Progress on Mr. Darcy's Scarf

Good morning, friends!  It's Saturday, and OH what much laundry and cleaning that has to be done. 

Just thought I would followup on this scarf that I learned the lesson about when knitting a stockinette with only one knit stitch border.  I have also recently bought a handheld garment steamer, a Shark, and I think this will help with the uncurling as well. I plan to lightly steam and then pin to block when I finish.

I've actually seen good results when I store it  by rolling it up flat at night. I haven't worked on it in several days because on work days, I'm exhausted when I get home. But here is my progress.

We have a large leather sofa, so you can gauge the size by that.

I'm a little more than half way done.

This is for a tall man, Mr. Darcy so I'm using 3 whole thick skeins of the Bernat.

Although this is a blurry picture, you can see where I changed from stockinette to garter.

Th color is most truest in this pic. The yarn is not really soft, but not hard either. It's pretty thick so I'm using my wood straights.

colorway is Denim Jeans

using 3 balls/skeins

So, I'm at a standstill until I can get some things done today, I have planned out. I'm doing some really early, early early Spring cleaning. I'm donating alot of stuff because I just feel a cluttered environment is too stressful. I also have committed myself to the local domestic violence shelter in many ways and one is donation of things I don't use or have too many of, so it can be given to someone else who has less.

It'a REALLY windy day here in the North Georgia mountains. I can hear the wind whistling around the corners of the house. My chimes are very active right now. 

I enjoyed a good fire in the woodstove last night and makes me forget the raining and cold outside!

Miss Abbie is cuddled in her "day bed" and taking a morning nap. And I am writing this morning and sipping coffee with Bailey's Red Velvet Cake creamer and sugar.

Have a great Saturday. Tune in tomorrow for a Valentine design. I hope you like it. It's simple and would look great in a redwork design!

Jennifer

Our Perceptions

This picture could mean so many things to different people.

I love this picture. 

 What strikes you most when you first see this picture?

Is the girl praying or just watching out the window at bedtime?

Is she looking at the church or is it just a part of the background?

Is she watching someone leave or looking for someone to come home?

Is she comfy in her own bed or longing to go home?

I can think of so many things it could portray.

I think our life is alot like pictures. A glimpse in time that what some people think is one thing really means another to someone else.

That's probably a random, deep thought but just wanted to share.

Sleep tight,

Jennifer

Twisted Tuesday----Literally in Stitches

This is the start of a scarf for Mr. Darcy.

It's a belated birthday gift and yes, he has seen the colors and likes it.

I love the blues and gray in this and started out making it with a border knit stitch thinking it would not curl...........

I was so wrong. Lesson learned. Imagine this (because I don't have another pic right now of it) about 30 inches long.................the more I knit, the more it curled on the sides.

So.  About 12 inches out, I changed from stockinette to garter stitch pattern and this didn't help either.

I will show a good pic of it tomorrow but ONLY if the end would not curl like a tube, it would be rather handsome! :P

Conclusion and lesson learned. I should have put at least 5 knit stitches on each side to keep it from curling. One just didn't do the job.

To keep the scarf consistent on each end, I'm going to garter the entire rest except the last 12 inches and  at least both ends will match. Hopefully.

I really didn't want to pull my work out after I figured out to the degree of curl that would happen.

Then, I thought that blocking it would take the rolling out but from what I've read online, I don't even think blocking will take out the curl, but maybe some of it, so this scarf will definitely be blocked.

This is what happens when I knit just willy nilly at my own liking.

But, for the positive note, I learned a good lesson for the future.

One thing I like about needlework, is that most times you have choices when mistakes are made.

You can frog it all out and start over.

You can go with the flow and create something different in the pattern.

You can change up the knits and the purls.

You can just put it down and start working on another project altogether.

It's one good thing I like about stitching and knitting as a hobby.

I just hope the scarf doesn't look to "girly curly" when I get done. 

XXXX fingers as I go.

Have a quiet, restful evening,

Jennifer

The Christmas Project I Kept Myself

So.

 At Christmas, and then 2 days the following week, actually New Years Day, I knitted up this scarf.

 I cast on alot of stitches and this made a wide scarf,  bordering on a wrap.

I went to knit group, actually the last night knit group from the local yarn shop and 2 large skeins of yarn had to come home with me.  This happens when I go into a yarn shop.

I was working on finishing a shawl, a scarf, a scarfette, and a men's scarf for my hubbie's birthday and so I had finished all but the January birthday scarf.

In between I had a good time when I cast on for this simple garter stitch on Christmas Eve at my parents' house with good conversation while I knitted.

This was a really quick knit.

 It really came handy on the morning here when it was 6 degrees right after Jan 1. This scarf is the softest and is soooooo warm!

I'm drawn to pinks, fushia's ad teal colors. I have a teal heavy coat that I wear it with.

It is quite long at about 65 inches and it has great drape, with a heavy softeness that just wraps up so cozy.

Yup, thats a pic of Mr. Fox in the background and I'm diligently now trying to finish up his belated gift. I will show you those pics later. He really likes the colors of his scarf. 

But this one.  Yes, this one I knit for myself.

I've found with cross stitch, I almost always keep my samplers when finished for the house.

With knitting, I'm always giving it away as gifties.

I don't know why that is. However, I picked out this yarn for myself and I busied my hands during the holidays to finish it. 

This is the yarn I used.

Universal Yarn. I love the motto here!

I have already tossed the label and the name of the colorway is Lucky something....I just remember Lucky as the first word. Sorry for forgetting that.  Maybe Lucky Pink or Lucky Cottage???

I used number 17 needles. Very chunky.

Totally functional.

Totally pretty,

and totally fast and mindless knitting.

Just what I needed when visiting to catch up on alot of conversation.

Sometimes, I think in all our stitching and knitting, we have to remember to treat ourselves too.

When you craft, do you keep, or giveaway more of your finishes?

A Sunshine Sunday

On this quiet Sunday morning, I'm thankful that God let me sleep over. I haven't in a very long time and needed it so much! Church though is skipped. Arghhhh!

 I woke up to the sun!!!!
 
We had several days last week of rain, cold and fog.
Oh, so dreary. But I started thinking in my commute with this deep fog one night, that God must give us some dreary, foggy cold days so that we can appreciate the sunny, bright ones more. 

Makes perfect sense to me because I, for one, sure do miss the sun, especially in the Winter time when that bone-chilling, ache is abound. Not good for arthritis and I have that.

I hope the sun is shining wherever you are on the planet Earth this morning and it will brighten your day up a bit. I know my mood is better with the sunshine. It's the source of our Vitamin D as well. 

I just finished a course on Vitamin D which was pretty detailed. I had to pick some topics to renew my Women's Health NP license and I chose, out of the 6, Vitamin D. I'm more aware of it now as Vitamin D is pretty good for your health, not just your bones. Alot of controversery in studies now surround the additional benefits of Vitamin D; however, intriguing to read about. The sun is one big factor in how our levels of this vitamin remain healthy. If not, there are supplements, but you would need to have testing and see your primary care provider for more information.

You can see here why I love the sun today because this was my drive home one night. I passed a man who completely flipped his truck over the rails and down the moutain. Officers everywhere trying to figure out how to get him out. I don't know if he made it or not.

My phone was turned here not my head. :P

I felt like singing, She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain.

When I got up on the mountain higher, it was like this.

So for today, my friends, I hope you have a sunny day and if not just remember how appreciative you will be more when that day comes!

Happy Sunday!

Your Word is a lanp to my feet and a light to my path.~~~~ Psalms 119:105

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. ~~~~ 1 Peter 5:7