rose hip : my January stitching...

... this year has been all about making scarves which I guess is fitting given that I spent December stitching mittens!... In the last while, I've grown to really like wearing scarves as soon as chilly weather sets in, appreciating how they really keep you toasty and snug, especially when made with soft and warm natural fibers. So, thinking about what yarn would feel nice against my skin as well as keeping me warm, I dug into my stash and found a lovely batch of heathered grey wool-alpaca blend yarn which I had bought at a local thrift shop and,..

... using measurements of one of my favourite scarves and hook in hand, I started on my first scarf which you can see a bit of below -- it is the lightest grey woolly yumminess in the middle of the pile...

Having really enjoyed making my first scarf and being pleased with how it turned out, I turned to my family to see if there was any scarf aficionados and sure enough, Nico, my youngest, raised her hand... So digging into my reserves again, I unearthed a very lovely yarn, also found at a thrift shop, and definitely of a certain vintage given its 80's like labels which indicated that the yarn was made in what was once called W. Germany... Now, this yarn was a sweet find as it is 60% silk and 40% wool, a truly delicious blend, lovely to the touch, a perfect fiber for a scarf... Nico likes her scarves wide and long, so this is how it turned out...

I went on to make two more scarves this month, one for my other daughter, Alexandra, who so liked Nico's scarf that she raised her hand too; she wanted the same camel colour as Nico's so, after a bit of searching in local yarn shops, the closest match I found as far as colour goes was a lovely alpaca wool blend in worsted weight, Berroco's Ultra Alpaca Natural, which is a beautifully soft and warm yarn, ideal for a scarf. I also ended up making another one for myself with some lovely scrap merino yarn I had lying around in blacks and greys -- if you look at my pile of scarves, it is right on top...

Now, if you're wondering what stitch I used, well, I was wholly inspired by one of my favourite crochet books...

I've loved this book since I first bought it a while back, smitten by its stitches and projects which have a beautifully simple, natural and deliciously textured look to them; I finally satisfied my itch to make something from it by using one its showcased stitches for my scarves, the woven stitch,...

... the simplest of stitches based on a very easy pattern of chain and single crochet stitches,...

... which gives a beautifully subtle texture,...

... made even more beautiful when using lovely natural fiber with character, whether it be heathery and rustic, or silky and luxurious...

I do hope your New Year started well and your January was as calming and crafty as mine was with all my scarf-making... Thank you so much for popping by for a visit today, and I hope you pop by again soon as I have a bunch of new rosehippy goodies to share with you in the upcoming months... And, of course, please don't forget to check out Rose Hip on Instagram...