The Clapotis Rite of Passage

Some say that the Clapotis scarf is a rite of passage.. thousands of knitters who have online web access have heard of this pattern since it was first published in 2004.. I mean, just look at the 3,006 photos in Flickr!

I am very glad to have completed this rite of passage & can finally call myself A Real Knitter! I love the pattern - I love the way the accordian pleats scrunch up to form a cushy warm scarf, the way they open up to become a little shoulder-warmer in freezing cinemas, the way it drapes and hangs when worn. I am definitely going to make another - maybe in a luxurious silk or a soft cashmere - something that doesn't exfoliate my skin so much.

P.S. Mr Noro, I apologise for all the less-than-complimentary words I've thrown your way when working with the yarn.. the color striping is simply magical.. I did not try to match the stripes at all, I just knitted and knitted and yet the color changes are so gradual and just perfect. You are da man!!! (but I still think I will stay away from your yarn for a while)

Pattern : Clapotis by Kate Gilbert (published in knitty.com)

Yarn : Noro Silk Garden in #243 (mauves/lilac/purple/greens/browns/black), 5 balls

Needles : Clover Bamboo Circulars in 5.0mm

Size : 23 x 56inch; done with 9 repeats (vs 13) in the straight section

My hunky male model

A full-length shot

Super-duper blurry artistic close-up shot

Modelled on husband's coat (& leaving lotsa mohair fuzz in the process)

Waves in the ocean

The definition of '100m'

I'm feeling rather short-changed at the moment.

There is just no way that my last ball of Noro Silk Garden is '100m', as the label says. I know that the label yardage is just an estimate but surely.. there cannot be anything more than 50m in that last skein.. unless the length of every bit of twig and hay is also meant to be added to the yardage? Hmmm...

I was very careful to take note of my yardage at the beginning, so I am absolutely sure that I used up exactly 1 ball (or 100m) to knit from the beginning up to the entire increase section. According to the pattern, the decrease section is basically a mirror-image of the increase section, right? Therefore, it should also take 1 ball (or 100m... see I'm smart) to complete the decrease section. But it sure doesnt look that way at all!!

When I'm done sitting here snarling at the little pouf of yarn left, I shall have to make a decision to either rip back & make the scarf even shorter, or buy another ball of yarn online. Snarrrl.

Clapotis Progress

I've temporarily put aside all my other works-in-progress (WIPs) and have been working exclusively on the Clapotis this entire week, because :

1. I'm addicted to the pattern & to the parts where I get to drop stitches, although it is not as fun in this Noro Silk Garden yarn as the stitches don't really slide down smoothly; it requires a gentle tugging of the loops 1 row at a time as some bits stick together. (Note to self :try this in slippery silk someday for added kick)

2. I love the way the scarf drapes and has that scrunchy, organic texture to it.

3. Actually I'm speeding through this as I don't enjoy working with the yarn. It sheds, leaves bits of twigs and pokey bits on my clothes, and I am forever anticipating the next clump of prickly seeds or whatever. My hand hurts and I yearn to touch soft smooth yarn again - preferably silk or cashmere please.

OK, enough whining, here are some progress shots.

It suddenly dawned on me last night that I may have to shorten this significantly as I only have 5 balls of yarn (545yds vs the 600+ the pattern calls for). Don't ask me why I didnt look up yardage earlier - I just assumed that 5 balls was plenty for a 'scarf'. Doh me.

Anyways, here's my logic : I took 1 ball to finish the increase portion, and another 2 balls to complete 6 repeats of the straight section. So I figure I should be able to squeeze in maybe 8 or 9 repeats with my 4th ball, thus leaving me with the 5th ball to complete the decrease section.

Ladies & gentlemen, I ask for your utmost focus in crossing your fingers along with me in hopes that my logic works.

WIP update

Clapotis in Noro Silk Garden #243 (lilac/purple/green/black)

I'm actually much further along than what this picture shows, have managed to get to the drop stitch part of the scarf. I really like this pattern, it's easy enough and yet not mind-numbingly boring. The Noro yarn though, is another story - I have a love/hate relationship with it. When it's good, the drape and the loft is very very good; but when it's bad, the twigs, bits of nests, seeds etc poke my hand and irritate me to no end.

Madli Shawl in Zephyr Plum

Not a lotta love for this lace shawl right now, I'm about 1 rep past the border.. have had to rip out the border 3 times and finally got it right on the 4th try. It was the stitch markers - the pattern has decreases that are worked across the stitch markers and was extremely confusing, so have done away with the stitch markers. I've also had to rip out the center panel pattern couple of times, and it was only cos I had help that I didn't need to rip out more. So Madli is on a little vacation at the moment till the stars align or something.

Summertime Tunic from IK Spring07 in Filatura Cotton. KAL here

This is my TV/anime project - it allows me to read subtitles and laugh at the jokes while knitting rounds and rounds of stockinette. I've already finished the waist ribbing part and now have 11 more inches of stockinette to go. That should last me through an entire season of anime. Thank goodness it's summer year long here.