This is proving to be a busy week in my house. I am still working on the red and blue scarf from several days ago. It is more than halfway finished. It is turning out quite nicely. The credit for using a lighter weight yarn and a heavier weight one goes to Bev for making the Blog Scarf . I don’t have any sock yarn in my stash but there is plenty of sport yarn. This yarn is doing a fine job by adding a little extra bulk and color to the scarf. it is a technique I will be using frequently in the future. My original goal was to have it done before now, but life got in the way.
I am spending a lot of time this week job hunting which is cutting into knitting and computer time a lot. I have an idea in my brain for a dishcloth design, but won’t have the time to work on it until the week end. Adding links and making some changes here will also have to wait a couple of more days.
Monthly Archives: November 2006
Scarf Knitting and Life
Glasses!
My glasses arrived yesterday afternoon!! After about a month I can finally see normally again! I had taken them to an optical shop associated with a former employer of DH thinking I could save some money. That was fine in theory but they did not make them to meet my needs twice. After getting them back wrong from the lab the second time, I asked for my money back for the lenses. My choice was to keep and pay for the frames. I was told the refund is on its way from the company’s home office. This occurred on Monday.
Tuesday morning the frames and prescription were taken to a local optical shop. My needs were explained. I was told the glasses would be ready for pickup by Friday or Monday. Yesterday afternoon my anxious inquiry was met with the response that the glasses had arrived. I was still dubious to say the least. There have not been many times in my life when a lab has been able to prepare them accurately this quickly. To my delighted surprise, not only were they ready, but they were made correctly. I could see!!!
This means that I can drive again; have fewer headaches; and look for work.
It will take a while for me to adjust to them since they are a stronger bifocal than the previous prescription. My tolerance for them last night was limited but will hopefully increase in the next couple of days.
Latest Project
My latest project is making some scarves for the Orphan Foundation of America. I learned about their Red Scarf Project so late last year that there was only enough time to make a few scarves. My original plan was make several scarves for them this year. I also wanted to use better yarn than the acrylic that is in my stash. It is now November. I am not working. There is no money for additional yarn. There are no scarves made for this project at the moment.
What’s a lady to do??? I could rob a bank; steal yarn from an LYS ; refuse to make any scarves; beg for yarn ; or buy yarn with bill and grocery money. Those just don’t sound like such good ideas.
Instead, my choice was to make a scarf using acrylic yarn in my stash. This scarf needs to be unisex, bright and cheerful; nice looking but utilitarian; quite washable and soft; and mostly comfortable. The choice of yarn was easy. I picked out a skein of red worsted weight yarn and a skein of blue sport weight yarn from the bins in the basement. These will work quite nicely for what I have in mind.
The pattern had been chosen before the yarn. It is called the Easy Scarf and is positively beautiful. The designer of the pattern used yarn I can only dream I own at this time. Maybe next year this yarn can be used. Right now I am making due with what is on hand. Generations of women have done that before me and will most likely do it after me.
I chose my trusty Size 15 straight Boye needles. It took a bit of trial and error to determine the correct number of stitches to give me the desired width of approximately 7-8 inches. Eventually 24 stitches were cast on using one strand each of the red and blue, to give a width of 7 1/2 inches. That is close enough. The first four rows were done in the garter stitch. This has been followed by pattern as written by the designer. There are 3.2 stitches per inch and 3 rows per inch done in pattern.
What a great pattern!! It is working up quickly and easily. It is also making a soft squishy fabric.
This is a great project to do when I am talking with my family or in the car as a passenger. It is also good to work on in those rare moments of television watching.
I realize my version is probably not what the designer had in mind. But it is working and will give some deserving student a scarf that says ” I care.” That is what the Orphan Foundation of America wants to accomplish.
Progress
I finally chose a Theme and created a custom header. It was hard to choose the header because it had to be different from my other blog: Dish and Wash Cloth Mania.
The sidebar desperately needs updated. There are lots of links to be added and some other changes to make, but those will have to wait until tomorrow.
Yeah!!!
It has taken most of the morning; a lot of experimenting and playing around to accomplish this. At least it is done.
My time this afternoon will be spent setting up house here. There are links to add; a header to customize; a sidebar to set up and a few other things to do. Right now I am not even sure what Theme I want to use.
