The Zen of Ruffles

When is knitting like meditation?

This bear is wearing six feet of ruffles!

When you're knitting one of these ruffled scarves.  I used this pattern by Jill Bujold for the first one.  Yes, I've done several now.  They are so easy and I can do all kinds of variations.  Where does the meditation come in? I can hear you asking.

The trick with these ruffles is to start with x number of stitches.  It doesn't matter because you can make this as long or short as you want depending on yarn and love of ruffles.  Every other row is doubled - I have four increase rows - so you can imagine the stitch count rocketing upwards.  Knit each row (simple) and then you bind off.  The spirals and ruffles are the magic result.

They are such a relaxing knit to me.  The needles are huge...well, I think anything over 5.5mm is huge.  And because they are so big I tend to knit slower than on the smaller sock sizes I prefer.  And when I'm knitting with mohair-type yarns, there is a certain catchy fluff factor that slows me down, too.  So, I just take my time, don't fret and it's like walking a long distance.  You get into the swing of it and when you get to your destination in a couple of hours.   Then guess what?  You want to do it all over again.

I read in one of the descriptions that this was a variation on the 'potato chip' scarf.  I thought at first that it was because the ruffles resemble Pringles chips as they emerge from the can.  But it could also mean that you can't stop at one.  I've made four already and I'm sure I'll make more.  There's lots of yarn and I think they'll sell well at the seniors' shop.

So, whenever I feel stressed, I'll just get out the big bamboo needles and knit up some ruffles.  Stress and stash busting...that's just about perfect!

The bear, for anyone interested, is one of several Bluenose Bears that I made about fifteen years ago.  I bought men's jackets at the thrift store and used vintage buttons.  This is the Harris tweed bear that I made for my Dad.  From the time I was old enough to register what my Dad wore when he dressed up, I remember the Harris tweed jacket.  They were all Bluenose bears to honor my birth province of Nova Scotia.  Most were sold or given away - there are three left at home.  They're staying put.