Knit and Natter

I've been slow finishing up my last scarf for the Super Bowl project. The pattern is sweet. Knitting 325 stitch rows can be boring. I really miss having a television. One good Ghost Hunters marathon and the scarf would be done.


It's a pretty slip stitch pattern. Unfortunately the pattern is not fully reversible. My only other complaint, I do not have quite enough yarn to complete the last pattern repeat:


I may go ahead and bind off since the scarf is almost 6 inches wide.

The other experiment in color work was a knit hat. I recently finished this little gem and sent it off to a friend.


The pattern can be found in Quick Nordic Knits by Ann-Mari Nilsson. The book is very nice. Patterns are easy to read and there are a variety of skill levels to play with while knitting. I checked a copy out of the library and felt compelled to knit the above hat. Thus showing my fondness for slouchy hats and berets.

In other news, I've decided to deactivate my account on facebook. This is in response to repeated "updates" and new features which make chatting with the relatives more complicated instead of simple. Snail mail is much less stressful even if it does cost money. Seriously, having something update and move each time a contact sneezes let alone likes something or writes a comment is almost seizure inducing. It certainly is nausea inducing.

Blankets, Scarves and Hats, Oh My!

It's winter here in the Midwest which means the weather forecasters are predicting gloom, doom and end of the world scenarios. So far, it's been a normal winter.

With that in mind, and my resolution to knit more, I've dug in my stash and started to use yarns I bought with certain projects in mind. I am finally getting around to them.

I made one baby blanket and have two more on the needles


Then there is the blue and white insanity which is called the Super Bowl Scarf Project
This is my third contribution to the cause


I wanted to make something quick. I needed to see progress in my knitting and pulled out a partial skein of bright red wool along with a skein of mixed red, blue and purple wool blend.
When I cast on, I thought it would be nice to make a beret. I was too lazy to dig out a pattern and put 82 stitches on a US size 10 needle, closed the circle and managed not to twist the stitches. That is always cause for celebration.
After an inch of k2p2 ribbing, I began to knit plain. I decided to place markers every 21 stitches and increased one stitch before and after each marker on every fourth row. This gave me a nice shape. When I thought I had enough increases, I decreased one stitch front and back of each marker at every fourth row.
The decreases eventually made a need to switch to double point needles, and once I was down to 8 stitches, I cut the yarn, slipped the tail through those final stitches and tightened up the hat.
After two rounds in the wash with my darks (heavy agitation, lots of pounding) the hat was the right size for me to wear.


I love it when a plan comes together

Of Scarves and Bracelets

I finally completed a garter stitch scarf for the superbowl scarf project. It should not have taken so long to work on. I blame my lack of motivation on how hectic life has been. Also I blame it on my short attention span. I only knit on this project while watching Ghost Hunters on Wednesday evenings.


Last night I went to the local library and taught a beginning knitting class to 9 people. Two folks showed up late and didn't get started since the library closed 30 minutes after they arrived. They did make head way in getting yarn from a hank into a ball. Next month I have got to remember to take along my swift and my ball winder. Those tools will speed things up.

I am planning on sending out an email to the students with an invite/reminder for the local knitting group's gathering on the third Wednesday of the month. I think they'll enjoy it and they will also have more time with knitters while they work on their scarves.

Recently some friends and I were chatting about ways to keep small children from wandering off in a crowd. I mentioned the bracelets linked with cord my younger step-daughter and her mother would wear. This system was made up because the younger child showed signs of being the second coming of Houdini.


There are two bracelets made from ribbon and attached to each other with a sturdy cord. I made the above as a present for one of the ladies in chat night after she requested a set.

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I'm still fighting the major depression. It's been a rough season. One daughter was rear ended and is fine. We're now shopping for a replacement car for her. The other daughter's vehicle needed serious repairs due to parts wearing out, our water heater was feeling neglected and sprung a leak. That's been replaced.
To top it all off, a friend passed away over the weekend. I'm alternating between numb and celebrating. You have to understand. This lady spent 25 years as a quadriplegic and is no longer stuck in a hospital bed or a wheel chair.

More knitting will be forthcoming. I promise.