Friday, December 04, 2009

can't and the messages we send

red scarves forOFA, hand knitFor the Red Scarf Project. Lengthwise stripes, garter stitch with some stockinette when the spirit spoke . Leftovers: Cascade 220 in red and teal, Brown Sheep Top Of the Lamb (circa 1988, no kidding)in light blue, some recycled sari silk yarn. I'm going to fringe it, I think. 6" wide by 60 " long before fringe.

If you read comments here from Marla Mclean, Atelierista, you'll notice they reveal insider knowledge. Makes sense, she's my sister. Go check out her blog if you have even the slightest interest in creativity & learning. I find her ideas apply in my mostly grownup world. Plus her photos of the kids in her Reggio school studio are artful & fun to look at.

On Thanksgiving day, with preparations reaching frantic pace, Marla declared that can't isn't a word we use. It was pretty interesting to see how often we trilled out our negative declaratives: " I can't reach the top shelf! I can't get these friggin' breadsticks to stay in shape! I can't remember where I put the scissors! " and then we'd stop and reframe it, or say things like " I need help with..." or " How else can I do this..." Yeah of course we teased her about turning us into her 4-5 year olds but it was pretty cool. Makes ya think.
And yes, of course we considered making it a drinking game but we do have all these teenagers to set a good example for, at least for another holy crap , in five years they will all be over 21.
{sob. shriek}
red scarves forOFA, hand knit
The red scarf I started last night. Inspired by Maryse's Gathered Scarf. I'm knitting it in Cascade 220, on US 9 & 5 needles. My yarn & my sections are modified proportions to hers, which was fingering weight. I cast on 28 stitches, but only increase in every other one, so the ruched stockinette bands are 41 stitches wide. Let me tell you this scarf is flying , and it has just the right balance of drape and weight. It'd make a banging cowl design.
red scarves forOFA, hand knit
I've been playing chicken with the weather, letting this one last collard grow in what was our Lameass Vegetable Garden of 09 . I looked up from shooting that scarf and discovered it was now huge, has two sisters , and there is broccoli & arugula to cut too.

So. Maybe we CAN grow veggies after all.

13 comments:

Ellen Bloom said...

Excellent scarves! I love the multi-color one!

Have a great weekend, Gale!

Natalie said...

Your scarves are awesome. And so is your collard. Wowzers! What are you gong to make with it?

livnletlrn said...

I haven't even finished reading your post yet, but I clicked through to your sister's site. All I know is that anybody who has a quote from the _Big Orange Splot_ right up front and center is alright by me!

I swear, we have built our entire lives on that book and The Wuggie Norple Story. :-)

gayle said...

Beautiful scarves!
In our taekwondo class, no one was allowed to say "can't" unless they put the word "yet" on the end of the sentence. "I can't do this yet" implies that someday they will be able to do it.

Mary Lou said...

Oh I think I made a multi color scarf like that and put it away somewhere last year for red scarf. Now I have to find it! I have had greens this fall until, sadly, it dropped to 15 the other night. I've been making spanikopita with our greens, which I have found makes it hortakopita. Yum.

Sunflowerfairy said...

Hey Gail, how many stitches did you cast on for the lengthwise scarf? It looks so pretty.

Anonymous said...

Ooooh, I am loving your scarves - and your attitude! I'm close to finishing my own fifth scarf -- this one is also a lengthwise stashbuster. I love those! XO

kathie said...

Love the striped scarf!!

Anonymous said...

love the lengthwise scarf too. Woo!

Unknown said...

Those photographs are GORGEOUS, Gale!!

elizabeth said...

I love that thought, I'm going to keep that in mind as I feel overwhelmed this season!

twinsetellen said...

Good stuff. The knitting and the learning philosophy. I may try the "words we aren't allowed to use" game over the holidays when we have family to the max.

Jasmine said...

One of my colleagues was offering 3 free hoop sessions (hula hoop class) and any time someone said can't she would add "yet"