Clockwork complete

Whew. It wasn't a lot of knitting really, but it did take an awful long time to make Clockwork given all the distractions. All that's in the past now:

In some places the Twisted Fiber Art strand (Ember, in Playful weight) came very close to the red of my Precieux (from Biscotte et Cie) but I like the combination all the same. The Precieux has some cashmere and some dehaired angora in it, so it's got a fuzzy halo, while the Playful has a little sheen; also, the Precieux is a lot of tightly spun threads loosely spun together such that you don't see twist at all, whereas the Playful has a prominently visible twist. The contrasts work really well together.

Plus: soft?? you wouldn't believe it. 100% soft squish, this thing.


Okay, I did allude yesterday to a little problem I'm having with this project now that it's done, and that's how on earth to wear it. If you look at other people's projects - and believe me, there are a lot, because this is a great pattern to knit - it is shown three ways:

Flat

Wrapped around the neck such that the center back of the piece is in front, with the two ends cascading over the shoulders

Slung over one shoulder, hanging down from the other

... and none of these techniques work for me under (or indeed over) my winter coat. With all that dense garter stitch, the wrap technique makes me look like I'm wearing a neck brace and doesn't fit into my coat anyway, and the sling technique just blows off once I walk out the door. Tying it in front is unrealistic because of the aforementioned weight. I can't even make it pass as a shawl to wear at home - it isn't wide enough in back to do the job.

I wet blocked if after taking these photos, and maybe the garter will have relaxed enough by the time it's dry to be a little more adaptable. If not, I have other ideas: strategically placed buttons, and I-cord loops? Stitching it into a cape? Knitting a sheath of Precieux over the raw sides so there is a place to hide the tails I didn't run in discreetly enough the first time?

Of course for coat use I can always leave it as is and fold it neatly across my neck and let the sides keep the rest of my front warm, but if I go to a coffee shop I won't be taking my coat off and letting the scarfishness glam up the rest of my outfit because it doesn't drape itself into the flattering folds I prefer, and for some reason just letting it hang there, the eye is drawn not to the cool spokes but to the aforementioned raw edges.

I guess I could choose that moment to do the slinging thing. It looks pretty good that way:

But it needs a matching hat.

For which I've already cast on, in spite of all the Christmas knitting I'm still not doing.

(well, really. If I can't wear this combo in December, when can I?)