“Once you can accept the universe as being something expanding into an infinite nothing which is something, wearing stripes with plaid is easy.”

After finding some serious inspiration over at Loop Knits, I decided it was high time I cast on my own version of their Noro Garden Scarf, which is pretty similar, save for a few deets.Yesterday I took a trip by boat to PatternWorks knit shop in Center Harbor, N.H., and absolutely fell head over heels for Plymouth Yarn's Boku and decided it was almost identical to the Noro Silk yarns. I picked up four skeins (as the aforementioned pattern called for)--two each in Black Cherry (color 11) and Golden (color 8). While the Noro yarn is nearly half silk, the Boku is 95 percent wool and 5 percent silk, so it would be decidedly a bit more bulky and warm for winter, since I was aiming to knit up a substantial winter scarf rather than something cool enough for fall trips in the garden.And boy am I pleased. The Taiwanese yarn isn't itchy but you'll definitely know its high quality wool when you work it on the sticks. What's more, the gentle gradation of color makes it perfect for the Loop Knits scarf, which is a simple K1 P1 pattern that looks like its knit up using traditional stockinette stich with the added bonus that because its ribbed, it won't curl, so there's no need for blocking after the project is finished, and again six months later, and again in a year...and it goes on...The stripes are created by alternating the two different skeins of yarn every two rows; and of course, its best to work the yarn up the sides of the scarf so you aren't casting off and on every other row. If you've never tried traveling the yarn up the seam, methinks you should, because it will open up your whole world to striped scarfing and the like. Drools!While my version isn't as bright as the Noro version, I'm pleased with the fact that its dark, earthen colors right now with pops of gold and bright green--but as I see the balls of yarn get smaller and smaller as I work it, the Black Cherry version has a lot of fuscia in its middle, which means maybe this scarf is better suited as a gift for a female. We'll just have to see.What do you think? Suitable for both sexes? Is the striping bold enough?I highly reccommend anyone looking to start working a striping scarf give this one a whirl--the pattern is free (and available at the above link) and its so simple; I started this late last night while lying in bed and am nearly 15 inches along. Happy striping!