The Hillside Ruffle

This is "A Little Ruffle"(or Its All About the Scarf) a free pattern found here.  I spied a sample of this at Close Knit on NE Alberta and although I was there to buy yarn for a different project, I couldn't leave without the pattern and yarn they used for it - Plymouth Earth Hillside Linen, an alpaca/linen blend.  It had a beautiful drape and it just looked so cozy I had to have it. 

I stuck pretty much to the pattern, which was very straightforward and easy.  I liked the construction, working the length of the scarf/shawl first and adding the ruffle at the end.  I felt I moved quite quickly through the body construction, and just had to force myself through the couple inches of ruffle.


 As I have been wearing it I have noticed it does seem to stretch, I guess just because of all of the weight of the yarn.  I don't anticipate that being a problem and may just have to re-block it from time to time.  I'm just kind of sad spring is finally maybe here in Portland, meaning a little less need for something like this.  It's definitely warm!

One complaint I have is that I don't think the directions were all that clear on which stitches to pick up along the edge - I studied several other peoples' to see if, indeed, there was supposed to be a hole created (there is).  I liked this detail it added, but if I make this again (and I'm positive I will) I will probably make it a little less 'ruffly'.

Once I blocked it the yarn got so soft and it did grow in size.  I did find myself pulling out a fair amount of 'vegetable matter' while knitting, but some of it may have been the linen that I just wasn't used to.  Even despite that annoyance, the drape was just so great, as was the coloring, I put in an order for enough to make a sweater.

Offset wraplan cuteness

A couple of friends had babies around the same time, and I thought the offset wraplan was the coolest little baby sweater around at the time.  In hopes of making them wearable for a little longer than a week as a tiny little baby, I made what the pattern said was about a 6 to 9 month size.  Oh was that wrong - it turned out to be more of a 12 to 24 month size, but that's okay and they've gotten some wear.  I used some Dream in Color (LOVE the intense, hand painted colors but its still machine washable wool!!) classy which is a worsted, while the pattern called for a sport weight.  I knit a pretty tight gauge though, so I don't think that can totally account for the big size difference.

Functionally, its not the best design having such a wide neck.  I think it probably looks better on a toddler than an infant because of the neck. I would definitely make it again though, modifying the neck line slightly.  I loved the offset front, for being such a simple design it gives it some character.

  Button choice was my favorite.  I think I found the sheep buttons first and picked the yarn to match.  The green buttons with the orange & yellow were an afterthought, and I think it makes it seem a little more grown-up and 'portlandy' for some reason.