Thick 'n Thin 'n Quick

My friend asked me to make a scarf for her daughter, knit or crochet.  We went to the craft store last week and perused the yarns.  My friend isn't a yarnaholic and so I got to choose--a nice chunky, thick and thin, wool-acrylic blend, in pink, the daughter's favorite color.

I tried to knit it in stockinette on large needles, but the edges curved too much (because I forgot a selvage or border to combat that.)

I tried to knit it in garter stitch, with the same large needles, but it was too chunky and dense.

So, I crocheted it with a big hook and lots of spaces--and in a fraction of the time the knitting was taking (I wanted to get it to her before Christmas, which I never would have if I knit it.)  And I think it will be great.

Chunky Cowl/Infinity Scarf
1 1/4 skein Buttercream Thick n'Thin (from Jo-Ann's)
Q hook

Chain 80 (or approximately 5'+ foundation)

Row 1: chain 2, half double crochet, ch 1 and skip ch, *(hdc, ch1 and skip space)* repeat to end, ch 2, turn.

Row 2:  hdc in each chain space of row 1, ch 1, *(hdc, ch 1 in chain space)* repeat until end, ch 2, turn.

Row 3-5 (or until width desired):  repeat Row 2

Finish off by leaving long tail.  Use tail to whip stitch ends together to make infinity scarf/cowl

inspired by My Blue Bike 101

My Fall Fashion Fetish

I think it started last winter. Not my usual outdoor scarves, in flannel, fleece, or wool, knitted or crocheted, but light fashion ones for daily use.  Pink and peach stripes, with white (right there, just right of center.)  My first scarf.  Yes, I'd woven one, but I never wore it--too precious for all my efforts.  But my store-bought one, I could wear.  And I did, along with a pink, yellow, and orange loosely-woven one (on the right end.)  In fact, both scarves are visible in practically every picture of me in England.  While there, I picked up a lovely silver scarf brooch with Celtic knots at St. Martin's in the Field.  I also picked up a lovely floral pink one at "Downton Abbey" (near the center.)

But now they are multiplying!  I hang them on the back of our bedroom door and love to look at the colors and patterns.  Yes, I tend to florals and pastels, like pinks and lavenders.  But there are some bold black and white ones or blacks with rainbows--and more orange that I would have expected because I don't like that color.  

I know I'm Jamie-Come-Lately, that women have been fancying scarves for a long time.  Every week I see a new how-to-tie-a-scarf-twenty-ways on Pinterest, though I tend more to drape or tie in a simple knot.  I also have a few of those infinity scarves that need no tying.  

I like how they dress up an outfit, making a simple turtleneck and sweater more festive. And I can choose them to reflect my mood--and my kids like to help sometimes (Sis also likes to choose my earrings.)  They also hide stains well!    

Best yet, as far as I can tell, they aren't going out of fashion anytime soon.  Who knew I'd be stylish?!

Fleeced

I'm covered in little bits of fleece fuzz.  In fact, it's been quite a fuzzy day over here.  First, I cut a yard of rainbow-striped fleece into three scarves, fringing the bottom in 1"-strips; one for me, two for the local community Coat Closet.  Then, one of the parent volunteers of our Brownie troop came over to help cut down to size the fleece we're using to make blankets for hospice patients at Thursday's meeting.  Then, while Sis was at gymnastics, Bud and I made a fleece pillowcase for a large 25 x 25" fluffy feather pillow.  And it is this light pastel rainbow micro-fleece which shed all over me, Bud, and the living room, including Albus the cat who kept trying to help.  I've cut all of the extra scraps into more scarves for the coat closet.  And the non-scarf-sized remnants were braided into "chew toys" which the cats actually chased around the house!  Who knew fleece could be such fun?!

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Fleece No-Sew Pillowcase

pillowform, size of your choice
fleece, color(s) of your choice

Measure the size of your pillow.  Add 8" to each dimension.  For example:  our pillow was 25 x 25"  so I cut 2 pieces of fleece 33 x 33".

Place fleece wrong sides together (i.e. right sides facing outwards.) Using a piece of cardboard cut 4 x 4", cut a 4 x 4" square out of each corner.  Then cut fringe 4" long and 1" wide along each side.

Tie three sides of the fleece together using the knot of your choice.  Insert the pillowform and tie the fourth side.

Cats and Yarn Don't Mix

Having finished the crocheted Christmas stockings, minus the names, yesterday, I've started on a simple knitted scarf today.  Fluids and rest have really helped my head cold, but I'm still pretty tired so knitting while watching "Doctor Who" is the perfect activity.  But Albus, our cat, wants love.  And yarn.  So he's curled up right next to me, alternately sleeping and swatting needles. This isn't helpful.  And Christmas is only two weeks away!

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Mommy Hungry's Simple Scarf
Using 10 1/2 needles and worsted weight yard (mine is red variegated Merino), cast on 24 stitches.  Work in garter stitch (knit all stitches) until scarf is desired length. Bind off, weave in ends; add fringe if desired.

Inspired by a pattern at Blue Blog Patterns

Helping Hands, Warm Hearts

Today, our hospice team made 60+ easy, colorful, fleece scarves for our patients.




Instructions:

• Buy 3+ yards of fleece.
• Fold in half, with selvage edges together.  
• Cut in approximately 12" strips.
• Remove selvage edge.
• To make fringe, cut strips approximately the length of the shaft of the scissors (3 to 4").  Make a cut in the middle, then in the middle of that, halving each section until you've made 1/16ths (this is easier than measuring out fringe every 3/4" or so).  
• Then you can be done or tie decorative beads on each fringe piece.

Why Food?

I was waxing philosophical last night as I knitted on a scarf for a friend in Chicago--why did I select food as the organizing principle of my blog? I do other things. I am a beginner knitter, crocher, quilter, and cross-stitcher. All of which I took up after I finished my Ph.D. in art history. I could've just told stories about the family without the food hook, like many other mommy blogs (which, of course, this still is).

So, why emphasize food? This would seem to be the root of my weight and body issues, the interest and dedication to food, so why spend my extra time reading, writing, and experimenting with food? In fact, the weight issues existed long before the more methodical interest in food. But it seems like jumping from the frying pan into the fire. Know thy "enemy?" Not exactly.

It's part nostalgia, part history, part sociology, part psychology, part politics. Like it or not, I spend a lot of time thinking about food--what groceries to buy, what recipes to try next, what the kids might like, where DP and I can go on date night when the babysitter is here. And so, I like to think, by expanding my interests in food beyond grocery lists and recipe files to include Slow Food and sustainable agriculture, Alice Waters and Alice B. Toklas, ancient Roman recipes and open hearth cooking techniques, I'm learning something about the world and cultures around me, in addition to myself and my origins.

But don't be surprised if I throw in a scarf pattern from time to time!

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One Skein Knitted Scarf

Size: appx. 6 x 60"

Materials: 6 oz worsted weight yarn; size 10 knitting needles

Directions: Cast on 22 loosely.

Row 1 Knit
Repeat row 1 for pattern, using entire skein.
Bind off and weve in ends.

Adapted from Lion Brand pattern