spring thing

In a back corner of my brain there's been this itchy little idea that I wasn't through with Razor Shell stitch yet. I loved working it on the the three (five if you recognize the socks singly, yes, I AM a nerd) gift projects in December. I felt one more Razor Shell project in me. Which is to say, FOR me.

seen earlier today

I was in Woolcott & Company, on a dark and stormy evening 2 Saturdays ago. I won't go into the scenario (bad oversleeping teenagers!) but there I was, killing an hour caffeinating before driving home, 2 plus hours in torrential rains.
Lots of nice yarn there, some I'd never seen before, including newly arrived Manos Silk Blend. That yarn screamed,"indulge yourself with a new spring scarf fer godsake, you are driving home, alone, in the dark cold rain, and I will look damn good in a Razor Shell stitch".
It is clearly very clever yarn , because it was right
Anyhoo, enough of the chit chat.The deets:
yarn: Manos Silk Blend semi-solid . The woman at the shop (btw, really nice people, one had just finished knitting the coolest felted squirrel. I hope she didn't shave it down, it looked like it had just crawled out of the woods, in a good way. Not as cutesy as in that link.) called this color Juniper, I almost chose the loveliest slate/gray/blue. Excellent hues. It is DK weight, this scarf is 2 skeins worth down to the last yard. My scarf all blocked out is at least 72" long and 7" + wide .
needles: size 5US, I knit loose. Use a US6 if you don't.
the stitch: Razor Shell.

some words about the stitch: Last week with the flu , feeling too sick to knit , I whiled away an hour moaning on the sofa , surfing Razor Shell scarves.

I found this and this, inspiring my button embellishments.

I used the 8 stitch repeat Razor Shell stitch I'm so fond of, I found variations : over 10 stitches (there are 3 stitches on each side of the sl1K2tog,psso )which makes the non-eyelet columns wider, and over 12 stitches, (there are 2 stitches in the center of the eyelet columns), making it less lacey overall. On Ravelry I found garter stitch Razor Shells, the zig zagginess emphasized in the ridges. There are unlimited ways to render this stitch. Maybe it was my fevered state but I found this interesting enough to consider swatching some variations. Which, for me , is saying something. I had one of those moments where you realize the "knitting pattern" and the "knitting designer" are modern conceits of this age-old craft, wherein a Razor Shell Scarf just meant you hunkered down and knit a stretch of a stitch you liked and there, you had a scarf.

final thoughts: This is lace. It was a joy, and quick , too. It is easy and lovable lace, I need to stop saying I am lace-challenged. I've been knitting lace projects all fall/winter. And now it is spring. Maybe only 30 degrees out, but, hey ! who cares! I have a new scarf.