My apologies for going on and on and on...

In a probably fruitless attempt to make this post more coherent, I'm going to number things.

1. Before I make the final decision on whether or not to buy the Flourish kit, I needed to try out crochet.  I could totally suck at it.  Or hate it.  I never know until I try.  So a friend of mine gave me a little sheet on crochet and a pattern for flowers.  Here's what I came up with. Pretty, no?  I discovered that I enjoy crochet.  It's fun and pretty easy.  So that is one hurdle down.
2. Do you ever wonder what happens to the things we knit?  Does Diana ever use her legwarmers?  Does she find them useful?  Is there something she would do differently to make them better?  How is Anna liking her Sgt. Pepper?  Is she getting so many compliments on it wherever she goes?  Because she should.  How about Blossom's skirt? Is she wearing it?  Does the bum get saggy?  These are the things that keep me up at night.  (Just kidding)  So I'm starting a new feature here at Purly Whites.  Periodically, I'll feature something I knit a while ago and talk about if I'm using it, how the yarn held up, etc. etc.  You all should do the same.  Sort of like Wendy's winners and losers galleries.  So first up, since it directly relates to my decision to buy and crochet Flourish...
3. The Kidsilk Haze Scarf.  I took knitting up seriously after several false starts in order to knit this.  So you'd think I'd wear it all the time.  You would be wrong.  I have never worn it once.  How sad is that?  Part of it is the color.  My friend convinced me not to go with the Jelly green, as it wouldn't go with anything.  So I went neutral.  But it actually doesn't go with anything.  Scarves need to be colorful.  Coats need to be neutral.  Lesson learned.  So I got it out last night and wore it around the house.  And you know what?  It itches like a crazy.  I'd use the term itches like a motherf*cker, but I wouldn't want to offend the readers.  But that is how much it itches.  I admit I have an overly sensitive neck.  I've even developed a test to figure out if a yarn is too itchy to come in contact with my skin, but I'll blog about that another day.  This was knit before I'd devised the test.   I should have known, with the mohair and all, but I thought the silk would cut the itch.  WRONG.  But, it is a glorious pattern and so, so pretty.  It's one of those things I'll keep around and get out and fondle periodically.  Or show people when I want to prove that I am indeed an accomplished knitter.
4. So this brings me back to Flourish.  Do I want to spend all that time, energy, and money on something that will most likely itch so much I'll never, ever wear it?  What about the five balls of Kidsilk Haze I've got at home?  2 in pink intended for a scarf for my mother or sister and 3 in the jelly green intended for the Weekend Knits Tank and Cowl, also knit by Blossom here.
5. Here is what I"m thinking.  I'll order the kit, but in a color that my mother or sisters like, and I can gift it.  Then I can either get another ball of the jelly green Kidsilk Haze and crochet a second one.  Or I can find some laceweight silk and crochet it out of that.  I could probably do the tank and cowl out of silk as well.  This seems like the best way to simultaneously leave my options open while getting what I want.  But I'm going to sleep on it.
6. And in Arrested Development news.  I know I've gotten at least one of you hooked on this show.  The rest of you all can help me in my quest to keep this show on the air by watching 4 more episodes of Season Two on Fox this Friday night from 8-10pm.  Find out how Buster gets out of the army.  It is crazier than you think.

Comments

[carrie m]

i love the idea of resurrecting old knits. sadly, some of mine are just hanging, unworn, in closets. how many shawls does a gal need?

not sure where i weigh in on your flourish debate, though it perfectly lovely and unique. but i do know that i'm already an arrested development fan and pray it stays on the air.

[Felicia from sweetgeorgia]

OMG, that scarf is beautiful!

[Bethieee]

I have found that yarn with a halo itches like nobody's business when it is warm, but once the temperature drops below freezing I stop noticing the itch and just enjoy having a very warm neck.

[grumperina]

If you get to use numbers, I get to use numbers.
1. Crochet can be kind of fun, I agree, and K.H.'s scarf is really something else to behold. So, even if mohair is not your friend, the scarf pattern is good to have. You're wise to order the kit in a color that can be gifted, because I have a feeling you'll want a silk one for yourself.
2. I find that fibers don't hide other fibers. Even if something has 7% mohair and 93% cashmere, it feels like mohair fiberglass to me. Hmm... I wonder why that is.
3. I don't think I've ever worn anything I've knit, even if it fits fabulously. Two reasons: I'm a process knitter and I'm always hot. Handknits, no matter how light, are heavier than the very thin stuff I prefer to wear to keep myself from igniting spontaneously. Don't tell anyone, though, okay?
4. Buster... he's a funny one, hehe...

[anna]

i'm new onto the arrested development too...

and since you asked, yes, i wear sgt pepper ALL the time. literally, 2-3 times every week. it's probably the single most worn item in my entire wardrobe at the moment, in fact, apart from perhaps my favourite slouching jeans.

[Colleen]

Sorry about the scarf, because it's a beaut.

[LisaB]

Ooh, so upset to hear about the itchiness. There is a shawl that I really, really want to make in the Haze but my sensitive skin doesn't handle itchy fibers at all.

:(

[Carolyn]

ok, I must confess...I also don't really wear anything I knit. I really just knit for the challenge of it all. I think, I can knit that. But I really have no idea what is in style outside the knitting world to actually wear it out in public. I am really trying to wear orangina this weekend, but I don't think it will happen. It is so sad. I say, stay away from any fiber that itches. You may decide to crochet the scarf as a gift. I find the thought of knitting/crocheting the exact same item for yourself wonderful, I think the same way frequently, but always find something more fabulous that I have to knit.

[kellyt]

I'm with you on the mohair scarves! I knit up a beautiful Noro cash iroha and mohair scarf only to find that mine, too, itched like a mofo. AND, it was too hot; I felt like I had a cat wrapped around my neck! Still beautiful; that's ultimately what sucks us in, no?

Update: You have two official AD converts, although I have no idea what is going on. Which one is Steve Holt? I was looking for the credits but apparently missed him.

[Agnes]

I did a review of the summer tanks I knit so far some time ago and yes, it's a good idea to look back and have a reality check. I use the KSH Tie One On all the time. Sometimes when I go out during the day and expect to be out late, I would take it with me because it is handy and it can keep me warm in the maybe chilly night. I feel fortunately that mohair doesn't feel itchy to me since I am going to knit another scarf using KSH.
The white scarf you made is beautiful ... I can see why you wanted to make it so much. The idea of having the kit in a colour for someone else is clever and I think you should go for it.

[blossom]

oh being mentioned twice in a post so here are my responses (numbered, too, to keep up with the theme):

1. yes, i think i'd love to start writing about items i've made and how i feel about them retrospectively. love the idea, you're a smart one, purly.

2. wavy skirt had been worn twice. i'd have worn it more often if it hasn't been 100 degrees here. i'm definitely aware of the 20% wool content with that heat beaming down on me. and just so you know, it does not sag at all! it wears really comfortably.

3. i do wear my knits quite often, that's the reason i knit, so i don't go out and buy commercially made clothes like crazy. in fact, i just wore the orangina top today to work (with a pink cami). i wore willow a few times during the winter, but i have not had a chance to wear fluffy cami due to weather.

4. fluffy cami is not itchy for me. it is really design to be worn with a cami, and the silky mohair is really soft against the skin. then again, this is really personal as everyone feels differently to the same fiber.

5. i watched a few episodes of arrested dev.! v.v. funny. hubby loves it more than i do.

6. ending long response.

[joy]

You've got me really curious about Arrested Development. It's not showing in HK (they only show megahits like Friends or Desperate Housewives) so I was wondering if this show is available on DVD?
Do you have Rowan 38? I just started the crochet ruffle scarf in there and it's really fun to do. I was thinking that maybe Flourish is very similar in construction, maybe a bit looser and wider so say, instead of double treble twice in one stitch, you could do it once and chain one to make it loose and then do one or two more rows to make it wider. Maybe you won't need to buy the kit! Just a thought.

[marichan]

I've always thought Wendy's way of dividing her knits was wonderful. I wear most of my knits but there are 2 that I haven't touched for months.

I still think you should get the kit. I'm sure you'll find a fiber that'll make the scarf work for you and the yarn you get with it is great anyways, like you said. But it's always a good move to sleep on everything!

Yay for Arrested Development! My Tivo is set for "Record ALL episodes" so I won't miss a minute. But now I realized I should have saved all the episodes to watch them over again to get the full experience. Hmmmm... am I the one you got hooked?? :)

[terhi]

Interesting post! I love to read about how often people wear their knits, because I rarely do. Your Kidsilk Scarf is a beauty even though you can't wear it.

[li]

I totally have been meaning to do a retrospective on my projects as well. Great minds think alike, heh heh. I definitely wear my knits, but there are a couple that came out too big, or the yarn ended up not to my liking.

[Stephanie]

You're one smart cookie, Purly! I find that I wear most of my knits. Some of the early scarves, not so much, and the Rebecca Wrap Cardi - not my style. I guess part of knitting is figuring out is worth the effort and what yarns you like/dislike. Another part of the learning process that is knitting. Your scarf is lovely, and the crocheted flower is super cute.

[Dani]

Yeah, I love the kidsilk haze, but it does itch pretty bad. I wear my wavy skirt you'll be happy to know.. Since I finished it a month ago, I've worn it three times... Its stretched out a little bit, but I washed it and it took back its orginal shape!

[Diana]

I love the idea of featuring past knits and how they are faring. Alas, many of mine will be: never worn. Though I am working on changing that!

The legwarmers were knit late spring, so we'll find out in the fall how wearable they are! I love them though, and am planning a matching hat, so here's hoping yes.

The knitting/wearing question is a big one for me too. Its most satisfying to get lots of wear out of a finished project. Perhaps the trick is careful pattern selection. and gifting!

[Kory]

Okay, I'm curious--what's your test to determine if fibes are too scratchy to wear?

My 9-y-o daughter has skin that breaks out into hives at the mere thought of knit things, and I'm trying to find a fiber-itch test that is a little more discreet than asking her to lift up her shirt and rub the $15 skein of yarn on her belly for a minute to see if it itches. My LYS isn't too happy with that particular test method, even when I swear to them that her belly is probably the cleanest part of her.

Most of my knits are down with the O.P. (er, for other people). But I do have one tank top I knit this summer that I wear on the weekends when I'm not supposed to be in office wear. I have lots of other people to knit stuff for before I get to knit for myself. Too many new babies to make sweaters for.

[Steph]

Oh fun, as soon as I can get my hands on BF's camera I'll post about the knit I never wear! And, I'm pretty sensitive to lots of wool but own a KSH scarf I wear all the time. I wash it in sodium-laurel-sulfate-free shampoo, that seems to take the itch off. Worked for the Noro Silk Garden projects too.

[tania]

you already know that I LOVE that scarf! ^_~
but that flower is SO cutie!!