Mom's neckwarmer

Mom's neclwarmer basket rib
Originally uploaded by O'Chica

Pattern; My own, it's just a ribbed tube.
Yarn; Lion Brand Sock-ease, colorway Lemon drop
Needles; US 3 (3.25mm) and 2(2.75mm) 24in circ

I had been swatching for Sockdown! project for January. I chose Clover from The Inside Loop. I was curious if any of variegated yarns in my stash works for this pattern (and figured out none likely). When I visited my mom at her hospital at the end of December, she noticed my swatch/ pulse warmer. She loved the color, and I readily offered to make something for her out of this yarn. The only problem was, I only bought one ball of it. She can have either a pair of socks, a pair of gloves or a hat. "Or, a neckwarmer." "That's it."

I started this on January 1st. I tried a tubular cast on and I loved the look. K1P1 rib all the way was the very first plan, but it was too boring. I took a look at 365 Knitting Stitches a Year Calendar while working on 2nd or 3rd round, and, there it was. Basket Rib. I switched to it and my beautiful tubular cast on edge started rolling up. Uh-oh. I kept on (because I hate frogging and, I'm my mom's baby - I gotta come up with some simple solution on the spot and just go ahead, whatever way I'm on) and thought and thought.

Rolling up occurs when knit and purl is unbalanced. The simplest way to make a knitted fabric stay flat is knit and purl evenly. I loved basket rib fabric, so I don't want change it. I have to add stay-flat edge on the tube, and ending with K1P1 rib is the simplest solution. OK, and knitting with smaller needles will definitely works to pull the end of the tube neatly. (Which I should have thought of at the first place. I know.)
Saving my lovely tubular cast-on seemed hopeless. I decided to pick up from the edge and add K1P1 rib downward. But, do I have to pick up all the way? How about making it a little like one side Dickeys?

When I finally come up with that idea, the amount of yarn left looked so small. Yes, almost all the time, I just kept on and on blank-mindedly.

I ended up picking up from almost 90% of CO edge (sob). Making K1P1 rib back and forth, decreasing 1 stitch on each end every row, I was crossing fingers in my mind. When the yarn finally run out, there was a brim/flap of about 2.5 in length. It doesn't look like any dickeys at all.  I don't know how much difference it makes on covering her forehead or back of her neck. It just worked to keep the tube in shape.

My mom loved it. What she loved the most other than the color?
She put the warmer on, and said, "Whoo, it doesn't itch!"