Double Knitting

I took the 'BUY HANDMADE' pledge on Etsy this year. You're supposed to buy only handmade gifts this Christmas. I'm doing pretty good. About all my gifts this year are handmade by me and the rest are all natural. Does that count? So here is one of my gifts for my brother away at college. For the first time EVER he actually requested that I make him a scarf in his school colors. I jumped at the chance. He wanted one very similar to one he saw at American Eagle, but I couldn't find it online or in the stores to get the measurements. Sooo..I came up with my own stripy design. I wasn't very happy with it, so I frogged it and started over. Hence this:


I didn't like it at all: waaay to stripy and a little too feminine. And I couldn't get the yarn where I changed colors to disappear. SO. I resorted to my knitting books. I'm really trying stay away from these books and rely on my own designs. But desperate times call for desperate measures. And with like seven days 'till Christmas, I had no choice. I found this scarf in 'Knit Cafe'.

I liked it. Manly. Not too stripy. Stockinette. Awesome. Double-knitting. What??? I've never heard of double-knitting before. I gave it a try. Let me tell you people. This is AMAZING! You have got to try it. It takes twice the time to knit (oh joy) b/c you're knitting both sides. But the effect is gorgeous! It was just what I was looking for. One of my brothers requirements was that it be "smooth, not all bumpy". So this is perfect. Let's see if I get it done it time!

knitting furiously,
Lauren