Recycled Silk Scarf

Because I couldn't refuse a good cause

Our school held a Fair Trade day where they sold goodies that would help out those in need. There were knitted items, hand-made cards, jewellry, and yes, you guessed it, yarn.

As I was scanning a table my eyes grew wide as I saw colours upon colours wound together. I looked at the skeins of yarn in amazement. Realizing that I really didn't know how to knit well, I moved on but came back, asking the price and what it was. To me it looked like the colours of India - rich and beautiful with no colour missing. It turns out that it was recycled silk - made from the scraps of saris in Nepal. Wow I thought.

I left the tables of the day aching for the yarn that I didn't bother to get but I did have a pamphlet telling me where to get some. And so, my friend and I set out to the International Boutique ready to get me some yarn. And so I did.

One of the volunteers running the cash showed me a shawl she was knitting on big needles out of it and even though I hadn't knit much, I decided to take one skein. I'd make it into a skinny scarf, knit tightly so that I could see the colours flow.

I took it home and decided I would tackle it after exams had ended. Before my exams had finished I attempted to wind it into a ball but the mess that followed was simply unbelievable. I somehow managed to get it tangled beyond belief. It killed me to see it like that. I put it away for a week or two, unable to bear the eughness of it.

On New Year's Eve I sat in my room and untangled. And untangled s'more. And s'more. And s'more.

Within the hour before midnight I sat in front of the television with my parents and began to knit my scarf. In fact, I knit into the wee hours of the morning, bringing in the new year with yarn and resolutions on knitting. A week later I continued the scarf in class and sooner than later, it was done and I had committed myself to learning and practicing more and more.