The Super Bowl is here in Indy this year, and everyone I know is volunteering loads of their time to the event. I mean like a whole work week of time; I wonder if they knew that when they signed up. But they'll be part of an event Indianapolis won't ever forget. I was just hoping someone I knew would get my Super Scarf. That was improbable, though, with over 13,000 scarves donated!
I donated a bit of knitting time to Super Bowl 2012, but maybe it was for selfish reasons. In 2010, the coordinators for the Super Scarf Project offered free knitting lessons and yarn with the commitment to knitting a Super Scarf. I wanted to learn, so I went to the library with my new needles and the official blue and white yarn, and haven't stopped knitting yet.
I find knitting very relaxing: the repetitive motions, the counting, the yarn slowly rolling from the ball. It helps me get to sleep. I was pregnant with my first child at the time, so I needed some help in that department. Knitting for her was a logical way to learn and try out all the patterns and yarns I found on Ravelry. After getting the garter stitch down, I tried knitting in the round. This is the Berry Baby Hat by randomstitches modeled by my baby.
I just remembered that I was knitting the berry hat during the 2011 Super Bowl, and my friends said it looked like an eggplant. I was going for blueberry, but oh well.
I used the same pattern for this blue and green hat. I was knitting this in the waiting room just before I was admitted to the Labor and Delivery ward. I was just above the brim of the hat when my baby was born. It took me 9 months to pick it back up again and finish!
When I saw the baby hat in Leigh Radford's book One Skein, I fell in love with the pattern and the not-really-pink angora yarn. I made this for my friend's baby who is on the way any minute. I used the same Lush yarn as pictured in the book.
I knitted myself some scarves for this winter as well. I haven't had to use them, global warming and all, but they're there if I need them. (It's really because I stay inside, though. You know, inside my house, or inside Target. Where it's warm.)
This is my first attempt at Drifted Pearls. I used Berroco Flicker, which has a little metallic thread twisted in the alpaca. It's really soft and squishy. I love the idea of a keyhole scarf, which I guess this really isn't. But same concept. No tying.
And another scarf I don't have to tie. It's my harf!!! It's the coolest design by Spincycle that combines a hat and a scarf. I love the hood, it's perfect for when I'm wearing my hair in a ponytail. Which is always, or else my toddler yanks a chunk out.
The smooshy yarn is Mochi Plus made with (not itchy) merino wool. It's self-striping, I didn't have anything to do with this. I'm sure it takes talent and care to get each color to fade into the other like this. Oh, and cable knitting is fun! Knit one, two, three, four, switch! Knit one, two, three, four, purl. I kind of hate cabled sweaters, but I find this single line twisting down the scarf so attractive.
Ok, I guess you can look at my Super Scarf now.
I joked earlier that I participated in the project just to learn how to knit, but I am truly in awe of the response they received. They asked for 7,000 scarves and almost doubled that thanks to crafters who donated not one, but two or three or fourty-six or two hundred and fifty scarves in many amazing designs. I'm grateful for the opportunity to learn and glad that because of it, some volunteer is a bit warmer in this chilly weather!
