A Scarf That Wants To Stroll

When Sister and I were in Paris I, like so many before me, was fascinated by the French women's apparent obsession with scarves and shawls. This translated itself into my obsessively collecting pashminas and wearing lots and lots and lots of scarves. (To the point that you may recall I now have a whole TUB-o-scarves.)

Stylistically speaking, I prefer wearing the pashminas to the skinny scarves. Pashminas seem to translate better into the spring and summer. So, I thought to myself, why not knit a pashmina style scarf/shawl? I could knit something out of a lighter weight/breathable yarn, make it wider, and perhaps attempt to make it look woven. (I was even insane enough to momentarily consider using lace-weight yarn...luckily I didn't get on that crazy train!)

I ended up going with a cotton yarn, and spring-like colors. (The whole yarn dye lot debacle has been previously blogged...) I decided to name the scarf after one of my favorite places in Paris...Les Tuileries. I used the linen stitch from my stitch-a-day calender, which gave the woven look I was hoping for. (I also switched skeins every other row so that the dye lots would blend.)

It has taken me a long time to finish this project. Not because it was difficult, but because other things with deadlines got in the way. (Also, this is knit on 16" long needles, and since I was alternating skeins I couldn't very well take it in my purse.)

The scarf ended up a lot shorter than I had originally envisioned, and due to the previously mentioned issues, I was not going to even attempt to get more. When I ran out of yarn, and saw the finished length, I made a spur of the moment adjustment to the pattern. Instead of having a skimpy shorty scarf, I seamed the ends together to have a generous deep cowl. This also gave me an added bonus...if a sudden spring shower should hit, Les Tuileries can double as a stylish hood!

I finished it while visiting Sister this weekend, which was appropriate since the trip I took with her was my inspiration.

Now if we could only get to Paris to show it off...

Review: Crafty Hands Yarn Shop

Sister had to teach on Friday, so I took her to her school in the morning, and then had the use of her car until lunch time. I decided to treat myself to the local yarn shop here in Bowling Green, Kentucky!

Crafty Hands Yarn Shop is conveniently located across the parking lot from a Starbucks. It is VERY easy to find. It is on the main drag, right off the freeway. (I mean, after all, even I found it...and without resorting to my iphone's GPS.)

I was greeted by a friendly staff person as soon as I walked in the door. She was bubbly and outgoing. She showed me where the Cascade 220 was, and then wound the skein I needed to complete a project I was working on. I was especially grateful for the fact that as she wound the yarn, she left me alone to browse. Nothing irks me more than looming salespeople.

She saw me admiring some koigu, and showed me a cardigan pattern in a book that uses Koigu AND Cascade 220 in a slipstitch pattern. (It was pretty...but was the only pattern in the whole book that I liked. I decided not to buy the book...I am getting it at the library instead.)

I ended up leaving the shop with one skein of Cascade 220, one skein of Koigu, and a skein of Ty-Dy cotton sock yarn.

And then I went across the parking lot to pick up a coffee.

Heaven.

If you happen to be in the Bowling Green area, I highly recommend this shop. Friendly staff...great selection of yarns...well organized and open floor plan.



[The pictures are from the shop's website...I forgot to take my camera in with me.]

Miracles Do Happen

I went to a minor league baseball game tonight with Sister.

I didn't knit. Not a single stitch.

(And not for lack of knitting...I had a sock in my purse...)

Miraculously, I survived!

But, let's not make a habit out of it...

Saw, Sold, Delivered

The Client read my blog.

The Client saw the beta version of the Australis scarf. (He owns the original version.)

The Client liked the beta version of the Australis scarf and thought the colors would be great for his sister.

The Client asked if I was planning on selling the scarf.

Since I had planned on listing it online, I said yes, and quoted a price for it.

He agreed.

I took it to Bible Study tonight.

He paid.

He took it home with him.

Saw. Sold. Delivered.

Basketball Games

I love after church pickup basketball games!



I got a whole half a legwarmer done!
(I also did a lot of cheering...which was welcomed...and commentating...which was not!)

What do you mean she had her baby?

Approximate Transcript of a Recent Phone Call:

Mom: Well, AVB had her baby this morning. It is a beautiful, as of yet unnamed, little girl.

Me: What? Already? No! I thought she was due the middle of May!

Mom: Nope, she was due the middle of April.

Me: Well, shoot. I thought she was due in May. Guess I'd better get going on her baby gift. Ugh!

I am frustrated with myself for several reasons. First, I purchased the yarn for the little girl burp rags several months ago. AVB loves my burp rags...she is the burp rags biggest fan! I kept thinking to myself, I should go ahead and make those girly burp rags for AVB, but I kept putting it off and doing other things because I thought I had lots of time still. In fact, I had planned on taking them as one of my airplane projects on my trip to visit Sister next week...because I thought she was due in MAY! Had I remembered that she was due in April, I would have had them done and mailed before the baby was born. Now I look like a last minute Johnny Come Lately...when really I was very prepared...just very blonde!

UGH!!!!

The Naming of a Cowl

I have always been fond of naming things.

Just ask my mother. One of my favorite books to read as a child was a name meaning book called The Name Game.

I named:

• All of my dolls (Soup Can Macaroni, Annabelle, Sasha...)


• All of my stuffed animals (Coco, Gunther, Sigfried, Melville...)


• Plants (Roy, Fairfax, Bertram...)


• Imaginary friends (Zonya Pasgetti...which was how I said Lasagne Spaghetti)


• Pets (Saxon, Cleopatra, Kanini, Duchess)


• EVERYTHING!!!

Yes. I am strange.

So when I knit this cowl, I knew it needed a killer name.



I looked at it. It had ridges.

Ridges was not a great name.

The ridges reminded me of ruts in a road.

Ruts is DEFINITELY not a good name.

The synonyms for ruts included grooves.

Grooves was getting closer.

Grooves morphed into groovy.

Thinking about groovy got the classic rock song "Feelin' Groovy" stuck in my head.

"Feelin' Groovy" is sung by Simon and Garfunkel.

Simon is a boring name for a handknit.

Thus...the cowl is named the Garfunkel.