make this look. 

Dyeing Yarn part deux

 My new yarn arrived and I set up my dye kitchen again to dye some lighter variegated colors to brighten up my stash. The new yarn base is called Krypton (Superman?) because it is 75% merino and 25% nylon, making it harder wearing, but just as soft.  465 yards per skein. Included in this batch are two solids; purple which looks very light in this pic and seaglass, which is turning out to be my new fave color. 

Then yesterday I tackled the merino-cashmere-nylon yarn called Capretta. It is non-superwash, so no hot hot hot soapy water or lots of fussing. Just gentle movement and lukewarm water. Of course it sets in the microwave just like the others but allowed to cool to room temperature before removing from the dyebath.

 

It just came out of the wash here. By the way, I use shampoo and creme rinse, because wool is hair. It works great, is gentle and effective.

For this yarn which is often referred to as MCN, I took advantage of the July yarn sales driving me nuts on Youtube and looked at this very expensive yarn base on Knit Picks. It usually runs $16.99 per skein. Yipes! The sale price was $6.80...OK!! Here it is hanging up to dry in my hall bath. I can't wait to try a swatch.

Everything I have been dyeing is fingering weight and aimed at sock knitting, since my Sock Project has really been about learning new techniques and improving my skills. But for this MCN I don't plan to knit socks, but instead, shawls, cowls, scarves, and hats. If there is a knit-worthy person who understands how to wash a pair of luxury socks, then I would certainly make them a pair. 

#13 Diamond Band socks

 I was ready to try to design my own colorwork socks. Four colors were chosen and

then I painted the design on graph paper with markers, matching the yarn colors I would use. 

I planned to try to knit a bit tighter and that worked. I also wanted to refine the Dutch garter stitch heel and that also worked. 

In between dyeing yarn, I took a sitting break and knit these. That worked too. As I age I can no longer steamroll ahead on projects and have learned that I can still get stuff done, even if I rest for several hours in between. It is humbling.  

 The changes I made on the heel pleased me and I am so happy to have found this technique. It feels so great on the foot.

 I managed to tighten my gauge and the final product looks neater. Summer Lee, my guru of sock knitting advises knitting many socks with the aim of refining and tightening up stitch count, for a better fit, wear, and appearance. When I tried these on for the first time, I was so in love with the feel on my feet, like mink gloves. 

In yesterday's comments:

Marybeth R.July 27, 2026 at 10:10 AM

How did you wring out the water without the strands sticking together? What temperature did use for the microwave? I would have thought that the plastic bag would have melted....buy at 81yo I still don't understand all there is to know about microwaves.

My reply: the strands of yarn are not sticky, so there is no problem with them sticking together. However I am dyeing Superwash merino, which is treated to that it won't felt, and the fibers are smoothed out in that process. I used the full strength setting on the microwave, but the wool inside the plastic trash bag is really loaded with water which helps.

Dyeing before breakfast

  

I had the yarn, I had the acid dyes and finally I had the urge. There were colors I needed in my stash, in quantity, and at every online yarn sale I saw, those were the colors that were already sold out. And/Or, the colors I wanted were very expensive. 

I also wanted to try speckled yarn, as it is currently the rage in knitting land and I watched enough YouTube videos to convince myself that I could dye it myself. 

One video suggested salt shakers with dye mixed with rice (uncooked) to keep it dry and flowing. It worked kinda...but the rice kept getting stuck in the holes of the shakers or coming out completely. My kitchen dye studio became littered with purple, yellow and fuchsia rice grains, which look like mouse poop.

  Here's what I did . I presoaked my Superwash merino wool yarn in warmish water and a tablespoon of citric acid powder (think non-smelly vinegar) and arranged it on a opened trash bag and sprinkled dyes over it all.

 

Then I wrapped the yarn in the trash bag and placed the parcel in a plastic bin and popped it in the microwave for 5 minutes. Then repeated the task on the reverse side of the yarn. This is the result. 

Meh. Not speckled exactly, more blobby. 

 Is it usable? Possibly, We'll have to see. I see very few speckles. Harrumph.

 

Starting again, I mixed up some pastel solutions for the cotton candy colorway I keep drooling over.

When using warmed-up citric acid mixed water, the dyes take almost immediately, and the excess water runs off completely clear.

 Here is the luscious result. Yay! Success.  

I have an order in for more yarn (vicious cycle) this time non-Superwash Capretta, a merino, cashmere and nylon blend. I will have to be careful with heat and movement so I don't felt the yarn. I believe I can do it. 

For a more indepth tutorial see this post: Dyeing Wool Yarn in 30 Minutes or Less

#12 By Jove!

 By Jove! I think she's got it! 

It's true, I've cracked the code, learned the trick, found my way and I am so happy and relieved. 

Here's the short version...I rewatched the colorwork tutorial (Summer Lee again) and this time I noticed one teeny little clue. Insert a stitch marker at the beginning of the round! Simple pimple and what a huge difference it makes. I never got lost on the pattern and everything lined up where it should. 

 I got so excited I had to try on the first sock as soon as I steamed it, still warm!

 Of course this isn't the most intricate pattern, but still, I already have ideas for more chevron designs in multiple colors. To make it really clear for myself I followed the pattern exactly and used the suggested colors. That may have been the most difficult for a maverick like myself. My confidence grew tho, so I am glad for once that following the pattern was the right thing to do to really learn the technique. As soon as the colorwork part was finished, I changed the leg to ribbing, and made the foot another color...and O, I discovered a new heel to try.

 This is the Dutch Square Heel in garter stitch. Very fast and easy and so squishy to wear. I followed the pattern but it was so intuitive that I didn't have to look at the directions at all for the second sock. 

 Here it is after blocking. It really cups the foot so nicely and is springy and squishy, which I just love.

So I learned two techniques which I know I will use over and over again. My own designs to follow!

64 stitches, needles #1 and #2, merino and nylon yarns. Lopi sock pattern from Summer Lee.