Have you ever visited http://www.knittersreview.com/forum/? It's another great forum for knitters. There's information on there re clapotis - that's where I first heard of it. I'm sure you'll find answers there. I remember reading discussions on yarn others have used and discussions re patterns.

There's also lots of information there on felted purses. Right now that's what I'm working on, but the clapotis may be next. I won't be using expensive yarn either. Good luck and keep me posted on your decisions.

If you do a google for "clapotis knitalong" you will come up with a site where people discuss their yarn choices - lots and lots of yarn choices. (not allowed to link here to those forums)

My latest thought on this scarf (still in my future) is to get knit pick's dye it yourself yarn and dye it with koolaid. Knit pick's prices are so great.

I keep reading posts about Knit Pick and kookaid. Can you elaborate, Sylvia?

Knit Picks is a yarn mail order company, they have come out with their own line of yarns at really terrific prices. They have a worsted weight and a fingering weight unbleached ready to dye. (http://www.knitpicks.com/)

Kool Aid works as an acid dye on wool. There are several great articles online about it, below is a link to one.

I've had so much fun dyeing with Kool Aid! It's fun exploring what colors the different flavors create. My favorite flavor has been Tamarind, it makes a nice warm tan color, fun to mix with other flavors for more subtle results. Also, I've found the other brands work well also and often the colors are just a little different so you can get a wider palette that way.

Anyway it's a nice alternative to spending $29 a skein for a handpainted yarn.

Here is a link that might be useful: Kool Aid Dyeing

Thanks, Sylvia! I'm definitely going to have to try it. I'm having so much fun. It's been years since I've knitted and I'm so glad I got the itch again. I just finished my first felted bag and I'm very pleased with it. In fact, right after setting it out to dry, I started winding yarn for another one. And now I can experiment with my own colors. I want to make one for Mom and would love making it extra special by dying the yarn myself.

to make it narrower, follow "section 2 (increase rows)" until the measurement along the "short" side, (the edge with yarn-over holes), is ALMOST what you want widthwise. like it says "21" on that diagram. so, go through the 12-Row repeat until it looks or measures from that cast-on tip, up the holey side, a little less that what you want for width. (this will be ending right after making another one of those edge holes with the Yarn Over.) when it is slightly less than what you want, do the FINAL step of that "section 2", which is Repeating Rows 1-6 one last time. & then just move on to "section 3", where you can go forever, until you ALMOST like the length. once you stop & go on to "section 4" & the "5", your length will increase as you work to form the end point. the length from here to the end point with be the same as what you had on your needle when you stopped with your "section 2", because you are recreating that tip of the parallelogram in reverse now, (decreasing). i just did this again today. i have made several in varying widths & lengths, in everything from Cascade Lana d'Oro charcoal tweed (alpaca/wool/tweed, discontinued), to a laceweight. this is not a new technique, but rather a new pattern application & fancy choice of handpainted luxury yarn used in it that make it so spiffy looking. eMail me if you need any help or photos. (:

Thank you blusky for the "other" forum link--I had not seen that one.

And especially to yvonne for the good directions, --so,I wasn't too far off in my interpretation after all, that's cool.

...and the kool-aid dying -- facinating!