There was a teeny bit of stealth knitting going on here at Carole Knits this past month. You see, I knit a Branching Out scarf for my wonderful sister-in-law, Mary. Her birthday was yesterday and that means that the scarf has been gifted. That also means that I can finally share it with you all.
The yarn is Plymouth Yarn Royal Llama Silk and I bought it in Florida last January when we were visiting the kids. I think Mary will really appreciate that the yarn has a connection to Brant, Heather & Ambrynn. I had 3 skeins of the yarn and used 2.5 to get the length that I wanted.
The pattern, of course, is Susan’s Branching Out. It’s a terrific lace scarf and I’d certainly recommend it to any beginning lace knitter. For the more experienced knitters, well, it’s just plain fun.
I added a few beads and some fringe to each end. I really like the way beads add substance and weight to a scarf and these amethyst beads matched the yarn too perfectly to pass them up. However, when I got home I realized two things. One, the hole in the beads wasn’t big enough for two strands of yarn. This meant I couldn’t do the twisted fringe that I wanted to do. And two, I didn’t have enough beads to come up with great alternatives to the twisted fringe. Dale helped me, though, and we came up with 7 beads on each end and extra fringe in between. It’s not what I planned but I do like the way it looks.
Mary has always given me lots of comfort and warmth and I hope this scarf feels like a big hug from me every time she wears it. Happy Birthday, Mary!
The scarf is beautiful and I love the added touch of beads and fringe. Happy Birthday to Mary, too!
Nicely done!
I love it — it looks great in that yarn.
Nice- the beads look like they were dyed to match the yarn!
Beautiful!! I bet she loved it 🙂
The scarf is beautiful and is a lovely gift.
I have two skeins of that same yarn that were just begging for scarf suggestions. Now I know what they’re going to be. Lovely Branching Out!
Beautiful…I love the color!!
Lovely – what a super gift!
It’s amazing how the simple addition of fringe and beads transforms the look of this scarf. Good idea. I love it!
Clever work around on the beads! It is a beautiful FO.
It’s beautiful – and it must be totally luscious in that silk yarn.
What a wonderful gift! The beads really make it.
What a great gift! I have been considering that pattern – now that I see your lovely scarf, I’m going to try it for certain.
Beautiful! The beads are a wonderful touch.
Excellent scarf!
Very nice. I like the beads and Dale’s solution. I think that a few well placed beads do add a little substance and sparkle.
Lovely! The beads are an elegant touch.
Lovely photos… and your solution might be more wearable in the long run (not as heavy a weight on your lacy knitting), though I know how disappointing it can be to not get what you want, LOL.
That first photo is so beautiful and restful (I’m a sucker for green and purple). Gorgeous scarf.
Gorgeous. I want one mwah!
Happy Birthday to Mary! Nice embellishment on the scarf – adds just the right touch of pizzazz.
It’s a sign I tell you! 🙂 I just started branching out yesterday. I love your added details makes it your own, well Mary’s own.
Hmm. Good idea! I’ve been trying to figure out what else to tuck in with the skein I spun for Claudia’s prize basket. Bet I have some beads in the stash that would match. Off to dig in the garage…
What a lovely and thoughtful gift.
Very very pretty! I love the color and the pattern. 🙂
It’s very pretty!
What a wonderful gift. And so thoughtful. She will treasure it for years.
The scarf is beautiful and I like the beads! They just added to the scarf and added a little twinkle…besides they are my birthstone!!!! I love them. I hope Mary enjoys it as much as you seemed to enjoy knitting it for her!
Lovely lace makes the best presents for wonderful people.
I love the beads. Such a great idea.
Lovely Branching Out scarf. Beautiful color and I love the beads you added.
oohhhh llama and silk. I bet that feels amazing. It definitely looks amazing. Very nice!
Oh, it’s really pretty Carole. What a wonderful birthday present!
it’s gorgeous Carole. The yarn looks so pretty and luxurious. Happy Birthday to Mary! I think she’s gonna be gaga over her scarf
what a lovely gift – and the beads match so perfectly. Glad you came up with such a great way to use them – I think it turned out perfect.
What a lovely scarf and a lovely gift!
love the addition of the beads. Branching Out has always been one of my favs. that color is really pretty too. 🙂
Beautiful scarf! :o)
have you ever enlarged the holes in your beads. YOu can get a special tool for it. I have several times and been glad I did. You can also use a drill bit for glass with a drill press, if you have a way to clamp the beads. I did that years ago, but haven’t in many years. The tool l for increasing bead holes can be purchased at Michaels or Hobby Lobby usually. I bought mine at Walmart, but I don’t know if they still carry them, they tend to discontinue things to quickly.