Nerdy Together

D52 - Week 4 - Dumbo

2012-01-28T23:06:00.001-05:00

Kevin's bit
Dumbo is one of those cartoons that I have a fondness for simply because I remember enjoying it as a youngin'. I don't remember exactly what I liked about it at the time. I suspect I was partial because I was at that age where I rejected anything that might seem "girly," and Pinocchio and Dumbo were a couple of Disney movies that could be "boy" movies.
But does it really hold up to watch it as a grown-up?
One thing I like about it: it's short. After Fantasia, which passes the two-hour mark and especially thinking of certain newer blockbusters that near or even break three hours (I'm looking at you, Avatar), it's satisfying to watch an about-an-hour motion picture. Granted it's another full-length film that feels and plays like a short, but at least enough happens to justify it being longer than ten minutes. It is a bit jarring how rushed the wrap-up at the very end is, though.
Dumbo himself is an interesting titular character, in that not only does he not have any speaking lines at all, but he...doesn't really do anything himself to progress his own adventure. He pretty much does what everyone else leads him to do, without really making any decisions of his own. You care about him simply because he's a cute baby animal: would you have any reason to like him if he wasn't? Timothy is a more interesting character. I'm beginning to think it should've been about him.
As freaky and insane as the Pink Elephants on Parade sequence is, you've gotta admit: it sure ain't boring!
On the other hand, Dumbo's mother being confined in that dark trailer is one of the saddest Disney moments ever, trumping even a lot of death scenes.
Favorite character: Timothy, especially when he first wakes up after his hangover,
Least necessary character: Freaky elephant body made up of elephant heads.
Overall: Though I happen to like it, I would find it hard to recommend it highly in general.

Tidbits:
-Was Timothy an actual part of the circus show or does he just wear the little ringmaster costume on his own accord?
-Timothy gets indignant at the crows for making fun of Dumbo, but weren't they really making fun of Timothy for suggesting the notion of Dumbo being able to fly?

Amanda's bit

When I buy or borrow a DVD or other digital copy of a movie, I'm often as or more enthralled by the extra material. I'm very interested in what the creators thought of their own work and what contemporary peers, colleagues, and historians have to say about it.

With Dumbo, I was downright shocked at how many people thought that this was the very best movie made during that era or at all. Really? I generally don't like to be negative, and I'm certainly not saying Dumbo was a bad movie, but the best? The story was precious and original. The music was catchy and clever. The animation was as technically pristine as one would come to expect from the Disney studio. Yet, after all of that, I can't bring myself to see the "masterpiece" claim that everyone in the commentaries and featurettes kept praising.

Favorite character: The lead Crow. While folks currently claim that it's a racist portrayal, it's still a positive portrayal. The crows as a group were like a jazz band egging each other on and the head Crow (did any of them even have names?) while having a bit of fun, did offer the best solution to the plot.
Least favorite character: Yeah, Elephant head thing was gross but for the sake of choosing someone else, I thought the ring leader was ridiculous. Did he never allow any of his acts to rehearse?
Overall: It's entertaining as well as a little bit horrifying at moments. I'd rather watch this movie than 90's sitcom reruns. You can make of that what you will.
Tidbits:
-One bottle of booze in a barrel full of water would be awfully diluted. I can see Timothy getting drunk, but surely Jumbo Jr. had a big enough liver to hold his bubbly.
-I'm surprised at how many people know Timothy Q. Mouse's name considering the only time it was mentioned in the film was on a signed contract upside-down in cursive for a few moments on the cover of a magazine.

Amanda's creation: We all need our own magic feather to help us believe in ourselves. Mine is in the form of a funny yarn feather pen. If you want to make your own, all you need is a bunch of lengths of yarn, a pen, and some spray adhesive. Use spray adhesive on the pen working in small sections. Fold the lengths of yarn in half and catch the sticky pen in the loop. Alternate the direction of the loop so that both ends of the feather are fairly even. Trim the yarn ends into a feather shape and write with something fabulous.

D52 - Week 3 - Fantasia

2012-01-21T06:33:00.001-05:00

Kevin's bit

Is Fantasia a movie, or is it a collection of musical shorts? But is there any reason why a collection of shorts can't be called a movie? Either way I'm not sure how to review Fantasia as a whole. I quite like the Dance of the Hours segment and The Sorcerer's Apprentice. They're all nice to watch and the music's excellent (though I suspect this is one of the movies were having some sort of high-end sound set-up would've made a difference), but...without one cohesive story I just don't have much else to say about it as a whole. I would recommend it to fans of animation and/or music, but I'm not sure whether it holds up as a family film. At least, since there isn't an important dialogue, you don't feel as bad for talking over it.
Favorite character: Demure hippo
Least necessary character: Why does the narrator explain what's going to happen in a segment before each one? Couldn't the job of introducing the composer and title of each musical piece have been done by a title card?

Amanda's bit

I really enjoy music and I very much enjoy Disney animation and together they are wonderful. On the other hand, part of what makes Disney's music so special is how much it adds to the story and with Fantasia, there is no story. The segments where the story is clear as Kevin mentioned above are the most entertaining bits and the sections without a story are very pretty but much less memorable.

Interestingly, as a fan of live classical musical performance something I noticed is that I didn't feel rude talking during the performance. At a live performance, I feel more engaged and because the performers are in the room with you, it's easier to lose yourself in the music. In your own home there is so much more distraction and possibly a less rich sound. I think this would have been an interesting production to see in a theater.

Favorite character: The soundtrack
Least favorite character: I have to agree with Kevin that a title card could easily have replaced announcer guy.
Overall: It's worth watching if you don't have to keep a young one in the seat and if you have a card game going at the same time.

Amanda's Extra: This movie was exclusively about music so it seemed only right to make a case for a digital player! This one features "the soundtrack" demonstrating his violin sound.

D52 - Week 2 - Pinocchio

2012-01-14T20:13:00.002-05:00

Kevin's bit

Review:
Whereas Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a very simple plot stretched and padded to the length of a movie, Pinocchio is a movie made up of four small episode-length plots. But I do think it's more engaging and funnier. For one, I like the bit where Jiminy Cricket warms his...self. Who says a butt joke has to be crude? I wonder if it was considered so back then? It turns out there are a couple of other butt jokes throughout too. Somewhat fitting for a movie whose third episode is about asses.
The first "episode" is charming and funny. Figaro's great to watch. I do tend to prefer a silent comic relief cartoon animal over a talking one. The second and third episodes...are good enough. The fourth has a short but powerful scene with enough tension to make up for the, well, lack of tension in Snow White. I've seen plenty of stuck-inside-of-a-whale scenes, but this might be my favorite.
I suppose what I didn't like were any of these attempts to teach children lessons. I don't like when people give children an imaginary reason for why they shouldn't do something - in this case, "Don't tell lies or your nose will grow" or "Don't misbehave or you'll turn into a donkey." Why scare children with untrue threats that they possibly don't really believe anyway? Just teach kids not to, say, destroy other people's property because they wouldn't like it if someone did the same to them! That's really my only beef with this movie.

Trivialities:
-When Honest John first walks past Pinocchio, he does a double-take and is amazed at seeing a walking, talking wooden boy. It makes me wonder how the people of the village react when they first see Honest John and Gideon. Do they go, "AAGH! A giant fox and cat wearing clothes! And one of them is talking!!" I like to think that the two used to be human, but like the Pleasure Island boys they too were transformed into animals connected to their behavioral setbacks.
-Is Geppetto aware of Jiminy Cricket? I don't remember them every interacting with each other, but if Jiminy took it upon himself to introduce himself to The Blue Fairy and Pinocchio, you would think he would do the same with Geppetto. Like, "Hey, I'll help take care of your boy for you?" Maybe he did, and that's why Geppetto didn't bother to walk with Pinocchio to school?

In lieu of the favorite character/least favorite character...
Slightly old versus much, much older: I won't go on about every version of Pinocchio that's ever been set to moving images, but I just have to mention the other Disney version. I remember seeing the made-for-TV musical starring Drew Carey, Geppetto, a while back. As the title suggests, it's mostly told from Geppetto's point of view and...it's, um, not nearly as enjoyable or finely crafted as Pinocchio. Though it features songs written by Stephen Schwartz (who would go on to write for a little ol' musical called Wicked), you just can't compete with "When You Wish Upon a Star," can you?

Overall: Though it gets a bit slow at times, I might end up listing this as one of my favorites, or at least one that I should rewatch more often. Watch it with your kid(s), and maybe afterward explain that smokers should fear emphysema much more than the prospect of growing donkey ears.

Amanda's bit

Pinocchio is most certainly a masterwork. From a story point of view, I would have loved to seen a television series especially since there were so many more stories that could have been adapted from the original source. From an animation standpoint, more stops have been invented and subsequently pulled out! The transparent and glowing blue fairy, the multiplane camera, the numerous effects shots are all as beautiful now as they were then. From a musical standpoint, the score has so many perfectly timed music cues and the songs cover so many styles and still include humor and story points.

I have to disagree with Kevin about the morality of the stories. I think it's pretty clear that the things that happen to Pinocchio would never happen to real little children, but that doesn't negate the lesson. The lesson is not to fear an actual huge nose, but to understand that a lie grows and becomes obvious and there's no point to starting it in the first place. Children may not turn into actual donkeys but they can "act like jackasses." This makes the movie an excellent jumping point for parents to talk with children about what is naughty and what is good without being too pushy. I for one approve and in any case, the movie is entertaining and that's the thing I care about most when it comes to cinema.

Tidbits: If you get the chance, be sure to find the release with the most DVD or Bluray extras. The folks at Disney really have a lot to say about this one and it's all incredibly interesting!

Favorite character: By a wide margin, Jiminy Cricket. He's absolutely charming from beginning to end. It's no wonder he makes such an excellent host for so many Disney theme park attractions!

Least favorite character: I have to go with Monstro with this one for the sheer fact that he's genuinely frightening. He's quite well animated and it's clear how dangerous he is and it's a testament to the storymen and animators, but he's just too scary for me!

Overall: I laughed a lot more than I expected to since it's been a while since I've seen this movie. If you're still a child at heart I think this movie gets better as we get older.

Amanda's Extra: Do you love my little whale? He's way less scary than Monstro was! I shall call him "Ministro."

D52 - Week 1 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

2012-01-06T22:30:00.003-05:00

Kevin's bit

Review: I predict that, throughout this blog project, I'll have more to say about the more obscure movies that everyone's forgotten about than I will about the cherished classics - just because there's not much to say about the latter that film historians haven't already said. But, since the whole point of this is to offer my opinions...
After watching it (I've seen most of it in pieces at a time but I don't think I had before sat through it from beginning to end), I don't really think of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs as a movie - it's really more of a movie-length short, if that makes sense. I feel bad for knocking it, since, animation-wise, it was very superbly crafted. But story-wise, it does show that this was the first animated feature. A lot of it is padded with scenes that, while fun to watch, don't have a storytelling purpose. On the DVD is a deleted soup-eating scene, and it's explained that Walt cut it out because he felt it would slow the movie down. Really? And the washing-up scene didn't? To be fair, though, it seemed most movies in general at the time were still working out pacing and such. And being padded with songs and sight gags doesn't make it a bad movie at all. It's just a noticeable change of style if you get used to seeing Disney movies in which every single scene has a story reason.

Trivialities:

The evil Queen has that Dr. Evil-esque complex in which she chooses to get rid of Snow White in a convoluted manner rather than just, say, stabbing her directly in person.
When Snow White marries Prince Charming, that means she has to change her name to Snow Charming. Well, maybe "Princess Charming" will have to do.
Consistent with animated shorts of the time, almost all of the humor is visual. The only verbal jokes I spotted were Doc's spooneristic fumbles.

Favorite character: That turtle!
Most unnecessary character: Happy may be happy, but he has the least interesting characteristic. Also, I don't remember him doing anything noteworthy or even having any funny moments.
Overall: Don't watch any animated movie without watching this one too.

Amanda's bit

I have to agree with Kevin that it doesn't seem similar to movies nowadays wherein the plots are thick as Texas Toast. It doesn't make the cartoon less enjoyable but it's very funny to me to notice that the greatest amount of plot movement was during the non-scenes which were just storybook reading.

Tidbit: Did you know that each image of Snow White was rouged on the front side of the cell so that her makeup appeared more realistic? I can't even put makeup on myself. I cant imagine doing it on tiny drawings hundreds of thousands of times.
Favorite character: I agree with Kevin! That turtle was so darn cute and had some of the best sight gags!
Unnecessary character: Is it wrong to say Prince Charming? He had 3 minutes of screen time and 3 lines of dialogue. And even more... (keep reading).
Tidbit 2: In the original Snow White story the the witch tried numerous ways to kill Snow White including suffocation via corset strings, topical poison, and finally the apple. In the original story, the apple piece was dislodged by the Prince's servants jostling the coffin, and in another version, the dwarfs dislodged the piece the same way. Thus, Prince Charming could have been eliminated from the story altogether. The dwarfs could have saved her and the lesson could instead have been that it's not naive first love that saves a person but a strong commitment from friends or family that makes a life most wholesome. That could have been very uplifting as well.

Overall: I was entertained and if you get the chance to watch it (or watch it again), you should! It's fluffy, but cute and I go for that.

Amanda's Craft
I thought I'd add a nice little craft project to add some visual interest to the project. Behold! Representing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, I give you The Apple. Whether it's poisoned or not will remain a mystery.

Cleaning House

2012-01-05T11:07:00.005-05:00

Many Americans are familiar with the idea of Spring Cleaning. Spring is a time for new growth and new ideas and fresh activity. However, New Year's is a time for resolution and it is my opinion that Spring Cleaning ought to have a New Year's sister cleaning as well.

While it's true that in the northern hemisphere, it's an inconvenient time to have a garage sale, it still is a convenient time to set up for a garage sale. Search out the tchotchkes and have them ready when the last flake finally melts.

For me, it's less about getting rid of junk (we live in a very small apartment after all so efficiency is the name of the game) but about finishing what we started and reorganizing what we have.

Among my 2012 goals is the resolution to finish or frog all my UnFinished Objects and Works In Progress. To start this, I really do need to figure out what they are, where they are, and where I stopped. Here's one:

I just started this project a few days ago. I'm quite positive I can finish this shawlette this month as it's going faster than I could have hoped for. I'm really thrilled to be working with this yarn from BlackSheep Dyeworks. It's amazingly soft, but it has so much stitch definition (clearly not evidenced by my whack photography skills) and I have yet to split the yarn even once. The pattern is Pleiades and is quite well written so far.

Now let's move on to, oh dear. Oh dear oh dear oh dear. This was supposed to be finished back in 2010. Can you really blame me though? Look at all those ends! It's a nightmare! What was I thinking? I hate weaving in ends and seaming. This one will be a chore, but even though the little girl is a little bit bigger, I still think it's large enough and will eventually be nice enough that she'll still get some joy from it.
And this? I don't even know WHAT it was originally supposed to be! It's pointy at one end, and it's clearly some sort of stuffed item. A mouse's head? A rotten turnip? An armadillo? I don't think it was originally supposed to be an acorn, but I think the shape and color fits, so that's what I intend to finish it into.
What other sad lonely little projects will I find while tidying up?

D52 -52 Animated Disney films in 52 weeks ( An Introductory Post)

2012-01-02T14:45:00.006-05:00

This year, Disney will release its 52nd full-length theatrical animated feature*.

Going by the "official" list of full-length theatrical animated features produced by (not just released by) Disney* - my fiancee and I will watch each movie, in chronological order, one week at a time. Why? For fun and novelty, of course!
Will we be watching other movies during the year? Yes.
Will we watch one in a different week as well as in its "intended" week? Well, there is some interest in that Beauty & the Beast 3D re-release...
Will we be watching each one on the same day of each week? Not necessarily, since changing schedules would make that tricky.

Amanda and I will do our level best to blog each week. Most of these movies we've already seen together. Some I have not. But I'm pretty sure Amanda's seen all of them (correct me if I'm wrong). Many we're looking forward to seeing again (spring and summer look pretty good). Others, ehh...not so much (Gurgi...). But the fun will be in experiencing 75 years' worth of Disney animation in only one year, watching the style change and grow and evolve, and taking the good with the bad.

If you also want to spread the word about it to any of your Disney fan-friends, that would most certainly be okay with us. And if anyone can/wants to join along and try this year-long experiment-type thing and blog their thoughts as well? The more the merrier!

And now for the best part of this post, the schedule:

(The Week of...) --- (Movie) --- (Original Premiere Year)

JAN 01 --- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs --- 1937
JAN 08 --- Pinocchio --- 1940
JAN 15 --- Fantasia --- 1940
JAN 22 --- Dumbo --- 1941
JAN 29 --- Bambi --- 1942
FEB 05 --- Saludos Amigos --- 1942
FEB 12 --- The Three Caballeros --- 1944
FEB 19 --- Make Mine Music --- 1946
FEB 26 --- Fun and Fancy Free --- 1947
FEB 04 --- Melody Time --- 1948
MAR 11 --- The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad --- 1949
MAR 18 --- Cinderella --- 1950
MAR 25 --- Alice in Wonderland --- 1951
MAR 01 --- Peter Pan --- 1953
APR 08 --- Lady and the Tramp --- 1955
APR 15 --- Sleeping Beauty --- 1959
APR 22 --- One Hundred and One Dalmatians --- 1961
APR 29 --- The Sword in the Stone --- 1963
APR 06 --- The Jungle Book --- 1967
MAY 13 --- The Aristocats --- 1970
MAY 20 --- Robin Hood --- 1973
MAY 27 --- The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh --- 1977
MAY 03 --- The Rescuers --- 1977
JUN 10 --- The Fox and the Hound --- 1981
JUN 17 --- The Black Cauldron --- 1985
JUN 24 --- The Great Mouse Detective --- 1986
JUN 01 --- Oliver & Company --- 1988
JUL 08 --- The Little Mermaid --- 1989
JUL 15 --- The Rescuers Down Under --- 1990
JUL 22 --- Beauty & the Beast --- 1991
JUL 29 --- Aladdin --- 1992
AUG 05 --- The Lion King --- 1994
AUG 12 --- Pocahontas --- 1996
AUG 19 --- The Hunchback of Notre Dame --- 1996
AUG 26 --- Hercules --- 1997
SEP 02 --- Mulan --- 1998
SEP 09 --- Tarzan --- 1999
SEP 16 --- Fantasia 2000 --- 1999
SEP 23 --- Dinosaur --- 2000
SEP 30 --- The Emperor's New Groove --- 2000
OCT 07 --- Atlantis: The Lost Empire --- 2001
OCT 14 --- Lilo & Stitch --- 2002
OCT 21 --- Treasure Planet --- 2002
OCT 28 --- Brother Bear --- 2003
NOV 04 --- Home on the Range --- 2004
NOV 11 --- Chicken Little --- 2005
NOV 18 --- Meet the Robinsons --- 2007
NOV 25 --- Bolt --- 2008
DEC 02 --- The Princess & the Frog --- 2009
DEC 09 --- Tangled --- 2010
DEC 16 --- Winnie the Pooh --- 2011
DEC 23 --- Wreck-It Ralph --- (November 2nd) 2012
DEC 30-31 (leftover days)

*which as it turns out doesn't include "DisneyToon" releases like the DuckTales movie or A Goofy Movie. I don't know. They weren't included in the Tangled bonus feature showcasing the first 50, so I guess they just don't count.

Day 365 AND THE END

2011-12-31T21:41:00.004-05:00

I made it I made it I MADE IT I MADE IT!!

The final scarf of the year. All posted and made and shared with anyone who happens by. This one took me longer than any other scarf. I used the smallest needles that I've used on any scarf. I did tiny cables and by a long shot there were more cable crossings than any of my other cables scarves put together. It only seems right that the final scarf should be the biggest effort as a way of finishing my year with a bang.

This one is a free pattern available on Ravelry called the Celtic Cable Scarf. The pattern was very well written, but it was all written and no chart, so be ready to either chart it out yourself or just pay close attention on the first repeat so you can refer to the scarf itself for the rest of the scarf instead.

If I'm being totally honest with myself, instead of being excited for completing my challenge, I'm actually disappointed that it's over. It feels a little bit like a gradation. I feel very accomplished, but on the other hand I feel like I've come to an end.

When it all comes down to it, I think the positives outweigh the postpartum depression. I'm very happy that I made my goal. I'm very happy that I had so many scarves to give as gifts for Christmas and still have many more to give to someone who needs them. I certainly did devastate my stash (though it remains quite overwhelming). I even managed to learn a few new techniques and new ways to use old techniques. I learned a little bit more about most people's likes and dislikes when it comes to outerwear. Finally I think the most important thing I learned was quite a lot about time management! I'll never be late for another gift giving situation and I recognize the importance of planning ahead. If I can use these lessons to my advantage in the future, I'll have used this year to great advantage.

It's been a great year and I'm looking forward to 2012!! Be on the lookout for more posts from Kevin. He has a blogging project about Disney feature length animated movies. Watch for me and my hopefully many finished objects. Most of all have a safe and Happy New Year.

Day 364 and Memories

2011-12-30T21:52:00.002-05:00

As we draw to a close, I found myself with lots of small scraps and with a clear idea on what type of texture and feel each bit of yarn was best. Not only that, I often had a clear memory of the original scarf. In the end I decided not to break apart the memory and the scrap but bring them together. I repeated some of the exact textures from the original scarves and I used one or two new textures as well.

I have to be honest: I didn't keep track of sizes, numbers or designs. I figured they were all a bunch of rectangles and one way or another, I would find a way to get the puzzle pieces to fit.

Day 363 and Protection

2011-12-29T21:09:00.002-05:00

It's about stinkin' time it started getting cold around these parts! It's making me worry about global warming all over again. It makes me glad I've become adept at making neck protection. Yet, with all this neck protection, I often overlook the other parts of the head that need protecting. Oh sure, I've got a hood and a ninja mask and a couple of snug cowls that could double as headbands, but this time around, I made a cowl that could really stand up on its own. In fact, I begrudgingly added a pucker when I realized I probably couldn't see over the top of it. At least I'll be warm!

Day 362 and Stretch

2011-12-28T17:49:00.003-05:00

Had another ball of this crazy colored yarn. I think that yarn with a lot of short color changes lends itself really well to novelty stitches. Anything where the yarn sits on top of the fabric heading either in a different direction or extending over more than one row really highlights the complexity of the yarn and makes what are usually very simple patterns seem complex as well.

This was an easy garter stitch scarf, but certain columns of stitches were slipped and elongated with a very fancy result.

Day 361 and the Popped Collar

2011-12-27T21:00:00.000-05:00

Evenly spaced increases make this scarf fan out around the shoulder area allowing it to stand up straight and stay around the neck without tying or wrapping. This is particularly good for people who don't like a lot of bulk or tightness around the neck and yet still want full wind and cold protection.

Size L hook
Heavy worsted weight yarn
Tapestry needle

Chain 100.
Base row: SC into the second chain and the next 38 chains. 2 SC into the next chain. SC into the next 21 chains. 2 SC into the next chain. SC into the next 39 chains.
From here on, the pattern recipe relies on your ability to recognize the increase from the previous row. Take a moment to look at your stitches and identify the double V going into 1 stitch.
Row 1: Chain 3, turn. Work DC into the second and every following stitch to the increase from the previous row. Work DC into the first and 2 DC into the second of the two increase stitches. DC into the next 21 sts. Work 2 DC into the next stitch (this should line up with the first of the increase stitches from the previous row) DC into every stitch to the end.
Row 2: Chain 1, turn. Work SC into every stitch to the increase from the previous row. SC into the first and 2SC into the second stitch. SC into the next 21 sts. 2 SC into the next stitch (which should be the first part of the increase from the previous row). SC into every stitch to the end including the top of the turning chain.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until the scarf is as wide as you'd like. I choose to make a stripe near the end for interest, but this could just as easily be done anywhere and on every row if you so chose.

Day 360 take 3 and Finally

2011-12-26T22:46:00.003-05:00

After all of these days and all of these scarves and all of these experiments, I think I've finally come up with my absolute favorite go to scarf for last minute gift giving. It's unisex in design (though colors could sway it one way or the other. It's thick enough to be warm but not so thick that it's uncomfortable. It's incredibly easy and fast, but has just a little bit of interest, yet isn't so very interesting that someone with very conservative fashion sense would be turned off. It also can be as inexpensive or as lush as you choose depending on the yarn. I think this would be a winner for anyone.

I went with acrylic for mine. I like the easy care and the low price point. Wool would be excellent and cotton would work great too. I think I would probably avoid nylon/rayon shimmery things as I think there would be so much drape as to look limp and unappealing.

2 or more colors of worsted weight or aran weight yarn Choose something lofty for best effect.
Size L crochet hook
Tapestry needle

Base: Chain any number you want. Mine had 145 chains.
Working into only the back loop (not the back bump) DC into the 4th and every following chain.
Cut the yarn and pick up a new color.
First round: Make a slip knot and place it on the hook. Yarn over the hook, pull up a loop through any random stitch on the first color. Complete a DC as normal. DC into every stitch. *Now you make a corner by making 2 more DC into the final stitch, DC once around the post, DC 3 times into the underside of the same stitch. DC once into the underside of every following stitch.* Repeat from * Cut the yarn and use your needle to heal the single stitch seam.
Every following round: Make a slip knot with the next color and place it on the hook. Yarn over the hook, pull up a loop through any random stitch on the previous round. Complete a DC as normal. *DC into every stitch until the corner stitch. 3DC into the corner stitch.* Repeat from * Cut the yarn and use your needle to heal the single stitch seam.

Use completely different colors for every round if you wish. The base row will need about 28 yards. Each following round will use up about 50-55 yards. You can even do this with just one color. The pictured scarf is only 3 rounds and almost 4 inches wide coming in at just under 6 feet in length. Every round will increase both the width and the length by 2 rows.

You could also use this concept for a very nice throw blanket. Change the beginning chain to 30 and go to it. It will naturally take many more yards and many many more rounds, but you'll be able to follow the pattern recipe exactly as written.

Day 360 take 2 and Christmas!!

2011-12-25T11:25:00.002-05:00

Yes, Christmas day. The day and indeed the season when it becomes okkay, nay, necessary to wear horrifying sweaters, silly hats, tacky jewelry and green and red together and in equal portions. I think nearly everyone has encountered this colorful weirdness that seems to only pop up during this time of year. I of course had some variegated Christmas colored yarn that had been languishing in my stash and now seems the best time to finally use it up.

Nothing too spectacular here.

1 skein worsted weight yarn in Christmas colors (held double throughout)
Scrap amount of white worsted weight yarn (held double throughout)
Size N (10 mm) hook
Blunt tapestry needle

Chain 101.
Begin with Xmas yarn:
Row 1: Single crochet into the second and every following chain.
Row 2: Chain 3, turn. Double crochet into the second and every following SC
Switch to White:
Row 3: Chain 4, turn, Treble crochet into the second and every following DC as well as the top of the turning chain.
Xmas colors again:
Row 4: Chain 3, turn. Double crochet into the second and every following TC as well as the top of the turning chain.
Row 5: Chain 1, turn. Single crochet into every DC as well as the top of the turning chain.

Weave in and cut all the hanging ends of yarn and wear proudly on Christmas and for much of the month of December.

Day 360 and Tuck

2011-12-24T21:58:00.002-05:00

Hmmm... I don't think my math is right. I thought for sure I've been very clear with my day numbering, but today is the day before Christmas and if I keep counting until New Year's Eve, that puts me at 366.... which would be fine if this was a leap year. Oh well. I guess I'll make tomorrow Day 360 as well and call it a wash. I know I managed every day so I can't be upset about something small like that, can I?

ANYWAY! I've always thought that scarves should be further categorized. If not always then at least since I started making scarves every single day. I like to think of this one as a "tuck" scarf. It's short enough that you can tuck it into your coat to keep your neck and chest warm but not so long that you end up extremely bulked up from the extra fabric. A small bit of texture gives it some extra interest.

Day 359 and Function

2011-12-23T21:12:00.002-05:00

It's always funny to me when I wear something that happens to have a lot of holes in it because there is inevitably someone who is convinced that there is no way something with holes can keep you warm. It's always very hard to explain the physics of it, but holes really can keep you warm.

Have you ever seen insulation before it's put into the walls? It's very lightweight and very squishy and not at all dense. If you were to shrink yourself down a little bit you would see that it's layers and layers of fiberglass with lots of air in between. The air holds onto heat (the heat that comes from your own skin) and keeps it close to you. While solid fiber would keep you warm, the air held in place does the same thing without the bulk.

I also find that a thick scarf can be pretty stiff so the big holes I've added to the center (a filet crochet hole worked over 2 rows) serves as a very comfortable place to fold over a shawl collar.

Day 358 and Twizzles

2011-12-22T20:17:00.004-05:00

The cutest little not pompoms you ever saw dangle at each end of this skinny scarf. Whenever I make a skinny scarf I try to make it longer than usual so that it can be wrapped around the neck at least twice unless it's just for decoration. This one is definitely fluffy and deserves to face the storms.

It's a simple length wise scarf in double crochet except for the twizzles which are super easy to add as you go. For each twizzle chain an additional 10 stitches at the end of the row. Double crochet 3 times into the 4th stitch and 3 double crochet into each of the following 6 chains. At this point you should be lined back up to continue the plain double crochet section of the scarf.

Mine is only 2 thick rows wide, but yours could be as big as you want it to be! There's plenty of room to add a twizzle at the end of every single row if you wanted to. I only had about one third of a skein of Homespun by Lion Brand held double on a size P hook. I didn't count the chains but I stopped at the 5 foot mark. Go crazy with yours! :D

Day 357 and Whiskers

2011-12-21T20:20:00.003-05:00

This is a cute little stitch pattern that always reminds me of a kitty's face. If you were so inclined, you could add a pair of button eyes above each set of whiskers.

It's a very easy stitch to create. Work the surrounding stitches in anyway you'd like and just insert the motif wherever you feel the need. The motif is as follows:

Row 1, 3, 5: With yarn in front, slip 5 stitches purl wise
Row 2, 4, 6, 8: Purl back
Row 7: Knit 2, pass your needle below the loose yarn in front of the work Knit the center stitch such that the loos yarn is caught behind the stitch you just made, Knit 2.

I think they look best when surrounded by stockinette. Just make sure you hold your yarn loosely when you slip the 5 stitches or when it comes time to catch them all again, you may pucker your fabric enough that the hardest blocking won't get it to lie flat.

Day 356 and Grout

2011-12-20T23:09:00.003-05:00

If the garter stitches are bricks then the stockinette stitch is the very very wide grout. Now that I'm winding down and now that I've had the chance to give away a great many of the scarves that I've made, a very real trend emerges (at least among the people that I know and the people that I'm related to).

1) The general public seems to prefer scarves over cowls.
2) The general public prefers very very neutral colors (everything black, brown and grey was the first to go)
3) The general public prefer either extremely simple texture or glitzy furry stuff.

The first and the second might be easily explained as my family and the folks I know take very few fashion risks. The third surprises me very much. I really thought that lush cables and entrelac and lace would be more popular than plain ribbing and garter stitch, but those very plain items were most certainly the first to go followed quickly by the fancy fur novelty things.

I suppose that this is a response to what I've learned. I most certainly want people to enjoy my scarves and if giving them something a little more conservative will give them joy, then that is what I will create. It also makes me appreciate much more the people that I know with more adventurous taste. I feel like I've bonded with them that much more.

Day 355 and Pinch

2011-12-19T10:27:00.002-05:00

Oh gosh... 10 days to go... oh geez.... Oh... oh...

Is it strange to feel like a habit has formed? I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself when New Year's rolls around and I don't require myself to have a finished project every single day. How will I cope??

Here I was trying to use up a small bit of leftover yarn. I wasn't sure how long the yarn would last and had to frog the entire scarf twice before I came up with this one. I left some spaces of just chain stitch and on the final row double crocheted over the chains in to the very first row of stitching which pinched the fabric into pretty little puffs. The scallops are rather pretty and face framing. I'll draft this quickie pattern out sometime soon, but for now, I need to head to the workplace.

Day 354 and Addition

2011-12-18T17:35:00.003-05:00

I'm getting way down to the end of my stash, the end of my project and if we're being completely honest, the end of my ideas. I'm sure they're in there and there are plenty of them, but pulling them out rapid fire is getting to be a problem.

I think I like many are sometimes folly to the idea that inspiration comes out of thin air. While this is certainly true once in a while, it's much more common to be inspired by an outside source. I've made plenty of items inspired by nature, cities, sports teams, the yarn itself, my geeky interests, other people's patterns (always credited! :D), and goodness knows what else. This time, I thought I'd let experience inspire me.

It's nearing Christmas the traditional gift giving season for Christians and secularists alike and it's a perfect time to unload my stash. As I was organizing my giant pile, I start coming across scarves that I don't even remember making, but surely I mist have because I stored them all together.

Quite a long time ago I made a scarf using rings of T-shirt and used a rectangle of crochet sewed into a tube to hold them all together and prevent them from tangling. Quite a long time later, I made a scarf that was all chained loops and the loops were each attached to the next by one single crochet stitch. By coincidence, I happened to come across them at almost the same time and thought OH! This... plus this.... equals.... THAT! It just goes to show that sometimes you can be your own inspiration and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

oh stuffnfluff, that picture is stinky....

Day 353 and Felt

2011-12-17T22:14:00.002-05:00

Are you kidding me?? It took me nearly the entire year to get around to felting some wool? I must be out of my mind. There are so many awesome things that can be done with felt depending on the level of feltitude not actually a word you achieve!

Not being graced with a top loading washer that can be stopped at any time during the wash cycle, I had to felt this one by hand and so the level of feltitude is very mild here, but some of the benefits are already clear.

What was once a very scratchy and quite stiff wool is now draping and much softer. The stitches have lost some of their definition, so a simple stitch like stockinette or garter is fine to use and makes even something very large into a speedy project. Waiting for your item to dry can be agony, but take advantage of a drying rack and a fan (and even a hairdrier if you really want to move things along), and you'll see much faster results.

Day 352 and Travels

2011-12-16T22:41:00.000-05:00

I wonder where my stash comes from sometimes. I know some of it has been gifted to me from very generous people who just want to see their unloved yarn find a good home where it will be used and made into interesting things (and that's very flattering in and of itself). I know some of it comes from garage sales, thrift stores and recycled yarn. I've even been known to buy it new once in a while!

What I'm wondering is where all the rest of it comes from? Every sometimes, I'll be digging through the stash and find a scrap ball of yarn that I have never ever seen before. I'm not saying my memory is perfect, but when I find something distinct, one would think I'd have a memory of it.

This scarf was made from just such a scrap ball of yarn. It was slightly glittery, slightly variegated, slightly fuzzy, and felt like wool. I paired it with a couple of creamy colored yarns and made a traveling filet stitch in the center to make sure it lasted as long as I could get it to last. I wish so very much that I knew what the brand of yarn was because I would certainly buy some if it. Alas, I believe it will be a mystery forever.

Day 351 and Starburst

2011-12-15T22:17:00.003-05:00

There is a particular stitch that I particularly love and it looks particularly nice in this particular yarn. But enough of that nonsense.

The fact is, this stitch is so crazy hard to find in stitch dictionaries because it has so many different names. If you don't have it memorized, you'd be forced to go through each dictionary page by page to look at every photo to find it. Luckily, I'm going to go ahead and copy it down for you right here. It has one tricky stitch that isn't really too hard to master and the results are stunning most especially when used with a heavily colored yarn as here or a greatly contrasting monochromatic yarn such as a tonal hand dyed yarn.

Daisy stitch/Trinity stitch/Blackberry stitch/bramble stitch/Star stitch/ all those other names for it. Sheesh!!

Special stitch- PYP3: P3tog, do not slide stitches off the left needle, YO, P3tog through the same stitches and then slide them off. You have decreased 2 and increased 2 all in the same stitch.

Cast on in multiples of 4 +5.
Row 1: *K1, PYP3* Repeat to last stitch, K1 (wrong side)
Row 2: Knit across
Row 3: K1, P1, *K1 PYP3* Repeat to last 3 stitches, K1, P1, K1.
Row 4: Knit across

If you have trouble working this stitch pattern, I suggest using a larger needle. The special stitch requires a lot of room for maneuvering. Ordinarily the yarn pictured would have required a size 10 needle, but this scarf was done on a size 15. I could possibly have gone up to 17 and still had nice results. Another tip, use needles with very long points. Short blunt needles won't have as much room for you to maneuver and long slender tips will help you get through those 3 stitches without stressing out your hands.

Day 350 and Taupes

2011-12-14T22:49:00.003-05:00

Some colors names are just too darned vague to pin down. I gathered up a bunch of my taupes and made a nice spongy cowl with bobble bits. It's soft and it's comfy so if they taupes don't match, I'm not bothered even a little bit. Let the mismatched things match, says I!

Day 349 and Shimmer

2011-12-13T21:46:00.004-05:00

Novelty yarns have their place, but some yarns sit on the very border of novelty land. Anything with a thread of metallic bits often balance carefully here. This scarf uses Vanna's Choice Glimmer and definitely earns my seal of approval. Granted, I'm a really laid back and easy to please knitter. Some of the yarns I've worked with in the past year and what most folks would consider pretty darn gross. (We're talking 30 year old Orlon gross) I always assume that there's a way I can make a yarn work. If it was as heinous as all that then it wouldn't be on the market.

Vanna'a Choice (And keep in mind I haven't worked with any of Vanna's yarns just yet) doesn't come close to the heinous scale. The metallic bits aren't intrusive and aren't sticky and tinsely feeling as some tend to be and really does show quite a lot of shine despite the lack of it in my less-than-professional picture. I used a couple of baby yarns which happen to be the same weight to lessen the sparkle, but if I had had 3 skeins of Glimmer I feel confident in using it!

Here's the recipe:

3 skeins of Vanna's Choice Glimmer (They can all be the same color or you can use different colors. I think this would look pretty amazing with silver, gold, and platinum)
Size N Crochet hook
Tapestry needle.
Chain 111 and use the pattern "Hardy Edge" from Crochet Edges and Trims: 150 Stitches. Cut the yarn.
When you've finished the edge, turn the scarf so the chain edge is at the top. Start a new yarn and slip stitch into the available chain bump working rows 2-4 of the pattern. Cut the yarn.

Weave in all ends.

Don't be alarmed by the gigantic open lace! The hook and yarn combination makes a soft fabric that easily squishes up around your neck to provide nice warm layers.

Day 348 and Growing

2011-12-12T22:22:00.002-05:00

Sometimes I have an idea that's more of a concept than anything else. This is definitely one of those times.

If you're an organized person, this is a really fast 15 to 30 minute project. If you're disorganized this will send you into a wrath of frustration for weeks. Here's what I did. I made a slip knot and put it on a hook. I chained one stitch. I grabbed another yarn, made a slip knot, put it on the hook and made one chain stitch using both yarns. I grabbed another yarn and did the same with the third stitch. Et cetera Etc etera Et cetera. By the end I really don't know how many yarns I had all together. I kept having to switch to a larger hook far earlier than I was expecting. Barely a third of the way through I was already just using fingers only. Had I continued much farther, I expect I'd have been able to put my whole arm through the loops.

Most interesting to me is the way it looks like a real lock of braided hair (not in the color but in the texture. I've always noticed how a braid of hair got so small so very quickly and this scarf did basically the same thing but backwards.

Now if you'll excuse me, I've made a mess of my yarn stash and will be untangling for a few days. XP

Homework: Deciding when, why and what to write about

2011-12-12T10:29:00.003-05:00

This past year I made a goal for myself. If you've been reading or even glancing casually, I think it's pretty obvious what that goal was and whether or not I was successful.

The year is now almost over. I have a few days still to go but I feel confident in completing them. This of course leaves me the question of what I should do next year. Posting every single day was I must admit, incredibly taxing. If I didn't have a full time job, and blogging itself was my job, I bet I could do a daily thing again next year. Next year though I'd better slow it down a little bit.

The way I see it, there are three main questions that I have to ask myself:

When should I write (or how often)? Daily was a bit much, but weekly is a cinch. I do think that having a schedule and meeting deadlines is the best way to prevent stagnation. I think perhaps I should have no less than a weekly goal. I also would like to add to that an unrelated monthly goal. This way I have at least two different subjects to talk about and keep me from getting bored.

Why am I writing? I write because I want to share what I enjoy. So to answer this question, I suppose I have to decide what I enjoy. Naturally I enjoy working with yarn. I really do enjoy finishing things. I want to finish all my hibernating projects. I want to work on turning some of my favorite scarves from the past year into workable patterns to share with everyone.

Not related to yarn, I really enjoy learning about and experiencing the area around where I live. Even though I've been in this area for about 5 years, there are many neighborhoods, restaurants, parks and other points of interest I've never been to or even driven by.

Sometimes I just enjoy talking about nothing in particular.

SO! What am I writing? Results!

Because I want to finish my projects, I want to have at least 1 post a month that is a finished hibernating project, or a finished pattern to share.
Because I don't think I can help myself, I want to have 1 post a month that is a new (finished!) project just to show off a little.
Because there are some new techniques I've been meaning to try and practice at, I want to have 1 post a month that is a progress report on my new endeavors.
Because I want to enjoy my area, I want to have at least 1 post a month about my visit to somewhere I've never before been.
Because sometimes I have something to say, I'll post any extra posts about any extra subjects that I happen to feel like posting about any time I happen to feel like posting.

That gives me a little bit of structure (4 posts a month) with more than 1 subject (3 about yarn, 1 about travel, and mystery posts) as well as a lot of freedom.

I think I need to expand my blog roll by quite a lot as well. After my scarf project is over, I'm going to take some time to go through all the blogs I'm following and really flesh that list out. If any readers out there think that their blog might also fit well in the roll and I haven't already discovered you, feel free to speak up :)

Interestingly, I think this year of scarves has actually made me realize that I enjoy deadlines. Is that weird? Ha!

Day 347 and Festivity

2011-12-11T21:24:00.005-05:00

The closer you get to the holidays the more you want to dress up in the spirit of the holiday. I came from a Christmas family and to me nothing says Christmas like the three classic colors: red, green and white. I made this scarf with the basic diagonal garter stitch method.
(Row 1: Kfb, k across to last 2 stitches, K2tog. Row 2: Knit across)
Just doing my part to spread holiday cheer (but I won't dis you for being a humbug if that's your thing!).

Day 346 and Sick Day (formerly Snowballs)

2011-12-10T23:14:00.001-05:00

I knew I wouldn't be able to get through the entire year without a scarf made of this particular novelty yarn. It's most commonly called PomPom yarn (Pictured here is Bernat's version of it) and it consists of a woven cord with little fluff balls evenly spaced along the length. I have to admit it was very easy to knit but very difficult to work with in other ways. The only cast on method I could use was the backwards loop and the cast of was amazingly tight and both were because of the even spacing of the poms. Also cutting the cord caused it to unravel terribly dropping each of its pompoms along the way. On the other hand, stockinette stitch didn't curl in the slightest because of the way the poms spread each individual stitch way out. Also it certainly was incredibly soft once made into fabric and it's a look you can't really get any other way.

All in all, it's fine for a decorative scarf, but the loose stitching won't be keeping you warm at all without a lining. Oh well. All in the spirit of the season, no?

In truth, I had made this one a while ago with the intention of using it for the upcoming holiday so I'd be able to spend it stress free with my family. I've renamed it Sick Day for my Kevin who is spending the night in the hospital. I'm very lucky to have had a scarf ready made that I can move up in the line up, but more importantly I'm very grateful to know that he's being taken care of. If you have any healing to spare, send it along. Thanks :(

Day 345 and Fair Isle

2011-12-09T21:46:00.002-05:00

It might not be the most accurate title for this scarf. I'm no expert on color work, but from what I understand, fair isle has very specific rules. I don't think my cowl here quite fits. It might be a little bit like bandaids. The proper term is adhesive strip, but if you say bandaid, everyone knows what you're talking about. Need charts of inspiration? I recommend Alice Starmore's Charts for Color Knitting.

Day 344 and Mint Chip

2011-12-08T22:44:00.002-05:00

I thought I'd expand on the woven effect a little bit. In this collar I used an icord instead of scrap yarn and zigged it back and forth with each row. I used an interesting frog with a long loop so I could hook it onto itself instead of having another frog piece on the other side. Maybe it's just me, but I think loops are much easier than buttons. I'm sure it's just a personal thing.

Day 343 and Lazy

2011-12-07T23:16:00.004-05:00

Did I fool you? I've done a woven scarf with scraps before, but no! This is not woven! I crocheted the whole thing. I could have crocheted a mesh and then woven each of the strands through, but I didn't think I had it in me today. I've done tapestry crochet before and if you aren't careful the yarn that is supposed to be hidden inside the stitch can show through. I decided I'd use the folly to my advantage. I thought I'd be lazy and cheat my way to a woven look and I'm not ashamed ;)

Scraps of heavily textured yarn for "weaving"
Size M hook
TLC Amore held double (Main color)(any worsted or light worsted will do)
Tapestry needle

Cut as many scraps as you plan on using head of time about 5.5 feet for each length. The number of strands you should use for each row can be any number you like, but I used enough strands that when held together, they approximated the width of the chain created with the main color yarn.

Throughout the pattern, for every single crochet stitch including the very first and very last of every row, catch the scrap yarns inside the stitch as follows: Insert hook, pull up a loop, position scraps against the main fabric (or chain on the bass row), reach OVER the scraps to catch your loop and finish the stitch. Once again, this method of catching the scraps happens on each and every single crochet stitch throughout the pattern.

Chain 101 using main color.
Base row: SC into second chain from hook. *Chain 2, skip 2 chain, SC into next chain* repeat to last chain, Sc in last chain.
All following rows: Chain 1, Turn. SC into first stitch *Chain 2, skip chain space, SC into next SC* repeat to last stitch, SC in final stitch.

Repeat the second row until the scarf is as wide as you'd like. I had less than half a skein of amore and still was able to make a 6 inch wide scarf. If you'd like a longer scarf, increase the beginning chain with any multiple of 3.

Cut your scraps ends evenly or artistically as you please. Cut the main color and sew in the loose ends of the main color.

Day 342 and Mimsy Porpington

2011-12-06T21:10:00.002-05:00

Why the weird name!!?? I was inspired by the gigantic victorian neck ruffles. Because this is a very light color it's a little tricky to see the ruffles, but they are in fact vertical and do not lie flat against the rest of the otherwise simple collar. I remembered John Cleese wore something similar as a ghost in the Harry Potter movies and thus the namesake.

Basically, I made a very simple double crochet cowl with no shaping. When I had the width I wanted, I cut my end and wove them in. Then I started a new bit of crochet. This time I made three double crochets around the post of a stitch near the center as well as the one next to it. I chained 1 stitch, rotated the cowl, and worked around the post of another set of stitches. I kept mine lined up for this scarf, to make nice symmetrical ruffles.

Day 341 and Scatterbrain

2011-12-05T22:49:00.002-05:00

SO I thought yesterday's scarf was fun to make and I figured I do another one with a twist. This time I pulled all the strands out as a loop and I deliberately used variegated yarns. The result is a massive hodge podge of colors. It's bright, it's wacky, and I love it!!

When doing the loop technique though, I need to mention that it's important to do one final row of basic single crochet. Otherwise the loops on that last edge can get all stretched out and strange looking the way a ladder in otherwise even knitting looks.

Day 340 and Big Bird

2011-12-04T20:54:00.003-05:00

Here's a weird technique. If you've ever made loopy fabric by using your thumb to hold some extra yarn out while you make your stitch, then you can do this. It's all made with single crochet, but with three strands of yarn held together. When making the loops ONLY hold out one yarn. In this case, I used the yellow fluffy yarn every single time, but for an interesting effect, you could pull out a different yarn for each stitch.

Day 339 and Comic

2011-12-03T23:20:00.003-05:00

Shameless plug alert! My fiance Kevin has been writing a webcomic (idget) semi regularly since... shoot, I don't even know! It's got to be about 10 years running now.

I turn to him today and I say, "Kevin! Give me an idea for a scarf! I'm feeling a little uninspired."
He says, "Do a scarf about a comic strip." I sense he's being facetious until *bing! lightbulb!*
I reply, "Perfect!"

It's really just another clever way to use an applique, but even more, it's a way to tell others what you're thinking. I have a rather large collection of buttons (badges). I used to display them on the upholstered ceiling of my car. Unfortunately my new car has a hard fiberglass top and I can't transfer the buttons there. This scarf gives me a new opportunity to show off the collection. If you don't have a huge set of brooches, badges, or high school kids in sports and band uniforms,* I suggest sewing in 3 black buttons in a row. Better to remain silent with a set of ellipsis, then to have a blank speech bubble and be thought a fool.

What? Is that not the phrase?

2 skeins Loops and Threads Charisma (held double throughout) I used offwhite.
Size 19 needles
10 yards worsted yarn (I used black)
size 7 or 8 dpns (A cranking icord maker or knitting nancy will work just fine)
Tapestry needle

Cast on 14 with large needles.
Rows 1, 2: [k1, p1] across
Rows 3, 4: [p1, k1] across
Repeat these rows until you're clean out of yarn. Bind off.

Cast on 4 with Dpns. Work i-cord until you're clean out of yarn.

Arrange the cording on the scarf in the shape of a speech bubble and sew into place. Use the black yarn to attach the cord as the white is far too large. If you catch only purl ridges as you sew, the backside will have no trace of your stitches and appear clean and neat.
Pin some badges or sew some buttons and tell everyone what you have to say!

*Did anyone else's school do this? My high school had a photo roster which was turned into campaign style badges for parents to wear. Pass along the idea if your local house of learning hasn't already adopted the practice.

Day 338 and Bear Hug

2011-12-02T21:34:00.003-05:00

I don't think I've done nearly enough cute childlike scarves this year. I thought the yarn combination here of one fuzzy mohair and one smooth yarn made a nice furry, but not overwheling texture. It looked like a big fuzzy animal. A couple claws at each end and that fuzzy animal has his paws around you!

Awwww, so cute!

Day 337 and Ninja

2011-12-01T23:28:00.002-05:00

Here's a simple equation: Hat + Cowl = Ski mask.

I've had this on my wish list for a while now! Here's the set up.
If you know the recipe for a short row hat knitted sideways, you can make it into a ski mask very easily. All you have to do is cast on many many more stitches until it's long enough to cover the face. On the crown edge, work the decrease wedges as you normally would and on the long edge, just knit straight.

When it comes time to put the face in, all you have to do is work the hat as if it were only a hat leaving all the other stitches on the needle. Then cut the yarn and attach it to the face area leaving a few stitches gap for the eyes. Knit straight until it's the same width as the hat portion and sew the seam.

I need to deconstruct this project again and post a better pattern. In all honesty, I made this one up as I went along (and that's very much like me). Among my goals for the new year is learning to make a PDF so I can post better patterns to ravelry. :)

Day 336 and Ravenclaw

2011-11-30T17:52:00.003-05:00

If you're a hardcore fan of anything at all, you know that other fans can be rabid, insane, frightening, but above all of those other thing, they are opinionated!

Watchers of the Harry Potter movies might make a fuss that I've chosen the wrong colors for this so called Ravenclaw scarf, but readers of the books will nod in appreciation. Storytelling (and in this case scarf making) is constantly evolving even when the story is something as concrete as a book or a movie. Despite the art already having been made, there will always be someone out there interpreting it as he or she sees fit. How many years will go by before there is a remake of the series or a tv show that does a little retcon? It could happen.

As it stands, I went with book canon blue and bronze. I'm not saying it's better, just that it's my choice and just like my opinion, I'm grateful to have it.

Day 335 and Hufflepuff

2011-11-29T22:03:00.003-05:00

I am nothing if not a completionist. I've made 2 Gryffindors and a Slytherin. I'll be darned if I don't complete the set!!

I used a nice fat yarn and it's outrageously soft. I'm totally a fan of Micheal's house brand "Loops and Threads" If you have a Micheals craft center near you, give the brand a try. It's much softer, much less pilling, and just as machine washable as you'd imagine.

Day 334 and Test Strip

2011-11-28T23:00:00.002-05:00

I've done plenty of scarves using scraps, but most of them are just a jumble so no one yarn sticks out. I've also made scarves using a single stripe of a yarn which is certainly interesting, but you can't tell what the yarn is like by itself when done this way.

This time around, I thought I'd really give each yarn a chance. It's still a scrap scarf, but by separating each texture with something smooth and nondescript, you get a better feel for each type so that you might be interested in using it for something more substantial.

If you're really lucky, you might live near a yarn shop that lets you sample yarns! If that's the case, this is an ideal scarf to make. Use a size P hook and either buy the contrast yarn or bring it along. Something like this takes only an hour or so (and I for one can easily spend much more time than that in a yarn shop!).

Day 333 and The Winding Road

2011-11-27T21:25:00.003-05:00

I'm really trying to get more cabling into my life. It's interesting, it's slightly challenging, and it always always always yields impressive results.

Here I did nothing more than a plain cowl. Garter stitch is used 3 stitches wide on both edges and in the center, a 2 stitch cable. All I did was move the cable over one stitch for every right side row. When I got too close to one border, I started moving it in the other direction. With an even wider center section, some interesting asymmetrical direction changes could be very exciting!

Day 332 and Pringles

2011-11-26T22:32:00.003-05:00

Why pringles? Pringles are probably my third favorite brand of fried crispy chip thing after Doritos and Clancy's Sweet potato chips. I love the way they stack up perfectly and I love the way they curve over the tongue. I know they aren't very healthy, but darn it, when you open a bag of chips or a can of pringles you know darn well what you're getting into.

The crocheted ribbing here stacks up perfectly just like the crispy crisps and just like a crisp, I bet you can't stop at just one. Single crochet ribbing is so easy, a beginner can do it.

Day 331 and Cro-knit

2011-11-25T21:50:00.003-05:00

Okkay here's one that's completely new to me! I can't believe I had one of these needles in my stash! I know I never bought it... maybe my mom passed it on to me.

Anyway, the technique is called cro-knitting, cro-hooking, double-end crocheting, crocheniting, and double tunisian, but as far as I can tell, they all stand for the same thing. The technique uses a long needle with a crochet style hook at both ends and two strands of yarn. The basic stitch (seen here) is exactly the tunisian or afghan stitch. The big difference is that after picking up all the stitches onto the need, you *turn* the needle and work the return row and another pick up row in the opposite color. Check out this video by Mary Middleton to see the basic stitch in action.

Day 330 and Pilgrim

2011-11-24T11:11:00.001-05:00

I'm not sure what the problem with American History is, but we Americans can never seem to get it quite right. Case in point: Today is American Thanksgiving. The rules are as follows.
1. Indians wear little headbands with three feathers sticking out the back.
2. Cornucopias all have the same veggies.
3. TURKEY... chicken is blasphemous on this day!
4. Pilgrims wear buckles.

I have put rule number 4 into play today. Pilgrims wore buckles. If you wear buckles then you are a pilgrim. This scarf makes you a pilgrim.

Day 329 and Flagged

2011-11-23T23:08:00.002-05:00

Have you ever seen those little post it brand arrow stickers? Apparently they are useful for college kids, politicians, and business executives to mark important pages in their documents.

As I was knitting with my jiffy needles (that's size 50 folks!) I had neglected to make a thick fabric as my yarn was not quite as heavy as it should have been. To give some more body to the finished fabric, I took some extra yarn in a different color and wove it through the large airy stitches. I let the tassels hang and those little flag markers are what came to mind.

Day 328 and Cheer

2011-11-22T20:26:00.002-05:00

This would be another terrific pep rally school spirit favorite team scarf! I increased one stitch at the beginning of each row until I had 10 stitches. I used a size M hook, but if you prefer a smaller hook, increase to as many stitches as you'd like so that the scarf is comfortably wide for you. After working straight for a while, decrease one stitch at the end of each row until you've come to a point. Leave your ends long enough to attach the pom poms.

Of all things, I used a DVD case to make the size pom poms I wanted. I wound yarn around the case about 50 times to get the thickness I wanted. Tie yarn around the center point on each side of the case and cut along both edges. Your pom poms will turn out exactly the same size and you have yarn ends at each point of the scarf ready to tie the pompoms on.

Day 327 and Antique

2011-11-21T19:21:00.002-05:00

When one is working on a project, there is hardly a despair so intense as the realization that you haven't purchased enough of the same dye lot. The rage might set in in you're working with either black or white where the color difference is more obvious than in some other colors.

I went to an extreme here and deliberately choose whites that didn't match. The result is a faux antique. I'm strongly reminded of the gradually changing and very splotching colors of a very old lace table cloth such as would be passed down from earlier generations.

This is a fairly new pattern on ravelry called "Cloudburst shawl." The designer is quite new, but I found the pattern easy enough to understand.

Day 326 and Lofty

2011-11-20T22:09:00.002-05:00

I love a nice fat lace that still keeps one warm. This is an easy stitch I felt like practicing. It has a strong diagonal warp though, so if you want to keep your lace lines straight, you'll have to do some heavy duty blocking.

Worked over a multiple of 3 plus 1 stitch.
Row 1: K1, *YO, K2tog* repeat **to end.
Row 2: Purl across

Couldn't be simpler, right? If you want to do this as a whole scarf, I recommend an extra 2-4 stitches on each end in 1x1 ribbing to give it structure.

Day 325 and Slippage

2011-11-19T22:55:00.003-05:00

While I've made a scarf before by stitching the length of the scarf, cutting and starting over with a new thread at the original end, this marks the first time I've made a scarf using nothing but crocheted slip stitches.

When working with most weights of yarn, creating a fabric from slip stitches becomes very thick and very tedious very quickly. I used a jiffy hook and thicker yarns (though of many different weights) that were still not quite thick enough to fill the jiffy hook. As a result the fabric is curiously resembling woven fabric rather than crochet.

Day 324 and Pride

2011-11-18T16:56:00.005-05:00

It's not the first rainbow I've done, nor is it the first situation in which colors are used together as well as alone to create an effect. It is however the first scarf directly representational of my political and ethical stance on a certain subject.

I don't think it needs spelling out, but Kevin and I support love.

Day 323 and Bumblebee

2011-11-17T20:04:00.003-05:00

This is not a big revelation, but I don't think I've covered it so, let us shall!

What you see is NOT a wide short scarf with many many stripes. Instead, it's a slender scarf that's long enough to make you think it's a short wide scarf. I love stripes very much, but I hate all the ends that you have to weave in (assuming you're not going to take advantage of the ready made fringe). Fewer stripes naturally means fewer ends to weave. This appeals to me a lot! So in order to make 4 stripes look like 12 or 16, just make the scarf long enough to wrap around your neck 4 or more times. Problem solved.

Day 322 and Abacus

2011-11-16T23:02:00.003-05:00

I can make a small i cord ring, so why not use a whole bunch of them? Strung on more i cords enclosed in solid stitching, the rings can be moved around at will. It makes for an interesting way to remember a date or phone number.

Day 321 and Bowties

2011-11-15T19:17:00.003-05:00

From the book Crochet Edgings and Trims, this is the very first pattern available in the book and in my opinion the most suited to be made bulky and turned into a scarf. The bowtie relief stitching is made as you go and is really a very clever construction. Let us never forget that a trim can be blown up and made to stand all on its own.

Day 320 and Sunflower

2011-11-14T21:48:00.003-05:00

Ahhh, variations on a theme are what keep me going every day. Whenever I feel like I've hit a dead end, I can always look back at something I liked and think to myself, "how can I make this different?"

Instead of a closure, I went with a snug cowl. This could work with just about any applique though. The basic formula is as follows:

Size 17 needles
worsted weight yarn (3 strands held together)

I worked over 16 stitches a simple moss stitch and grafted the beginning to the end when it was just long enough to stretch over my head. Knowing that I was going to make a large sunflower, I decided to place the flower right over the seam as it was large enough to cover it completely thus making the remaining cowl appear completely seamless. I opted for color on color here, but you might prefer a nice green background for a flowery scene, or even something a little sparkly to remind you of a pretty crystal vase for the single bloom.

The sunflower design was partially lifted from 100 Flowers to Knit and Crochet by Lesley Stanfield though I must admit, I did modify it heavily. I just can't seem to leave well enough alone!

Day 319 and Reversal

2011-11-13T22:22:00.000-05:00

There are plenty of ways to make reversible fabric. It's hard to tell in the photo, but on one side, there is multi colored stripes where both yarns are held together as well as dark blue stripes where the dark blue is worked alone through the front loop. On the other side you can still see the multi stripes but the solid color is instead the teal worked through the back loop.

I love the idea that a single garment can masquerade as two.

Day 318 and Caught

2011-11-12T20:54:00.003-05:00

There's so much that can be done with these loops!!! I'm going to play with this toy until it breaks!

So this time around, I crocheted the loops a little shorter and just like a certain other stitch from the knitters repertoire, they fit right inside each other! I did the return row out of order. I can see this being made into a sort of cabling method somehow. Then I thought it might be a little too thick to be comfortable if I did this for the whole scarf, so I made some more loops and did 2 return rows of single crochet. The second return row was around the same loops as the first to hold them open a little better and I was able to use them as a keyhole to make this a keyhole style scarf.

I know there's more that can be done with this method... Yeah, I'm so totally going to play with this toy until it breaks. I'll try not to do it so consecutively next time though. I can see how I might get the concerned friend's gradually decaying look of tolerance if I over do it.

Day 317 and Quickbraid

2011-11-11T21:56:00.003-05:00

Until now, excepting sewn and fleece scarves, the shortest amount of time I've spent on a daily piece is about 2 hours (even for cowls and gigantic needlework!) This one was done in under an hour and it was such a unique construction.

Like yesterday I was playing with making long loops with chains. Today I made 3 big loops, kept the yarn attached and braided them together. A few rows of single crochet locked each braid into place. Usually when you braid there are separate pieces, but having these loops kept it all together and very tame. Now I wish I had gone even wider with 2 loops per braid strand... of course, there's still plenty of time!

Day 316 and Cagey

2011-11-10T22:24:00.004-05:00

At first my idea was to make a very fast chain scarf but do so in a normal widthwise manner rather than the usual method of chaining the entire length of the scarf and making a couple of single crochets here and there. This time I did three rows of normal single crochet and a forth row consisting of loops 20 chains long. I used a single crochet to secure each loop just as if it were a normal SC row and had to chain 11 to get the height I needed to continue.

Interestingly, this creates a scarf that is (though open and loopy) doubly thick at all the chain locations. You could pull some of the loops forward and trap something in the cage of chain stitches if you so chose.

I mentioned that this was the intention at first. While I accomplished the intention, I think what I got from this scarf instead was a realization... even an epiphany!... that tonal color combinations have the potential to work more pleasingly as block colors than do solids! I was anticipating something a GREAT deal less nice than this turned out and I think it's completely due to my misconception that gradients would look awful with other gradients! I stand humbled and corrected!

Day 315 and Branches

2011-11-09T20:37:00.004-05:00

Continuing my literal-mindedness, I have made for you the floppiest coziest tree branch around. The leaves were knitted and the branch itself was crocheted because that's the easiest way I could possibly connect them all together without making myself insane with all of the hand sewing (I really am not a fan of slow fiddly handsewing... weird considering I knit and crochet, isn't it?)

I'm not sure I"m bold enough to wear something like this, but it's sure cute as a photo prop.

Day 314 and Dandelion

2011-11-08T21:11:00.004-05:00

I've been having a lot of fun lately with concrete interpretations of an idea. For instance, I wanted to make a tree, so I literally designed the image of a tree onto a scarf. Today I was looking at some of my lonelier stash bits and wondering what they resembled.

Fluffy white and off whites reminded me of a late summer dandelion head, the sort which a small child likes to pick and blow and make a wish. How shall I make this into a scarf? Nestle the head of the wearer into the fluff and make a pair of ties in a green stemmy color! GENIUS!

Day 313 and Foresty

2011-11-07T22:32:00.004-05:00

I thought I'd do a little more tweeding today. A nice woodsy green and brown combo absolutely requires a leaf and toggle closure.

This was done on size 15 needles with 2 strands of worsted held together. I knit in moss stitch until it fit about an inch more than around my neck. For most people this would be between 14 and 18 inches.

Then I used a leaf pattern from 75 Birds Butterflies and little beasts to knit and crochet. Nearly any of these would look nice but I picked out the whitebeam leaf. I again used 2 strands of worsted, this time with the green only but switched to size 11 needles to give a very firm strong leaf. The stem was sewn to itself to create the toggle and I happened to have some lovely natural wood log buttons that matched perfectly. Another leaf with a knot instead of a loop would have looked very nice as well.

Day 312 and Newspaper

2011-11-06T22:03:00.002-05:00

What's black and white and red all over? HA! We've all heard that one. I love the look of putting more than one color yarn together, and I love the look of putting more than one texture together as long as it's not overwhelming. This seemed a natural progression and I'm surprised I didn't get here earlier.

In general I think that tweeding a couple of yarns together that are opposite colors tends to be a bit harsh, but I added a third yarn in gray to soften the change and I'm very happy with it. Happily adding the fur yarn in for just a few rows barely changed the gauge at all since I was using such a large needle to begin with (size 17). I anticipate making more of these someday in the future as cute gifts in lots of colors when my stash once again gets out of hand.

Day 311 and Don't Cross the Streams!

2011-11-05T21:50:00.002-04:00

Tah dah! Yet another iconic Hollywood blockbuster effect! I remember the first time I saw Ghostbusters as a very young child and I was genuinely frightened. I guess I wasn't the target age. Now that I'm older I can appreciate it on a much more enjoyable level and it's one of my all time favorite movies (although that list is pretty darn long).

In order not to make the exact same scarf as yesterday, I made the crazy electrical light effects by using a crochet hook to make a chain stitch right on top of the main fabric. When I got to an edge, I made extra chains and let them fly out by themselves beyond the edge before turning around again. The extra dimension really makes the same old fur fabric feel like something a little different.

Day 310 and The Dark Side

2011-11-04T13:19:00.003-04:00

What can I say? I'm a nerd. So I was thinking about my STILL HUGE stash of fun fur. I really would like to know how I got it all because I can't remember having bought more than about 4 balls of it in my entire life. Anyway I was watching some sci fi movies and got to considering the special effects. Suddenly it occurred to me as I'm sure it has occurred to many other more clever knitters that fur isn't a fabric as much as it is an effect!

Thus, lightsabers. I didn't have a pattern of course so the hilts are a little bit crude, but I think it's pretty clear whose lightsabers this scarf represents. They are connected at the back of the neck so that when you the scarf it's as if someone is crossing swords right in front of you. Fur made them really look like they are lit up.

(Be ready for a variation on a theme tomorrow!)

Day 309 and My Backyard

2011-11-03T15:32:00.002-04:00

The last two KnitPicks catalogs have made me all excited for Christmastime stuffies and scenes. So as a nod to the the precious little landscapes, I've put my own simplified little landscape on this cowl. I made it up as I went along. This is very much like the scenes I used to draw in crayon as a child. My trees were just rectangles with curliques on top.

This might be a fun way to collect a particular piece of child's artwork and make it wearable.

Day 308 and Busted

2011-11-02T10:43:00.002-04:00

From the beginning, one of my goals on this year long endeavor was using up so much of my stash which would otherwise surely never be used in my lifetime if I didn't do something drastic. This scarf marks a momentous occasion when a yarn that I've had for years and years (and of which I had many skeins) finally had been used completely up. This yarn was called "Aquarius" and I had something like 7 or 8 skeins. It would have been great if it was the type of yarn that I had wanted to make a sweater out of, but it was a brush acrylic and had I made a sweater, I would have ruined it with sweat after the first wearing. This stuff is just that warm. Happily that makes it a prime candidate for a scarf and I think I managed to get 4 or 5 scarves out of it including one of my very first scarves, the garter stitch which I believe was way back on January 1st.

This time around I had only one skein left and I had to make it last. There is a particular market bag which I am fond of which is made with a chain mesh and increased by making longer chains between each mesh point. As fluffy as the yarn was, I figured it would look less like a market bag and more like a ruffle.

Day 307 and Vogue Collar

2011-11-01T22:48:00.003-04:00

As many off the cuff scarves as I've made, I still really enjoy following a pattern. I thought this was a quick easy to follow pattern as vogue patterns tend to be. Just a quicky, fairly nondescript, but it made me happy and I felt accomplished afterwards as I tend to do on completion.

Day 306 and the Scare-ff

2011-10-31T11:33:00.002-04:00

It's Halloween! Sooooo Spooooooky! This scarf may look plain white when you're not trying to be scary, but flip it over and BOO! A scary ghost face!

Alright, it's not that scary, but it is really very cute and the face is quirky and not too big so that it's appropriate for adults as well as kids.

I used one big baby blanket sized skein of baby weight (light sport weight) yarn and had a bunch left over.

Set up row: Chain 17, DC into the 4th and every following chain.
Repeat this row over and over: Turn, Chain 3, DC into the second and every following stitch including the turning chain.

It's just plain old double crochet the whole way down except for the little scallops at the end to look like the ghosts sheet flapping in the wind. Do this 3 times on each end: Chain 1, SC into the first stitch, Skip 1, TC 5 times into the next stitch, Skip 1, SC into the next stitch. Omit the Chain 1 fr the following 2 scallops and tie off after the third.

Now you need eyes and a mouth which is done with simple magic circles. Make a loop around your fingers and make 6 Single crochets into the loop. Pull the end tight to close the hole. slip stitch into the beginning sc to close the gap. Chain 1, and make 2 single crochets into each stitch and once again make a slip stitch to close the gap. Make three and sew them onto the scarf for a cute spooky face.

Day 305 and Ponchette

2011-10-30T22:12:00.004-04:00

Hey look! Kevin did my photo cropping today! He likes to help a little

I remember back when Martha Stewart did jail time. I can't remember why she did, but I do remember the gigantic poncho she wore when she was released. As I recall, a fellow inmate made it for her as a celebration/happy parole gift. Any crocheter who saw it immediately knew how to make one of their own.

Since a poncho isn't a scarf, I made my own smaller scale version. It's just a rough recipe, but if you're not a granny square virgin, it should be easy enough to pick up.

I used a size K hook and worsted weight yarn and used a base of 80 stitches. I did the basic granny stitch 10 times and made a corner. Then I did it again. That was the end of the round. I just repeated until I got a wide enough shape that it made me happy.

As long as you do the basic granny stitch and have only 2 corners rather than the usual 4, you'll end up with a poncho shape instead of a flat motif.

Day 304 and Rugby

2011-10-29T22:30:00.002-04:00

Here's one for the non-knitter, non-hookster that anyone can do. If you don't know how to do a basic three strand braid, just ask the first person you see with hair that passes the shoulders. It's like a global law that folks with long hair must know how to braid.

Anyway, I used 9 braids each with 6 strands. The strands were cut about 2 yards/meters long. Once I had all of them braided, I used all nine strands together as a 3 strand braid held multiple. I kept them as flat as possible, but if you really want it to hold the nice flat braid shape it would be a good idea to sew a straight line across every 4 or 5 inches. You'll need to sew across the very top and the very bottom anyway as the easiest way to secure the braid in place.

Day 303 and Dealies

2011-10-28T21:56:00.003-04:00

I made some very strange little sloppy pom poms out of frogged yarn and since it was acrylic, I couldn't condition the curls out. They're actually pretty cute and just need a little brushing out. I didn't want to go through the trouble of attaching them all so instead I made the ties very long. By holding the ties along with the working yarn I was able to secure them without any sewing at all by holding the ties in with the working yarn and letting the sloppy poms fall wherever they landed.

Day 302 and Kits

2011-10-27T22:38:00.007-04:00

I'm really trying to learn a little more about color and how to make things "go." A good way to learn, I decided, was to go to the experts by way of a kit. While you could buy a kit to make something specific, you could just as well get a kit to make an afghan and make a scarf or a sweater instead. Don't look for just knitting or crocheting kits either! Interesting crewel embroidery kits often have really lovely wool floss and things like latch hook rugs have the rug yarn already cut into nice even fringe pieces. Think outside the plastic commercial bag!

What you see isn't actually a kit for a scarf. In fact, I don't know what it was intended to be a kit for in the first place. The yarns all came in a commercial looking bag, but the instructions were gone as well as any other parts of the kit other than yarn and some clipped ends.

The colors looked a bit like it was supposed to be a harvest witchy pillow, but I suppose I'll never know. I do rather enjoy the end result. The big color blocks seem to flow so much better as gradually changing color families and the chevron gives it some movement and an interesting texture.

Size 15 needles
aran weight yarn (or sport weight held double)
tapstry needle

Cast on 19.
Row 1: Knit front and back of first stitch, K8, Slip 2 together, Knit 1, pass both slipped stitches over, K8, Knit front and back of last stitch.
Row 2: Knit across.

Repeat until you're happy with the length, changing colors as often as you see fit. Bind off.

Day 301 and Crossed

2011-10-26T22:11:00.000-04:00

I'm still having trouble keeping tunisian (afghan) crochet from curling at the edges. I couldn't cure it completely but by stitching the beginning to the end offset so that the edges are connected instead of the ends, I not only had a little bit of help from the dreaded curl, but also had a much larger area in which to place a cross-stitched design.

Kevin has been asking me for a while if he could help with a scarf. Cross-stitching is a hobby of his and this scarf gave him a nice big canvas on which to place a picture. If you've ever played Oregon Trail, you'll recognize this gun toting figure. All around the cowl, there are the poor critters that will be his meal ticket. Leave it to my man to come up with something so quirky. It almost looks like the little hunter is aiming at the wearer for his next capture!

Day 300 and Cirrus

2011-10-25T13:35:00.002-04:00

It's another milestone day and I named this after a cloud because hitting a milestone puts me on cloud nine! (Yeah, that's right, I brought out the cheese on that one.) This was outrageously easy, but the border gave me a bit of a headache because there seems to be no way to do this without constantly revolving your yarns around each other.

The gist is it's a plain DC stitch cowl with a linking chain border.

Chain 50 with a size P hook and yarn of a matching weight.
Make a ring with a slip stitch to the first chain.

Chain 3, DC in every chain, slip stitch to the 3rd chain at the beginning of the row.
Chain 3, DC in every stitch, slip stitch to the beginning chain to connect the row.

Continue until you have the width that you want (I did 5 rows).

Now pick a contrasting color. You will be working both colors at the same time. Chain 5 in the main color, skip 1 stitch, SC into the next stitch. Remove the hook from the loop and join the second color in the skipped stitch. *Working from behind the previous loop, Chain 5, SC into the first available empty stitch. Again remove the hook, this time pick up the opposite color and repeat from *. You'll have to take time to untangle your yarn balls every few stitches as they will be twisting around each other. I think the result was worth it.

Day 298 and Studfinder

2011-10-24T20:10:00.004-04:00

I made this using a very easy and clever technique that most people refer to as built in i-cord. Basically, the stitches over which your icord is to be worked are only done on the right side of the fabric. On the wrong side, all the stitches of the i-cord are slipped with the yarn in back. The slipping causes the cords to be pulled tightly and give vertical dimension and because they are always slipped, they appear to be knitted.

I have found however that this technique works best with fabrics that have a lot of vertical stretch such as garter stitch or moss stitch, otherwise you may find yourself with rippling fabric where you didn't want it.

Day 297 and Trick or Treat

2011-10-23T11:01:00.000-04:00

Just when I think I've dabbled in every technique there is, something new turns up.

This is called interlocking crochet, woven filet, double filet, or double sided crochet among other names, I expect. It's truly fascinating! The idea is that 2 filet crochet meshes are worked at the same time offset in such a way that the crosses of one layer appear through the windows of the other layer. By sometimes working stitches through the mesh of the opposite fabric, interesting patterns can be made. Amazingly, I would call this an advanced beginner technique despite looking so very advanced.

I pulled this pattern stitch from Interlocking Crochet which I think is best called a stitch dictionary just for this technique.

The coolest part is that in this photo you see a grid of orange with black windows, but if you were to turn this scarf over, it would look like an entirely different piece! On the other side, it's a wash of black with orange crosses.

Day 296 and Trapped

2011-10-22T22:11:00.002-04:00

I've seen plenty of this very clever technique and plenty of ways to execute it as well. I for one am lazy and did it this way:

With my size 11 needles I made an 8 stitch garter strip that was twice as long as the cowl that I wanted. Then I arranged the strip into the shape you see here. It's basically a moebius strip but twisted and doubled. I sewed the doubled area together and the overlapping parts then appear to be trapped in the gap made by the opposite side.

I've also seen this done by making a strip exactly the width you want it, but by splitting both ends and sewing them around each other. Either way there is some sneaky sewing involved. Maybe someday someone will invent a way to do this seamlessly, but it doesn't look like today is the day nor am I the one to do it! Still, I can be happy with what I made and just keep on waiting.

Day 295 and Color Correction

2011-10-21T13:29:00.004-04:00

I love to find yarn in thrift shops. Sometimes I get lucky and find balls of yarn with the bands still on, but sometimes I buy a sweater with the intention of ripping it up and harvesting the yarn. Other times and this is much more rare, I find half finished projects. Many thrift shops that I frequent don't even put these out on the floor and the donated half thing is just sent to the bin. If I can find them, I usually snag them up and they are often much easier to take apart than a finish sweater. This one was definitely an exception.

Here's what the fabric looked like before I started messing with it.
You can't tell very well from this photo, but the yellow is ruining the whole piece. It's a bizarre neon shade that completely detracts from the three otherwise nice neutral colors. Another couple of cons for this monster: It's acrylic and it's made with many strands held together. Now, there's nothing wrong with modern acrylic. It's much softer than counterparts made decades ago and it's very machine friendly, but this one was a little older than I usually accept. As for holding many strands together, again there's nothing wrong with it, but pulling it apart is where the problem lies.

Frogging a single strand of something is no problem at all. YOu wind it into a ball or a skein as you go and you're ready to recondition and use it. If there's more than one strand though, you pretty much need as many other people helping you as there are strands in the fabric. This one had 4. I have some very generous helpful friends, but I suspect they no longer would remain so if I asked them to help me undo this ordeal. All those strands tend to braid around each other as you knit so pulling them into separate balls was darn near impossible.

Instead I figured I try to correct the color somehow. Since I can't remove strands from the beast, I'd add strands until it no longer offended my delicate constitution. One more brown and two greens later and I wasn't puking. Granted, I built some muscles handling fabric made from seven strands of yarn at the same time, but it sure is thick and warm!

Chalk this one up to my extreme pig-headedness.

Day 294 and Cufflinks

2011-10-20T19:48:00.002-04:00

Just because I don't have enough yarn for a nice long scarf doesn't always limit me to keyhole scarves and cowls. For this project I made a very simple double crochet rectangle. It fits snugly around the neck as long as there's something cinching it together. In this case I took a coordinating yarn and made a cufflink with fat yarn buttons and a thick chain link. Since the cufflink is separate, it can be placed absolutely anywhere on the length of the scarf so this might double as a faux vest or a dickie depending on what you wear with or over it.

Day 293 and Ball Band

2011-10-19T22:51:00.003-04:00

I make an effort not to be a snobby knitter/crocheter and yes indeed it does require effort sometimes. The biggest brand names in yarn have huge websites and thousands of patterns that have been designed specifically for use with their yarns. These patterns are given away for free in the hopes that the crafter will buy the exact yarns called for in the pattern. It's a very clever marketing technique, but also it's very generous and most folks have no scruples whatsoever about using whatever yarn they see fit to use.

This is the type of pattern that would come on a Ball band and I make an effort not to scoff just because the humble pattern is on the inside of a curled piece of paper.

Size P hook
1 ball Wool Ease thick and Quick from Lion Brand
Tapestry needle.

Chain 135. (or any multiple of 4 +3)
Row 1: DC into the second and every following chain.
Row 2: Chain 3, turn. Dc into the second stitch. * skip 2 sts, 1 Trbl into the 3rd and 4th stitches, then crossing the stitches in front work 1 trbl into each of the skipped stitches* repeat to the last 2 stitches, DC2.
Row 3: Chain 3, turn. DC into the second and every following stitch.
Weave in ends.

Day 292 and Complimentary

2011-10-18T21:12:00.004-04:00

Now that it's getting to the end of the year, I sometimes worry that I'm overthinking things. I do so much that is so simple and an equal amount that is so original and unique. I think I glance over the middle ground quite a lot of the time.

So here we are, middle ground. I didn't overlook you hanging out at the center of things! A nice bit of fleece with some holes poked all around the edge for a very easy crochet and chain border. The holes were too far for 1 chain to be enough but too close for 2 chains to lay flat. I went with two and was pleasantly surprised at the faux picot it made. A quick consult with the color wheel gave me a bright but basic complimentary color match.

Day 291 and Mirror Lake

2011-10-17T23:13:00.003-04:00

So pretty! This is a free pattern that can be found not only in ravelry's library but also on Caron's pattern pages. I found this to take a lot more time than expected and I think it's because I rarely make crochet that's so darn big! I used panda cotton here and it's amazingly drapey. I think that's saying a lot because crochet is notorious for being stiff. It's all in the gauge and the material though.

Day 290 and Planarian

2011-10-16T21:58:00.003-04:00

It took me FOREVER to figure out the name of the plucky little animal that this scarf reminded me of! There's a brief glimpse of a very colorful example in Finding Nemo of a strange fishlike animal with one ruffly fin going all the way around its body. Turns out it was a Planarian or a Flatworm. Who knew something as unappealing sounding as flatworm could actually be so colorful and lovely?

Day 289 and Fiyero

2011-10-15T21:51:00.004-04:00

Kevin has been reading Wicked by Gregory Maguire. It's quite a good read, moves along at a fair clip, and yet not a fluffy piece. (I shamelessly admit needing to look a word or two up in the dictionary once every third chapter or so.) While I feel there is a lot of excellent descriptive writing throughout the book, every once in a while there is a phrase that catches my imagination a little better than the rest.

Fiyero is the shortlived love interest of the heroine and is describe as having diamonds decorating his skin. Well of course I had to emulate that somehow! I used yesterday's improvised "pattern" and repeated only the increase and decrease portions. You can't tell from this photo, but there is a metallic element to the yarn that makes the diamonds sparkle just a bit. I'm rather pleased with this decorative submission.

Day 288 and Calico

2011-10-14T22:54:00.003-04:00

Over here in Ohio, I'm still using up the tribble-like accumulation of acrylic eyelash yarn. Happily some of it is of lovely natural looking colors. If it's going to look furry, I prefer colors that occur in fur.

I was also interesting in crocheting some of it. Fur yarn always amuses when knitted, but often loses the charm in crochet. Knitting isn't nearly as looped up and knotted as crochet is and all those knots trap the lashes and prevent them from fluffing up easily or sometimes at all! Remedy for the situation is to use a larger sized hook, and boy you really have to level that hook up to make a difference. I had to use a size P hook and 3 strands before the fur stayed as fluffy as I liked.

Day 287 and Bites

2011-10-13T22:15:00.000-04:00

I'm still not good at colorwork, but when it's in chunks and squares I can handle it. Every color here has a bite of another color taken out of it.

Get ready for a recipe rather than a pattern!

Size M hook
Worsted weight yarn in various colors
Tapestry needle
(American abbreviations)

Chain 12. DC into the 4th and every following chain. (10 stitches, turning chain counts)
*Work 3 rows even. (chain 3, DC into second and every following stitch)
For the fourth row, chain 3, DC into the next 3 stitches. Work the first half of a DC into the next stitch changing color for the final loop. Finish the row in the new color.
Begin the next row in the new color, changing back to the original for the 5th-10th stitches.
Work 3 rows even.*

Repeat between the ** changing colors as you like. If you want to change the side the bite is on, just work 2 rows at the beginning of the block instead of 3.

Day 286 and Shawl

2011-10-12T21:52:00.002-04:00

I was thinking that I would make a shawl collar without the attached sweater or cardigan. As I was sewing, it occurred to me that a shawl collar is actually nothing more than a moebius forced to stay flat at the front! If you have a moebius that you're no longer enamored with, maybe a couple of quick stitches to create a sharp front is enough to give it another season of wearability!
.
I don't think a pattern is necessary, but the basic recipe is to make a very short scarf. Wrap it around your neck and overlap the edges so they match perfectly. Sew the two ends together as well as about an inch up each side and call it a day.

Day 285 and Desperation

2011-10-11T14:30:00.003-04:00

I happened to have this partially finished item in my stores. The original maker apparently was making a housecoat or a driving coat with this crazy thick fabric (4 strands worsted on size 15 needles-- my hands hurt just thinking about making a full sized project that way!) but for one reason or another never finished. I gathered the partially done bits at a garage sale for just a dollar and have been putting off frogging the whole thing out of plain laziness.

Well today I went to work at my normal time and after 2 hours was told to head home and get rest because I was needed for a different shift later in the day. Extremely inconveniently, I did as I was told wondering how I'd manage to finish a scarf for today when I remembered these pieces. The back panel was roughly rectangular and all I had to do was bind off. I did just that and sewed the two opposite corners together for a very snug kerchief scarf.

Day 284 and Rachet

2011-10-10T22:25:00.004-04:00

This is yet another way to make less yardage into something more. Interestingly, this scarf is really only half as wide as it appears. I cast on 20 stitches and worked for about 7 rows, then bound off 10 and finished the row. On the following row, I cast on 10 at the end.

So even though the scarf was 20 stitches wide, it can be a lot shorter as far as rows go and be a lot longer when draped. The big cast off areas cause the fabric to stretch and angle out for the length. Interesting!~!

Bonus: The big gaps fit together like cogs so a short scarf hooks onto it self and doesn't fall off.

Day 283 and Oomph

2011-10-09T20:45:00.002-04:00

Okkay so enough fluffy novelty stuff is too much, right? Yet, I still have soooo muuuchhh left in my stash! I went with hairpin lace today. It doesn't use up as much yardage as straight crocheting or straight knitting so I was able to finish the whole thing with the scrappy bits of novelty without having to change textures partway. I gave it some substance by framing it with something smoother and in a highly contrasting color (ooo, silver!).

It took next to no time (about an hour and change with a P hook) making it a cinch for last minute gifting.

Day 282 and Striation

2011-10-08T22:27:00.003-04:00

Same yarn as yesterday, different scarf! Taking advantage once again of the long color repeats but this time with crochet makes a much blockier looking result. Because crochet is made one tall stitch at a time, the color lands in chunks rather than stripes. An easy repeat like this shell stitch shows it off to good effect. Anything lacier and it might have looked much more disjointed in a much less appealing way, but you can't really know unless you try it. Maybe I will! I do have nearly three more months to go!

Day 281 and OnePiece

2011-10-07T22:03:00.003-04:00

Here's a weird one with a very unique result!

I took a piece of fabric that's been in my stores forever and decided to put it to use. It's once thing to make yarn out of fabric strips, but in this case I didn't make strips. I only made slices in the fabric. Now because a column of knitting is only concerned with the other stitches in its own column, I was able to work stitches as if it were a run in the fabric or a dropped ladder. At the top, only the furthest left edge needs to be cut to secure the bind off in the normal way.

Since the edges are not stitches but a fabric edge, a very interesting ruffled effect is created. Because I used stockinette, it curls, but as you can see in the photo, this just allows the scarf to have two sides. On one side is the raggy knit look and on the other side is the ruffle.

Day 280 and PieceNoWork

2011-10-06T23:41:00.001-04:00

At a quick glance one might think that this was patched together from various smaller swatches, but what's actually happening here is a very long color self striping yarn being used to trick the eye. Every time the color changed, I also changed the texture. As a result, each color looks very disjointed from the color before and after it.

I held two yarns together here and had to employ some interesting possibly improvised techniques. I lined up the color changes as best I could as I started, but not every change perfectly matched with the changes on the other ball. On these occasions, I pulled the strand that wasn't changing yet forward until it looked as if it would match the other ball. Then with the big loop I just made, I went ahead and kept knitting. Many times I ended up right where i needed to be, placed the final loop on the needles and picked up the yarn from the row below which now matched and continued knitting.

Day 279 and Plumage

2011-10-05T21:46:00.003-04:00

There are a number of novelty yarns out there that are specifically designed to be split rather than knit normally so that the mass of the ribbon/mesh/tape is slightly gathered and free to make a substantial ruffle. Can-Can, Ruffle and Flounce yarns all come to mind. And while I think it's a clever idea, I also think that enough is probably too much. So for my ruffly scarf, I used a little less ruffle and a little more of a similar colored smooth yarn to break up the effect.

The trickiest part was using the right ratio. After a few frogs (and tape yarn frogs very easily by the way) I found that three rows of smooth yarn and one row of ruffle suited me just fine. Since a single row would end the working yarn at the wrong end, I had to work with a circular needle so as to slide the work to the other end to make the working yarn available once again. That was the only real hang up. You could also use a long enough double pointed needle or even a pair of straights as long as you don't mind slipping an entire row every 4th row.

Day 278 and Mockery

2011-10-04T23:07:00.001-04:00

I love cables! Since not everyone feels the confidence to do them just yet, a two stitch twist is a perfect transition to technique or just a nice fake when you don't have the third needle.

I can't say that this is the best representation. The texture disappeared a little more than I was expecting. But anyway, it's easy to do with a little practice. There are a number of ways to make a twist including working the second stitch followed by the first while both stay on the needle. You can also knit two together again keeping the stitches on the needle, then knitting the first stitch a second time. It makes much more sense if you actually execute it. Once again, I recommend youtube to see it in action. Search for twist stitch or twist cables.

Day 277 and Firewood

2011-10-03T23:51:00.002-04:00

It just looks rugged and homey doesn't it? So a nice ribbing looks great, and a nice ribbing continues to look great when rotated a little bit, don't you think? On its side, this 3 by 3 rib reminds me of stacked up firewood. I used a natural fiber here (alpaca) and a thick needle (size 15). It was fast, it requires no pattern at all except to cast on a number divisible by 6 and to knit until you can't knit any longer.

Day 276 and Duckies

2011-10-02T21:03:00.002-04:00

Let's say you have a very small amount of yarn and want it to go a long way. There are lots of ways to make your yardage go a long way and this is just one of them.

There's no rule that says a scarf has to be the same width along the entire length. A good cheat for making a scarf look more substantial is to make it slender around the neck and making the hanging parts much wider. Here, I started with 15 stitches at the ends and did a mitered corner until only 5 stitches remained for the longer body of the scarf. Because I wanted both ends to match, I made two beginnings and seamed the center.

Day 275 and Tweed

2011-10-01T21:29:00.004-04:00

I love a nice barberpoled yarn (the stuff with plies of vastly different colors so that one color looks like it's a barber pole with the color winding around and around). I think it's the perfect type of yarn to use for a clean lined basic stockinette stitch item. The color lends texture to an otherwise smooth fabric, and you're using it to best advantage since more detailed stitch patterns would be lost in the color variation.

I also noticed that I haven't done hardly any BIG cowls. I'm generally a fan of tightly snugged cowls that mess your hair up when you pull them over your head, but I can see how a bigger cowl that can be twisted slightly and tucked into your coat has its own appeal. I went with a nice basic garter and stockinette squares motif. Basically, work garter stitch along the edges, stockinette int he center and break it up with a horizontal line of stockinette spaced evenly for something handsome and unisex.

Day 274 and Which Way?

2011-09-30T21:21:00.002-04:00

I wish I had more of this yarn. It was an unidentified yarn that I was gifted for the sake of the project and I couldn't love it more than I do.

I used what I call for lack of a better term "offset filet crochet." There's no reason that the grid has to line up like perfect little squares. The cells could just as easily be offset like bricks on a house or switching from even to offset in order to better represent the picture that one is trying to represent. Hmmm, now that I think of it, I see no reason that the cells have to be square or even rectangular! I think that might be something to look into for a future endeavor.

As for this one, I just did something pretty simple. Arrows all in one direction look like they point in opposite directions when worn around the neck.