Kristine's first Sunshine Make-a-long project is off the needles!
The Peacock Scarf by Lene Holme Samsøe aka LE KNIT.
Bundles to make this sweet, fun project are now available!
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THREE is the magic number:
With just one skein of Rumor or Doodle, you can make THREE mini Peacock Scarves!
Make all three, keep one for yourself, and share with two of your best friends!
Each bundle features one skein of Rumor and Doodle in our Summer Solstice colorway, Marmalade Skies, paired with three different colors of Frond.
There are three colorways to choose from: Callie, Jasper, and Odette.
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There is still time to enter our first giveaway for the Sunshine MAL!
And every one of these bundles include qualifying colors.
We will be shipping ASAP so you can cast-on and enter to win gift cards to Verb!
Keep scrolling to read more about this project and bundle, and click here to learn more about the Sunshine MAL.
I've been in pure bliss knitting for the Sunshine Make-a-long.
You might recall, at the launch in late May, I was drawn to the knitting equivalent of the Summer beach read aka the Tiny Scarf! So I headed out into the wilds of Ravelry and began bookmarking potential contenders.
Then we started dyeing the Summer Solstice colorway, Marmalade Skies. Adrienne had just finished washing out the skeins, and they were hanging to dry. I was walking past on my way out the door to go home, and I just could not resist this colorway. It feels so happy. So I grabbed a skein of Rumor.
I first tried the Grainwise shawl, which while lovely, I quickly found out that Marma Sky was going to repeat in a way that was not appealing to me (too much irregular pooling of color). So I frogged. Then, I came to the conclusion that more than likely, in order for me to like and wear this colorway, and have the color repeat in a way that is appealing to me, I would need to add a strand of silk-mohair frond, to add halo and a shimmer.
I then set out to find a pattern which would emulate the feeling of this yarn; a sky with clouds floating by, and a gentle curl of breeze, which led me straight to Peacock with its gentle waves of garter and just a touch of lace. I also knew that the slip stitch pattern which occurs on the single row of lace per repeat would tumble the colors enough to help avoid large splotches of color.
And indeed, as soon as I cast-on a knit a few rows, I knew this was a yarn and pattern are a match made in heaven. And while there is a row of lace, it is one row per repeat which keeps the knitting interesting enough to be motivational without overwhelming. And that also means, when knitting with friends, there is only one row in which I have to focus and cannot talk ;) Also, the overall pattern is very easy to memorize. I only needed to glance at the actual pattern here and there once I knit through the first couple repeats.
I was knitting a bit more loosely then Lene, so I used her finished dimensions to indicate when I should bind-off (rather then the number of repeats). I weighed the ball of Rumor after I completed my first scarf, and I was shocked that I could get three (and maybe even 4!) more Peacocks out of a single skein. So that is what led me to design mini-palettes using three Frond 20g skeins.
Indeed the Peacock and this yarn is the Summer Beach Knit I have needed in my life!
(Oh! And I could complete a scarf in just a few nights.)
So then the next question to answer was which color of Frond to pair with Marma Sky - she's got a lot going on already: lavender, peach, flecks of gold and orange! Because I am so adventurous I chose...ivory aka Meringue! I know. Not very wild. But a combination I felt would be beautiful, peaceful, and show off the nuances of Marmalade Skies really well. And it did!
Above is the Callie bundle using Rumor and includes Frond Meringue, Yuzu (a new semi-solid gold!), and Wisteria.
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And then, I was so curious to see how Wind, with its flutter of indigo blue and white, would look intermingled with Marmalade Skies...
And sure enough, also beautiful, in a different way. Also serene, like Meringue, but a bit more intriguing with a little bit more going on. It was a delight to watch how the colors combined together, sometimes making the most pretty shade of periwinkle, just before, transitioning over to gold. A real treat to knit.
Above is the Jasper colorway using Rumor featuring Frond in Wind, Mist, and Lamb's Ear.
But then I was craving something a bit more punchy! So we dyed for the first time Habanero onto Frond. Then, I cracked open a skein of Doodle Marmalade Skies which is a touch heavier, and rounder then Rumor. Made of gently superwashed California rambouillet wool, the Doodle absorbs the dye more, and creates a bolder version of this colorway. And boy, when I knit across those speckles, there really were like the sweet, happy burst of California poppies!
This version of peacock definitely has a bolder vibe than my previous two - and just shows that though all scarves share the base colorway of Marmalade Skies and pattern, how changing the base yarn with its different content, and interchanging that secondary colorway can really shift the look and feel! Making this project one of fun, endless possibilities.
Let's look at the results...
Above is the Odette colorway using Doodle featuring Frond Habanero, Glow, and Nirvana.
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I chose the palettes above with the idea that they would complement one another, yet be a bit definitive from each other. So the knitting would stay interesting and you would have a few looks to choose from once you knit through all three colors. I also thought if you gave two to your friends, while you would have similar scarves you can honor each of your unique attributes :)
Speaking of unique attributes! To help me model the three styles of Peacock scarves, I invited Odette, Callie, and Jasper into the studio. This is their first photo shoot together, so we are going to give them an A for effort! But we are definitely going to work a bit on our technique! (like holding the treats above my head while I take their photo instead of to the side. And making sure we open up the F-stop a bit more so little Callie is in focus! It was a win to get them looking more or less in the same direction. Lol.)
Three very good dogs! With very cute scarves!
So hop on board and reserve your Peacock bundle now!
- Kristine
