Touch Me Chenille Scarf

As a crocheter, of course I began my illustrious journey into the world of crochet working with a Susan Bates Hook and some Red Heart Super Saver yarn...from Wal-Mart! That is where we begin; isn't it?

When I began to knit I was told that now I could use the "good" yarn to make something really special (I guess all knitters seem to have a stigma that crochet and "good" yarn just don't mix...but that is not the point of this post). Well, "good" yarn to me meant that one aisle at Joann's full of Lion Brand Yarns that I had never purchased before due to the price compared to quantity. When I purchased my first skein of Lion Brand Homespun I was on my way. Then, I really thought I was some kind of real KNITTER with a capital K when I started to work with Fun Fur Eyelash yarn and some Wool-Ease. LOL!!

In the early days, I would came home and actually hid the Lion Brand Yarn from John so he didn't know how much I spent! (My how times have changed) Now, I make sure I don't bring home the bags from the LYS because that is a dead giveaway that I purchased yarn; however, I walk in the house PROUDLY with my Jo-Ann's bag full of more economically priced yarn ;-)

See, three years ago, spending $5.00 on a ball of wool-ease was a way that I would treat myself. Early on in my...should we say, unexpanded mind (or more conscience mind depending on what you think about yarn prices...) that was SO much money to spend for a skein of yarn when I didn't even get half the amount I could buy a skein of super saver! You all know what I mean...I see you nodding your heads! Now...(sigh) I have been taken to the dark side :-)

It wasn't until I walked into my first REAL DEAL Yarn Store that I began to understand this fix that wool and alpaca and silk had on people. I distinctly remember holding my first skein of Brown Sheep Lambs Pride just as well as I remember turning it over to check out the price and putting it back on the shelf saying "I could NEVER spend that much money on yarn!" (I laugh about this today). The first trip to the LYS didn't result in any yarn purchases but it did result in several book purchases.

For some reason I felt more comfortable spending $25.00 on a book than $20.00 for a ball of sock yarn! The truth is, the next four or five trips to the same yarn store often ended with the same results. More books to add to my collection just no more yarn.

Why am I telling you all this? Well I want you to understand where I used to be so you can appreciate the glorious feeling I had when I got to make a scarf for my uncle!!!

At Christmas my uncle, a very Metro-Sexual, Handsome, Single man who lives in Chicago asked me to make him a scarf. Now, I knew that my uncle wouldn't want just any old scarf. I was certain that he would want something out of cashmere or silk and my pocket book just couldn't afford that. So, I told him that if he went and purchased the yarn I would make him the scarf.

Bless his heart, three days later he went to (ironically) the very same yarn shop that I went to my first time and began the search for the perfect yarn for a scarf! I knew he would get overwhelmed with the amount of yarn in this store. Heck, the first few times I went in the store I would get so excited a quarter of the way through that my stomach would start to churn and I would have to go to the bathroom (if you know what I mean) . I could only imagine the feeling my uncle would have given that he isn't even a knitter or a crocheter!

Well, he did wonderfully! He had a lot of help from the women in the store and with good cause! I mean, if you were a LYS owner and had a man come in the store and say he was looking for yarn for a scarf then proceeded to go and look at a ball of yarn that was 17.00 a ball...wouldn't you pay a little attention to him? Yea, me too :-)

After much deliberation about which yarn to choose, then looking over hundreds of patterns for the perfect scarf he made his decision. He purchased 7 Balls of Touch Me Chenille Yarn by Meunch Yarns!!! OH...MY...GAA...that is all I can say.

He brought it over to my house that day and couldn't stop talking about all the yarn in the store and the unbelievable customer service and the excitement he had for getting this scarf!!! It made me smile from ear to ear!

Needless to say, I cast on right away and began this wonderful love affair with an amazing yarn!

I made the scarf on the bias using size 5 needles. Knitting on the bias is very easy and because the stitches are in garter the scarf would be nice and tight which would decrease the chance for worming! OH...the horrible feeling I would have if I sent him this $120 dollar scarf and it began to worm!!!

As I worked each stitch with love and a great deal of care to make sure that they were all uniform I would think about the feel of the yarn flowing through my fingers. To me, it was like knitting with silky bath beads wrapped around wool. My hands never felt dry or scratchy, the yarn was smooth and luscious. The whole experience was glorious...I never knew that yarn could feel so very nice!!!


Well, after working on it off and on for a couple of weeks I am done. And I must say so myself...it looks pretty darn sharp!

Now I have to pop it in the mail and send it off to him to wear proudly!

He told me in an email that if anybody asked him where he got his scarf he would say that his personal knit stylist made it for him :-)

xoxox Marly