Picasso Ice Yarn Hat & Scarf Set -- Friday Fiber Art

Hat & Scarf Set 2/3 Done

I started with 3 of these small balls or skeins.  Not sure what they are called.  I hoped there would be enough for the hat and scarf set.  Now I'm sure.  But it was a squeaker.  One ball barely finished the hat and one ball barely got me half the length in the scarf I wanted.  But it will do.

Since I worked the hat between last Friday evening and Sunday evening and worked the half scarf between Monday and this evening, I'm determined to finish the scarf by Sunday evening.  I broke my own rule by starting something new before finishing a WIP but I needed something quick and easy to break the ice of the two month hiatus and the WIP I had been focusing on last July were very complex and big so I cut myself some slack.  But I'm itching to get back to them now.

The stitches used in this project are the simplest.  The single crochet into the top of the 3 chain loop.  Except for the band around the forehead in the hat which needed to be tightened up so I used the 2 chain loop.  In order to get the billowy shape on top I expanded the flat circle faster and for longer and then abruptly decreased half the loops in one round at the top of the forehead before switching to the 2 chain loops.  I was making it up as I go.  I call it sculpting.  I rarely have patience for patterns.

The Picasso Ice yarn has a lovely sheen and drape.  I love the feel of it in my hands as I work.  But there are issues one should know about.  It does not lend well to frogging.  It snags against itself and knots and snarls easily.  Working straight off the ball it comes in is easy for two thirds of the way and then at some random moment the end tail introduces itself to the working strand and curls up it and starts unwinding from the inside of the ball.  If not caught soon there will be a massive snarl.  The friction caused by the strands rubbing fuzzes up the strands.  Frogging also creates the friction fuzz.  And I imagine normal wear and tear of any item made from it will create this same frizz.

One might think winding the strand into a ball first would be a solution but there are foreseeable drawbacks to that idea.  Winding fast risks the friction fuzz.  Also if you hold the strand with too much tension as you wind you will stretch it and spoil the drape and the silky feel.  My solution was to keep a close eye on the ball and as soon as the empty center was big enough to fit over my left hand, I settled it on my left wrist and tucked the loose end strand up my sleeve.

It will make a visually stunning item that is pleasant to touch but know that it will require hand washing and drip drying and still will not fare well with frequent use.  Not recommended for an item meant to be an heirloom piece.