The Purple Rose of Cairo

The Purple Rose of Cairo

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden (45% silk, 45% kid mohair, 10% lamb's wool; Aran weight)
Colorway: 241
Needles: US 7s
Stitches: 28
Pattern: 1x1 rib (first stitch slipped with yarn in front, last stitch knitted; sewn bind off)
Size: 4" wide, 58" long

I didn't know what to expect when knitting with Noro for the first time. I wasn't sure how the drastic color changes would knit up. I'd read the horror stories regarding the extra "stuff" in the yarn. I was unsure if I'd get satisfactory length out of the two skeins I purchased. All those concerns turned out to be not such a big deal as the result says it all.

I'm thrilled with how this simple scarf turned out. I think I did a good job knitting it, but the colors in the yarn take care of all the heavy lifting to impress. There was no need to do a complicated pattern when a k1, p1 rib rendered the colors quite beautifully. I don't think I'd be so bold to wear something in these colors, but I'm certain my mom will love it. I wasn't entirely sold when I began.

Is Noro worth the trouble and cost when factoring in the complaints of knots, hay, and stick pieces in the yarn? In this instance I'm going to say that it was. I ran into three knots--one in the first skein, two in the second--but did what I probably shouldn't have done and just knit them in as is. One is at the end of the row, and the other two are hidden well enough. The vegetable matter, assuming that's what it is, wasn't much of an issue in the second skein but was all over one section in the first. I have to figure out if there's a way to get it out by soaking the scarf, but even if I can't, I don't think it diminishes the item's appearance.

The tiny pieces of sticks and bark were more annoying but also more easily removed. For yarn this nice and this pricey, I don't know what the deal is. Certainly it gives Noro an even more rustic feel, but I can do without the yarn earning some kind of natural street cred because of it. I don't particularly mind the yarn weight inconsistency that ranges from bulky down to possibly a lace weight at times, although one puffed up section widened the scarf when I was knitting one color.

Since I knit this at a narrow four inches, two skeins was barely enough for a scarf. I would have preferred to get a couple more inches of length out of it, but I came close enough to my target that 58 inches is sufficient. I intentionally knit this more loosely than my other projects, which was easier on my hands and wrists. That may be the most important lesson I learned on this scarf.

So I've finished a Christmas gift in a week. I don't know how many more I'll be making, but I'm pleasantly surprised this one came together so quickly and looks so fantastic.