Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich 

Knitting Friday 

What a productive week! I completed and gifted two scarves and I taught myself two new knitting procedures. And I finally figured out that classic problem: If a train leaves NYC at 1 pm going 40 mph and a plane leaves LA at 2 pm going sixty mph........... No, that last line is a big lie.

Starting with the completed works first with a little background first: DH and I did go to AC Moore on Black Friday. It was a great shopping experience because everyone else in the US was out shopping electronics.You might remember that I went over for knitting notions and so DH could pick out the yarn he wanted for a holiday scarf (well, really a normal scarf but it would be his holiday gift.) He got his wool (Paton variegated Classic Wool) and I got a few notions and about 5 bags of their mill ends, one of those bags being the new ruffled yarn which is so hot as scarves today. (The devil just grabbed my arms and made me buy this stuff! You know how it is.)

#A long scarf

Here's the easy pattern I used for the variegated scarf: CO 30 stitches with US 9 needles for an 8" width and slipping the 1st stitch of every row as P, knit to 1/2 the length you want. He wanted a Dr. Who length so I worked 142 rows for 50". Once I got to to 50", I remembered a feature of a Gap wool scarf I had purchased for him a few years ago. (And that scarf was wool and cotton and $1! Talk about a bargain!) The Gap scarf was doubled knitted in stockinette stitch in olive and dark green. Except at the center of the scarf where there was a patch of yellow so that when you put the scarf around your neck there was no fiddling to get the length just right.

#2 Ribbed middle

I didn't want to change to stockinette for the middle demarcation because then I would have a right and wrong side there. So this is what I did: I worked 4 rows of *K2, P2* ribbing so it's the same on both sides and then I started the straight knitting again for another 142 rows. (I cast on and bound off normally, not too tight or loose.) It was very boring knitting but very fast and he's wearing it already and here, #3, he is modelling it for me: OK, he's very shy. But you can see how thick the scarf looks. Not one of those namby-pamby little ones.

#3 Did I marry Baghead?

My next project which I completed this week also (and don't believe the hype that the ruffled scarf only takes 30 minutes) is the newest, latest, bestest, I-Must-Have ruffled scarf. 

Now there is nothing magic or new about making ruffled scarves and I had eyed the bag of this yarn for a while at AC Moore (I think it is the same bag of yarn so you can see it was not a "hot item" as a mill end.) The only reason I picked it up this visit is: I had a coupon! That and the fact they were featuring this yarn at $3.99, down from $5.99, a skein with an example of the final scarf. Here's the original skein, #4: As you can see, the skein looks like macrame cording but it flattens out into lattice work on the top (where you will be knitting and the cording (green) on the bottom. Directions say that it's just like regular knitting and it is once you wrap your mind around the fact that you only put your right needle into the top lace loop. The rest of the yarn just sort of "tags along."

#4 Looks like cording

There are a lot of You Tube directions out there. I found this site very helpful.

http://www.swakknit.com/classroom/?p=20

She walks you through the procedure and don't be shy to stop the video to replay sections. This process takes time to get the rhythm right. A few tips from me:

1. Be sure you are seated on a comfy chair or couch when you start this. Perhaps even with a big pillow on your lap. Office chairs are fine for all types of knitting but you really don't want to lose a stitch. (I didn't lose a non-fixable stitch even without a lifetime, but I was lucky.

2. Use long cable circular needles because these stitches like to "roam.

3. Don't use interchangeable needles unless you are absolutely sure the join will stay tightened.

#5 The loop you use.

4. You can pick up a stitch if you see it as it drops. You may be unable to put it back on just right but in the final product you won't see little mistakes. (I dropped one stitch which I saw before it "fell" and went from 6 to 7 stitches so I just knitted 2 together.)

5. Be sure to use matching thread to tack the beginning end and the bound off end to the scarf. This bugger unravels at the blink of an eye.

6. In Pic #5, the hook shows where, on this wide strand of yarn, you would put your needle. You will only be knitting with that top strand which lies on the top of the hook

7. The knitting is nearly like regular knitting. The only big difference is that you must smooth out your "lace" as you go along and then skip some lattice loops (usually two or three) along the top before you find the thread you will be using. Tip: Be sure to put the right tip through the next stitch to be worked before you start smoothing out the yarn and looking for your next loop to use. It's so much easier when you find the correct loop to have the needles ready.

8. And finally, this yarn twists horribly. Someone on Knitlist suggested wrapping the yarn around an empty toilet paper holder which I did for my second scarf. It takes a long time just to wrap the damn thing untwisted around the t.p. holder, but I think it does make it easier.

#6 Yes, it was worth it.

Pic #6 shows what you produce. From that wacky looking ball of yarn to the right, you get this 54" fro-frou. Believe me, this knitting gets very addictive fast.

Finally, some blasts from past before my second learning experience of the week. Remember this shawl, #7, made from 1.2 ounces of fingering wool?

#7: 41" x 10" before blocking

# 8: 1/2 blocked shawl

It was real tiny (7 X 41) before I blocked it but it would have made a warm neck warmer.

#9 The other half

Then I blocked it and unless I dangled from the ceiling there was no way I would be able to take a full picture of the blocked shawl (not because the shawl was too big to photograph but because I'm a klutz with the camera.) So I'll give it to you in two pictures, #8 & #9. As you can see, I had to extend the blocking squares longer than the length of the table because the final measurements are 85" x 27". I know this is wool yarn because it spliced but it's so open I think I could wear this shawl in the summer without any problems.

Right now, I have one of my most crinkly yarns in the works as another shawl. Once again, it was a small orphan skein and I'm hoping that after a good hair conditioner soak it will spring back to its virginal state.

And really, really finally: I learned to knit in two directions this week. It's one of those skills you keep in your pocket til someone cries out in a crowded room: Can anyone knit in two directions? The fate of the world depends on it!

#11 The new direction

#10 The direction I knitted

In #10 and #11, you see the finished product. I originally knitted stockinette in the direction of the arrow in #10. All the while in did this, I was casting on stitches in the direction of picture #11. So that when I decided to start knitting in that direction (#11), I just bound off the stitches I was working on in #10 and started knitting at a 90 degree angle to them (#11). (I didn't make the seed stitches you see in #11 as I was knitting the stockinette. Once I bound off the stitches from the stockinette, #10, I was looking at loops on the needle to start working in any stitch I wanted. I chose seed.)

Confused? Here's a great site which will explain it all. 

http://www.leethal.net/zine/?p=1091

Scroll down for the pictures and the explanation. There's a lot of verbiage here so be sure to read it carefully. I got confused because on one RS row you increase as a K, front-back-front and in the next it's K, front-back. Careless reading always gets me into trouble.

OK, that's it for today. Right now, my toke-stitch top is almost done. As I've said, I love this stitch but I am so slow. I convinced DH to buy 6 skeins of the scarf yarn (originally, he wanted the Dr. Who width also) so I have 3+ skeins left. Am I going to return them? They were on sale! No, I'm going to cruise Ravelry for variegated yarn ideas.

And (fanfare, please), on Cyber Monday I bought the new Knit Picks Sunstruck interchangeable set (Yes, it was on sale.) and Ravelers were very helpful in giving me advice so I'm going to post a mini-review there and a more thorough one here.

See you then. Happy Knitting.

  

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Website Wednesday

 

Last night, I saw the third installment of Oliver Stone's The Untold History of the United States and while I don't know if his conclusion the Henry Wallace, as FDR's successor, would have changed history as positively as he thinks, I do agree that Truman was a disaster to have as the US president leading this country and the world nations into the new age which the conclusion of WWII brought.

 

Not even going into the immorality of drop the atomic bomb, his Truman Doctrine (we will fight communism wherever we find it in the world) and his push to establish the state of Israel without regard to a parallel Arab state (which was the plan first proposed during WWI) set the world on a course to disaster and pain which has still not ended.

 

Harsh words some might say since Truman's popularity, which was in the sewer as he left office, has risen to meteoric heights (one of the near greats) in the popular culture since then.

 

Truman was a shoot-from-the hip, street smart, not very bright (to which he would probably concur) man who started in politics as a "son" of the Kansas party bosses and whom history put in the right place at the wrong time so that the national Democratic  party bosses were able to steal the VP nomination from Wallace in FDR's fourth and final run for the presidency and give it to Truman. Truman, not Wallace, had the date with history on that fateful day, April 12, 1945.

 

In another time in US history, in a calmer more isolationist time, his ascent to the presidency at FDR's death would have been a blip in history. His American straight-talking, nuance-lacking persona so carefully depicted and satirized by greats like Mark Twain and Henry James would have rubber-stamped laws as he was told and earned his way into the history books as no more than another prez's name US school kids had to memorize.

 

But it didn't happen that way. An inadequate player got to play at one of the most dangerous chess games world leaders have ever played. He was so far out of his league but unfortunately, he was self-delusionally confident through it all; an attitude a vast segment of the US population loves without ever understanding the consequences of such an attitude. To this day, and I'm sure well into the future, we are all still be paying for his vast mistakes.

 

 OK, if what I just wrote has you slamming your head into the wall in desperation, hold onto your hats:

http://www.thegodlessheathen.com/

 

 The Godless Heathen. Any doubt where this website will lead you? I don't usually pick atheist web sites but this one is as good as it gets as a smörgåsbord of non-faith based ideas.

For the most part you get some pretty pithy posters zinging the anti-atheist, pro-faith bias in the world. But you also get videos from Penn of Penn & Teller, the last Christopher Hitchens and scientist, Neil DeGrasse Tyson among others. It looks up to date and it's a fast, satisfying "read."

You don't have to "marry" the site but if you're a non-believer you'll see some interesting stuff to boost your beliefs while living in a desert of faith and, if you're a believer, take a look at the other side: we're not scary monsters.

 

http://www.bookcountry.com/ 

 

I'm going to let Book Country talk about itself first:  Book Country is a place where readers and writers of genre fiction come together to read original fiction, post work or comments, and make a name for themselves. Our free community is a creative and supportive space where fiction writers and readers can give and receive constructive criticism, discover new and entertaining books, discuss and share tips and experiences, and learn about the publishing industry. Book Country aims to be useful, egalitarian, and merit-based while fostering an atmosphere of encouragement and creativity.

 

While BC is "a subsidiary of Penguin Group" (you know, the book company with the penguin logo), it's a separate entity and "Book Country is industry-wide in scope – books from all publishing houses will be mentioned on the site." 

What do I like about this site? First, it seems to be stocked with helpful members. Click on Discussions. I love the discussion topics such as Can a bad sex scene ruin a novel?; How effective is 1st person POV?, and the Dr. Who thread. Non-members get to read all the constructive answers; members get to rate these answers as helpful or not. People actually answer the OP (original poster) thoughtfully, no snark involved. (Even Ravelry has trouble with snark.) I could spend all my time in the Discussion section but there is more.

If you click on the books listed, you'll get to read drafts of new novels. If you join Book Country, you get to write a review.

But don't stop there. Go to the Genre Map with all categories of fiction: historical, mystery, romance, historical romance, mystery historical romance...... you get the idea. My only quibble is that the titles are not hyper linked and, for example, to learn more about Get Shorty in the noir genre, you have to cut and paste the name for a search. (Oh, the horror of that extra step.)

 

I could blather on but you all know the drill.  Click, explore, enjoy. Me, I'm going back to the Discussion section and find out all about bad sex scenes. See you next week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Movie Monday - The Italian (2005)

(Spoiler Alert: I consider the journey in The Italian the story more than the journey's end. Don't read my last paragraph if you don't want a hint of its ending.)

The internet is soooo slow this morning. Are zillions of people cyber shopping already? 

I have another word (2 words really) for you today (I hope this doesn't become a trend): cognitive dissonance, 

 http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html

which I define, from reading the above site and others, to be when a person's firm beliefs come in conflict with reality so he tweaks reality to fit those beliefs.

I've got two examples for you from just last week. First, dear mom answered a robo call from an organization which appears on the phone display as: Defeat Obama and she heard that we should be deporting Obama because he is a Muslim communist. Then they mentioned a name and said something like: You don't recognize that name, do you? Well, that's Obama's real name and we have proof. She was a brave soul but she did hang up after they told her all they needed from her was $3 to start the deportation process. 

Then there was the Israeli PM spokesman whom I heard being interviewed on the RT (Russian TV) channel. She was a good interviewer and pressed him on the illegal settlements, the bulldozing of homes, the embargo on Gaza and the blockade. But his one note mantra, as he ignored all her questions, was: They're firing rockets at us. They have to stop. It's all their fault. 

Scientific tests today (MRIs) are finally showing that such thinking is almost bred in the brain; all the teaching of logic in the world can't budge it.

Which I guess I could say is a long segue into my movie pick, which is not The Exterminating Angel, as promised, for two reasons. First, this movie needs another viewing. I'm going to review it with another 45 minute (they ran out of money) Bunuel movie, Simon of the Desert. That movie I get, but TEA has multiple themes and puzzling aspects (Just why do the house guests enter the house two times?) which need more digestion. 

The second reason is directly tied to my introduction: This is such a wacky but deadly serious time in history and we all need some succor.

I think you'll find it in The Italian (2005) which is weirdly named since the movie involves the upcoming adoption of a six year old Russian boy by an Italian couple and then follows his escape from the orphanage and his journey to find his birth mother. All of this takes place in post Soviet Russia.

In no way is this a Lassie, Come Home movie. Director Andrey Kravchuk paints the bleakest picture of Russian poverty and the Oliver Twist type atmosphere in the orphanage. Run by a greedy post-USSR Russian capitalist only identified as Madam, for the most part the children are left to their own devices to make spending money. Little Vanya assists the older boys at a gas station and Irka prostitutes herself for the money she turns over to the orphanage's teen boss, Kolyan. It is a grim scene but as Kravchuk always knows when to pull back before sentimentality drenches a scene, he also never presents this bleak world in a completely nihilistic fashion. Realistic or not, there is always hope for little Vanya. 

And this is little Vanya's journey and movie. If Nikolay Spiridonov had been a lesser child actor, this movie would have sunk like a rock. But Spiridonov has the talent which is present in few child actors because it is so unaffected. You are watching Vanya make his journey,  not Nikolay Spiridonov playing the character Vanya. This makes all the difference. 

Hard-hearted as I am, even I teared up as Vanya rings the bell at his mother's home then slicks back his hair to make himself presentable to this strange woman. But even there, Kravchuk pulls back, a neighbor answers the door, the mom is working the night shift.

Granted that with the stark backdrop Kravchuk is presenting, this whole movie could most realistically spiral into utter despair. But I'm recommending it because while he presents the despair he also presents the hope.

OK, maybe 11 times out of 11, Vanya would be adopted and never see his birth mother again. But not this time. This time, the whole world is not evil. Vanya finds help from strangers as he makes his journey. Even the "bad" people can have a change of heart. It's well-acted, well-directed and as you keep wanting to believe good will happen to Vanya, Kravchuk doesn't disappoint.

See you next week.

   

  

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Knitting Friday

 

Hanging head in shame, I'll admit I'm going out for Black Friday. But....but.....but, only to get gas in my car, pick up a free pizza and go to A.C. Moore. Why? You ask. Well, I need gas in my car, I got the free pizza coupon when I bought a booster magazine at a football game, and A.C. Moore has a first-time ever 40% off all regular items until 1 pm.

 

Oh, and DH has a Staples coupon, which is right on the way.

 

I do have a very, very, very slight justification for going to A.C. Moore: I need simple knitting supplies and they are usually so cheap ($1 to $5) that I save their regular 40% off one item coupon for a more expensive item. Now, I can get a bunch of stuff and save. And then there's the pizza. The shop is in the same area (never been there before) and who can let a free pizza coupon expire as it will on 11/31/12. (No, that is not a typo.)

 

The only other shopping I'm even considering is Cyber Monday at Knit Picks, which may be a bust, or not.

 

Not much to share today. I'm still working on my toke stitch top. That is a neat pattern and so easy to memorize (4 rows) but it's taking me forever. First, I made it too big, then I made it too small; now I hope like Goldilocks I got it right this time.

 

#1 wool of 1.2 oz

I'm still tweaking the shawl pattern from last week. I found this purple wool. As you can see, it came in a lot of pieces and only weighed 1.2 oz. But it was wool, scratchy wool, and it spliced well. The weight is heavy fingering or light sports. I used my Ubiquitous Shawl pattern and an N hook and got this:

#2 Unblocked

Unblocked, it measured 41" from tip to tip and 10" at the center. I think this one is going to need a very, very long conditioner soak to remove the scratchiness. But I think I'll get something at least 1/2 larger in length and width which will make it very wearable as a scarf.

#3 All the wool I had

If I'm successful with such a little piece of yarn (and that ball on the right is pretty small), it means I can go on a scarf making frenzy. And I would much rather work off small amounts of yarn in simple projects and not work them into lengthy, big afghan-type creations.

 

OK, this is a short posting today since I have succumbed to the succubus of today's shopping bargains. But let me leave you with a shawl pattern I'm eyeing:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dinner-in-the-eiffel-tower-shawl 

 

It's called Dinner at the Eiffel Tower and it's on Ravelry. I don't usually like crescent/half circle shawls because most are just a lace border with loads of stockinette. But Jessie added a lot of interest to her pattern which makes it special.

And finally, I can't wish you (or me) Happy Shopping today because do I think Black Friday shopping is insane. But I do hope, every thing you buy brings you tons of enjoyment since we all need some joy in our lives. 

Happy Knitting. See you next week.

 

 

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Website Wednesday

 

It's lonely looking at the world outside of the accepted cant. Lonely, but I wouldn't want it any other way. Especially when, ever so infrequently, you get thrown a bone; this time in Oliver Stone's The Untold History of the United States. I got to see the second episode last night and it made me sit up because he also doesn't see Harry Truman as a positive force as the successor to FDR. It's nice to know you're not alone.

 

Why even think about Gaza anymore? The Huffington Post's headline picture yesterday was a Twinkie. Now, that's news.

 

In Al Jazeera (11/20/12), Gary Wasserman says about Obama: A great president's legacy does not lie merely in the programmes he passes, the legislation he enacts, the wars he fights. It also lies in the political movement he leads and leaves behind.

 

It made me realize that last line is the one thing the Democratic party has ignored for quite some time. Oh, it will have policies like pro-choice but these policies are reactions to a well-tuned, albeit wacky, solid Republican platform. You're anti-gay; well, we're pro-gay.

 

Maybe that's why I feel Obama could throw us under the bus at any time.

 

 Let's start with a quick read today:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_the_well

 

I've been thinking about propaganda lately and the term "poisoning the well" is a good place to start to understand the verbally illogical traps anyone can set to get his/her POV to become the accepted one.

 

Moving on from this quick, but important read to:

 

http://www.egodialogues.com/ 

 

Which says of itself: Ego Dialogues is a subjective collection of anything I consider interesting, beautiful, fascinating, refreshing, or worth mentioning for other reasons....I am many things: an artist, a designer, a musician, an art lover, a seeker, a photographer, an adventurer,… and others.

 

I like how Sabina Nore thinks. You just have to click all over this site. There's a poem by Yeats, a comparison of Huxley and Orwell, words of wisdom from Woody Allen, clever one-liners, artist's interviews, and don't miss Exquisite Mindscape nor The Space Between Ideas where Stephen Gibb takes you from concept to completion of a work of art.

 

And finally, when even the most cerebral thinker must return to earth and fix the lock on the back door, there's:

 

http://www.encyclopediaofhomeimprovements.com/ 

 

Bob started as a handyman 20 years ago and in that time practical experience has helped him to create a very user-friendly and information-friendly home Improvement/repair website.

Now in no way am I a Ms. Fix-It, but I've had my share of home repairs (Thank you for fixing them, DH.) so just clicking on one topic here, Basement Leaks, I know it starts with good advice: First, check to see if your gutters are channeled away from the foundation.

Bob discusses all sorts of home repair issues. A plus for me is that he is very generous with pictures and good advice (on power washers: be careful not to break your windows or outdoor lighting.)

I very seldom bookmark a home repair site since I figure I'll just google the subject when needed but the Encyclopedia of Home Improvements is going into my library.

 

Before I go, here's another picture of Miss M. I didn't want to leave you with the impression that she spent all her time in her crate "praying." She's 3 months older than the picture from last week and she's holding her Mini-Me,

Miss M, 2 mos. after the "praying" pic

which she loved and had to be replaced a few times. (I don't think she noticed.)

OK, that's it for today. Once again I'm rushing to get out of here by 8 am. See you next week.

 

 

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Movie Monday

 

For some reason, when I click my blog's icon that's on my laptop I'm immediately taken to a Sunday, December 28, 2008 posting which discusses the last time Israel was bombing Gaza; probably it was another time just before the Israeli elections.

 

Wow! Talk about still being relevant! Here we are again before an Israeli election but this time it's not just "military" targets which are being bombed in Gaza but the prime minister's residence and newspaper buildings.

 

In 2008, I canvassed how the media was covering these bombings but I'm not going there this time. Instead, follow Juan Cole's analysis at:

 

http://www.juancole.com/

 

and be sure to scroll down to his 11/17/12 posting for an excellent analysis of the situation.

Update: It's so trivial to talk about movies or websites or knitting when quotes from Israel are coming out as: "We need to flatten entire neighborhoods in Gaza.", Gilad Sharon, and "We must blow Gaza back to the Middle Ages, destroying all the infrastructure including roads and water." Israel's Deputy Prime Minister Eli Yishai. (Source: Huffington Post) 

 

And then from his hideout in Burma, the US President, Barack Obama, marches out and reaffirms for the nth time that Israel has a right to defend itself. Hey, Mr. Prez, from the insouciance of your body language you could have sent out your dog, Bo, with a placard in his mouth saying the same thing.  It's pretty obvious that Obama is back to his post-election mode of governing. Note to Republicans: You're looking at a push-over.

But today, I do have a documentary which is made more important by these recent events. Oliver Stone has produced and narrates The Untold Story of the United States and right now it's running on Showtime. Saturday, I saw the first episode re: World War II. I liked that Stone was unequivocal with his statements that without the USSR, the Allies would not have won that war. (Talk to most US WWII veterans and hear a completely different story. From them, you'll hear: We didn't need those stinking Commies.) I learned that FDR told Churchill that the US was not going to aid Britain so they could continue their colonial rule after the peace. And I quibble with the fact that Stone only mentioned the bombing of Pearl Harbor on 12/7/41 since that day produced coordinated Japanese air strikes which targeted both British and American bases across the Pacific.

Stone's partner in this project is Peter Kuznick who teaches at American University and was educated through his Ph.D at Rutgers University (Go Rutgers!) Kuznick is an interesting historian a la Howard Zinn with one of his books titled: Rethinking Cold War Culture.

There is no doubt that the liars will get to write so much of history since there are more of them than there are of us but people like Kuznick and Stone are carrying on the legacy of Zinn by presenting history with all its warts and so little of its jingo.

I strongly recommend Stone's Showtime series and his and Kuznick's book, The Untold History of the United States. Even if you enter this subject as a doubter, so many primary sources are used that you'll soon realize you have to do a lot more digging than popularized history books and the nightly news to get to the truth.  

 

And be sure to go to: 

 

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1451613512/ref=rdr_ext_tmb 

 

for a very generous free read of the introduction to this book from Amazon. After reading that, this book has become the first item (and maybe the only) on my Holiday "I Want" List.

Finally, let me end this post as I ended that one way back on 12/8/08 because, unfortunately, it still has relevance today:

And so it goes. Children, the innocent, will die. My country will not be the honest broker here because of the government's relationship with Israel. And the next government will be no better. Both Obama and Clinton gave their first speeches after the Democratic convention to AIPAC. A first speech to Habitat for Humanity would have been much more promising…….

 

I fully understand Arnold's:

And we are here as on a darkling plain
Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,
Where ignorant armies clash by night.

But I would rather live by Millay's:

I know. But I do not approve. And I am not resigned. 

Capitalism - Feudalism without the Kings 

Tax the Rich

 

Knitting Friday

 

First, the site for the baby blanket I showed last Friday:

 

http://www.projectlinus.org/patterns/ssba.html 

 

#1 Slight ruffle

It's a Project Linus project so that might be why it's such a fast crochet (I was done in two days.) Looking at the yellow border in the Project Linus blanket again, I realize it looks nothing like the directions which are to continue the cluster stitch from Row 2 around the entire blanket. The border looks more like it's done in single crochet only. Whatever. As I said last Friday, I worked the cluster stitch as the border but used a larger hook (K) and added a single crochet between each cluster, which gave it a slightly ruffled look. (See picture #1.)

 

If you read my blog on Wednesday you'll know I'm really excited about my ubiquitous crocheted shawl pattern which first came into the world because my brain light went on with the thought: What if I make a top down shawl with no center increases but 1 increase each side, every row? Which led to shawls like the ones below. There was nothing wrong with them but the top of the shawl (top of picture in #1 & #2) was always tighter. That is, on the more rectangular ones, if you flipped them by mistake, the bottom edge would be tight around your arms.

#2 An early shawl (8/11)

#2 Another early bird (4/12)

 

Or, as you can see on the right shawl (#2), the top of the shawl would take on a wonky look.

 

Then I tweaked the pattern slightly and ended each row with a Ch-5 but began each row with a Ch-8. This helped slightly.

About a week ago, I came across a ratty skein of wool which had been frogged from a long forgotten project. It was DK weight and probably no more than 3 ozs. (sorry, I forgot to weigh it.) Now, these weird yarn hanks I find are a boon to me because I can experiment without qualms. And this is what my experimentation created:

 

#4 Eureka, before blocking

#3 Eureka!

I was able to created a shawl loose on the top and bottom. It's in a crescent shape but with more width than picture #1. 

 

Unblocked in #4, it measured 41" x 10". Blocked in #3, it's 71" x 22". It got too big for a picture once it was blocked but you can see the crescent shape and curved ends in the  #4.

Before I do any more blathering, let me give you the new pattern.

The Ubiquitous Shawl/Scarf

DK yarn (I consder one step up from sport in weight)

N hook (I'm working one now in lace with a K hook.)

safety pin (to secure the loop when you're not crocheting)

Chain (ch) 8 and make a slip stitch in the 8th chain from hook for a loop.

Row 1: Ch 8 and make 1 single crochet (sc) in the loop; Ch 8 and make a second sc in the loop. (2 loops)

Turn

Row 2: Ch 8 and make 1 sc in the first loop, ch 5 and make 1 sc in the same loop.

Ch 5 and make 1 sc in the next loop (last loop), ch 8 and make 1 sc in the same loop. (4 loops)

Turn

Row 3 & to length: Ch 8 and make 1 sc in the first loop, ch 5 and make 1 sc in the same loop. *Ch 5 and make a sc in the next loop.* Work *...* to the last loop (it is easy to see this loop because it has 3 more chains than every other loop except the first loop) When you are ready to work the last loop: Ch 5 and work 1 sc in the last loop. Ch 8 and work 1 sc in the same loop.

Turn.

 

As you can see, the only difference is that the last loop on every row will be a chain 8, not a chain 5. Those 3 extra chains will add the extra stretch needed to eliminate the tightness I always got.

 

Some thoughts:

1. This is a great summer cover-up shawl but it's rather flimsy for winter except as a scarf. I want to experiment with different heavy weight yarns and hooks to see if I can get a "warmer" look.

2. You'll notice that I only gave directions to length. That's because I haven't worked this pattern past that point. That is, I haven't stopped increasing and worked even at the ends. But you can see from the measurements I got after blocking that you can get a good size even stopping at length. Once I do some test knitting past Row 3, I'll post that. (If you work the pattern just as above, you can end after a Row 3 or work some type of border around the bottom such as a simple ch 8 and 1 sc in every bottom loop.

3. Except that I wanted to post a picture, I was not going to block this shawl but just wear it as a warm neck scarf. Even in the ratty wool I was using, it had a nice look unblocked.

4. We all have "take-along" projects and this is such a great one to slip in your purse especially with lace or fingering yarn.

5. I just test knitted the pattern above so I think it's correct, but please contact me if you find any mistakes. 

6. I want to start testing this concept with a knit pattern. I'm thinking I will be able to make a warmer shawl with knitting.

7. And finally, get yourself a shawl pin. Buy one or make one: Ask for chop sticks at a Chinese restaurant. Cut one down. Sand it and sharpen one end to a point. Take it to a craft store and buy a round, square, oval (you decide) top for it. Glue the stick to the top. Paint, shellac, decorate your shawl pin and wear it with pride. Shawl pins add such an attractive "punch" to your scarf or shawl.

 

OK, that's it for Knitting Friday.

 

Next week: I'm experimenting with making the Birch Vest without the open yoke and I'm discovering that without that opening it ain't going to fit over my head. More on how, or if, I solve this problem next week.

 

Happy knitting.