november post 5: TBT red scarf project- returns

On the Throw Back Thursday bandwagon - back to Nov 2010..... I was going to post about the Red Scarf Project today, anyway. It's  time to knit or crochet this year's donation to support foster kids going it on their own in college. But I said it well before. The need hasn't changed at all. Only links have been updated, for accuracy........................so back we go 5 years this week.....

How convenient !I needed something to show,

and last week's pitstop near DC caught my mom with three scarves she & her buddy Claire knit for this year's Foster Care to Success (formerly the Orphan Foundation)  Red Scarf Project, (linked to guideline) which sends a handknit red scarf to approximately  2500 former foster kids now attending college. FYI:  The scarves should be sent to the FOSTER CARE TO SUCCESS (FCTS) office by December 15th, they get sorted and mailed on Valentine's Day.*

 This one is knit from the same Brown Sheep Lambs Pride Worsted in Wine Splash I showed last week, she can't remember which scarf pattern,  it was a 2 or 4 row repeat she downloaded. The red tweed one was Claire's; Claire said she had trouble following her directions, so the stitch is not  as it was supposed to  be but it looks pretty good in a different way. 

 

The last one is Wavy, from Knitty 06, in Cascade 220 superwash.  Although Leo is a  Miami-based college student who doesn't need a woolly scarf and, anyway, eschews handknits (I know!? let's not go there!) he modeled it  to prove that it looks pretty good on a guy even if he's making faces..

*All  Red Scarf Project details here .
Essentials:

• red or non-gender color yarn, any weight except super bulky (it mails in a fed ex box)

• any knit , crocheted or woven pattern that suits either gender. Lacy, not so much.

• 5-8" wide, about 60" or so long

The folks at the FC2S offices  are not weighing and measuring with scientific instruments, it's guidelines, don't fret! Send them by December 15 and feel good. Or, you can feel just as good by sending a donation of gift cards or money to suport the kids who have no "home" to call for reinforcements. Go, cast on for one. Or send. Today.

 

A few remaining red leaves. Just for inspiration. Doncha love red with light blue?

decibella !

 Meet Decibella, a cowl that makes itself heard.

 It's  a chunky, stylish, reversible cowl in a quick-to-knit variation on Shaker Rib. You can probably make one this weekend-it's that easy. Kind of fun, too.

As I mentioned in my last post,  the muse knocked me upside the head to knit a big orange cowl as a prop, in a stitch that seemingly has no official name,  for a photo shoot. Once we finished photographing, I felt like it had potential, so I went ahead and reworked it and wrote her up, and walla! A published pattern.*
I'm particularly happy with the applied icord edge. Why have I never fallen in love with this finish before? I watched Kay Gardiner  icord around a very large  Fussy Cut blanket with mindblowing speed and dedication.  It looked spectacular. Now, I get it.

 

Both the pattern stitch, which uses some K1 below action, and the applied icord are easy to learn, and they elevate the piece to something a little special. Want to try it yourself?
                                                         
I'm itching to make another Decibella this weekend, too, in a lighter weight yarn- maybe a garden variety bulky or even heavy worsted- and maybe do the icord around both the top and bottom edge. ...or it could be worked as a smaller, closer fitting cowl that stands up around your neck ...or maybe use an ombre for one of the two yarns.....

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •      

* the price is 4. ,  it includes plenty of photos and also, how to do the applied icord. Not that you can't find gazillion video tutorials online to do the same thing, umpteen different ways--but sometimes it's nice to have all the info you need on the same pdf/printed pattern. You may not think of me as someone who writes patterns, and it's true I don't publish frequently.  But after co-authoring two craft/knitting books, I've been to the rodeo and even cleaned up the arena after the broncos. If you know what I mean.

a big mwah for red scarf knitters & supporters

Today, Feb 14th,  there are about 2500 college students who used to be foster kids, looking something like this, thanks to you, Red Scarf knitters.

A few of this year's donations.  A random sampling. Quality? Oh yeah. We got quality. Look closer: 
Happy Valentines Day!

ps While scarves can be sent for 2010 care packages after September1st, you can donate anytime to the Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth  to help former foster kids in college with small expenses, like broken glasses, and extra course supplies that run out , and emergency needs. (an aside- now that I have a son in college, I realize just how much these small emergency needs crop up.  Need a tie for an interview! Fee for a field trip that is sort of required! Lost a book! ) There's a link on Norma's blog, click from her sidebar- you know she's the one who started this fund,with the Orphan Foundation of America. 

tossing off FOs & catching ZZZs

Red Scarf action!  Linda & June at their shop,  Knit New Haven, hoisting this year's harvest of red scarves. Let me tell you, those are some really, really nice scarves. Since I was heading down to DC and was going to see the OFA folks, I personally delivered them. You sent yours, right? If not, you're one scarf ahead for next year, just remember where you put it till then.

My two scarves were finished and amongst the delivered.  I kind of hid the striped one in the bottom, it was looking more rustic and folksy by the minute. No need to reassure me, I have faith a rustic, folksy loving student will be matched with it.  It's just that there were so many lovely, very polished looking knits. The top one is my worsted weight version of the Gathered Scarf designed by Maryse. Great pattern! Considering  it involves increasing , decreasing & changing needle size- not difficult but a little bit more time consuming than your straight knit- it still seems to be an uber quick knit. The ruches add high entertainment value, that must be it. I might try an  even chunkier one for myself, just for funs. Or see what happens if you knit it as a tube ina lighter weight.

I also knit a thick cowl for myself that I've failed to shoot, it's starting to look a little worn so I'd best hurry that one up. Me not finding a way to take a photo of an FO is so ridiculous, I shot 1000 images in the last two days but no, sorry, too hard to include a cowl. L-A-M-E.

A carbohydratey FO. Soon as it got chilly in November I was back with the breads from that work of genius Artisan Breads in 5 Minutes. I've been doing different filled breads for a while, sometimes cinnamon & brown sugar, sometimes cheese or vegetables or both. Rarely do they come out as evenly swirled as this one, usually there are unsightly bulges. So I have to show it. . It's the Eurpean Peasant Bread recipe with sundred tomatoes and sharp cheddar baked in. And very super crusty (extra cornmeal on it.) FYI you can't go wrong with that filling. Stuff your old shoes with sundried tomatoes & sharp cheddar and bake: also good.

You know what else is taking up my time? Sleeping. I jumped right on Ann and Arianna's bandwagon. Soon all those REM will result in a thinner, cheerier me. With less problems remembering stuff. If it works, I'll be able to remember to tell you about it.

any ideas? detectives wanted

an OFA student, the kind of person who you support by knitting a Red Scarf. yeah, she is as nice as she looks !

Ruth (sorry, don't know if you have a blog to link to) asked in the comments if I knew the name of this scarf pattern, in the bottom corner of the Red Scarf poster. You can see, it's a great design. I've wondered if I were clever enough to figure it out more than once myself. I always answer myself: "that's a NO! You are not!" and , since I am talking to myself in such fractured grammar, I add : "More than once would be needed to get it right, if you tried."

Anyhoo, her inquiry had me riffling the internets . In her book Knitting New Scarves, Lynn Barr has the Stacked Wedges Scarf, which looks similar. But I know I shot the photo above before the book came out. So, the pattern must be elsewhere, too. Or I suppose Lynn Barr may have been the knitter of that red scarf right there. Who knows? (Lynn? are you out there?)

Both Ruth and I found the Wedge from Norah Gaughan, which has similar construction: short rows shape wedges alternating garter and lace. Close, but you know what they say.

Finally, there's Wavy from KnittyWinter04. I knit one in my pre blog days, I can attest to this being a fab pattern. However. It has the undulating spirit but not the same construction.

So.. any ideas? If you know where to find this pattern, send us a link. Operators are standing by, needles poised.

ps Any of the linked above would make great red scarves this month. (Just saying) .

pps Thursdays this month, at Knit New Haven 6-8 pm , are Red Scarf nights. Be there.

not necessarily in order of importance

My souvenir from last weekend: One skein of Lisa Souza yarn, in the colorway St Valentine's. It's a big honkin' 560 yards of Sock!merino. Perhaps an Ishbel? I've heard wearing red gives extra energy. Works for me.

I bet you thought I was going to say something about a Red Scarf for the Red Scarf Project right? No, but I'm working on that. You should too. Have you seen the prizes Norma has for those knitting and donating?

Last Sunday , sister Lulu needed to do some reconnaissance in a charming CT town, prepping for a meeting. I went along figuring, whynot? Great weather, a Bloody Mary at the historic tavern mid morning, a hike around the colonial harbour...what could be bad.

She had in mind walking in and out of every. single. charming. little shop...and the tavern didn't open till too late in the day.

I think I've already made it clear how I feel about recreational shopping. Without the camera to give my morning purpose I'd have hung myself up on one of these lamp posts.

I can't complain too much. Twee overload was offset by the sun.

PS. my friend Birdsong is having a contest over on her blog, she wants to know about life changing events in yours, as she just had a biggie. Go. Enter.

red:ready?

Never one for subtlety, a gentle reminder to get your needles moving for the Red Scarf Project 2009.

How lucky is it that my red photo safari yesterday segued into a job today with a red combed chicken.

Quick review: each scarf should be approximately 60" long and 5 to 8" wide, , unisex in style, preferably a shade of red, in a soft not scratchy yarn. Style up to you. You know, something you might see a successful college student wearing. Please no fun fur, no loose unwoven ends or wildy wonky mistakes. Keep in mind it'll be mailed in a fed ex box, so super bulky scarves won't work. BTW fed ex donates all the delivery, yay Fed Ex!!

The Orphan Foundation of America (OFA) is accepting the scarves for this year's care packages now through December 15th. Each scarf is sent in a care package to foster kids who have aged out of the system and are now going it on their own in college. It means A LOT to them. They do not receive care packages otherwise; there's no one to call or text at home when things are a little bumpy, or they need some help in decisions. The OFA's work in advocacy for these young people is so very worthy of your support!

Along with knitting a red scarf, ( or instead of , if your knitting plate is full ) consider:

- donating to the Red Scarf Fund for Foster Youth

- donating little items that can go inside the care packages like gift cards to inexpensive restaurants , or bookstores, or coffee shops, toiletries like hand cream or razors, , stationery goods like tape, pens, notebooks, small packets of snack foods...and if you work for a company that can do so, urge them!

- be a virtual mentor. You have no idea what an impact you can have on someone's life by mentoring. You'd be matched up with an OFA college student interested in your field, and be in contact with them for advice, encouragement and support. Read this OFA blog post entry on what a difference you can make.

- if you' re in the DC area, volunteer to help sort out or stuff care packages at OFA

- download and print this 8x10 Red Scarf Project poster/flyer, and put it up at your LYS or community bulletin board

Ok, that's my opening red post for the year. Look around at your own reds, there's got to be a shade you want to work in.