So about this time every year (or maybe a little later, like the day after Thanksgiving) I think “gee, I wish I had a hand-knit festive holiday accessory.” And all December as others are strutting about in their Christmas Tree sweaters and Santa socks and holly-and-ivy hats, I sigh and say “maybe next year” in fine Charlie Brown style. And then January comes and I forget all about it.
Well, when the thought struck this year, I suddenly remembered that I was knitting (albeit half-heartedly) a green scarf. And what do you get when you put a red something-or-other on a green scarf? A hand-knit festive holiday accessory, that’s what! So: knit a fabulous poinsettia, attach a fastener to the back, pin it on the green scarf — and ho ho oh jingle all the way! After Christmas, take off the pin and the scarf becomes a, well, a scarf.
So, now I am knitting on the green scarf with renewed vigor. I have researched knit and crochet poinsettias — and decided on knit since I think it will integrate better with the knit scarf. I dug out some KnitPicks Palette yarn (about all I had in the right shade of red — but also a good weight for the project) and swatched about for a while since I had become kind of obsessive about the shape of the poinsettia leaves — and they are leaves, not petals, as you probably know — and none of the poinsettia or leaf patterns I found seems quite right to me.
And, well, here it is! A hand-knit festive holiday accessory — almost. As soon as I knit about 2/3 of a scarf and 13 poinsettia leaves. Brilliant!