Holiday Decompression

One of the best things about Xmas is the days AFTER.  Presents have been given and received and there is no more pressure to do last minute design corrections and last minute re-weaving/knitting/crocheting/tatting/spinning.

Additional benefits are the leftover bits and pieces -- the oddballs.  With oddballs comes the status of creating a personal piece, tied to the gifts given that year; a piece that can be worn by the maker.  

This year I'm making an Idiot Shawl which in a couple of years will be joined to next year's idiot shawl to make an afghan. 

Assemble the bits and pieces of wool left over from this year's projects and separate into groups.  Decide which color will be the main color throughout -- I usually choose the color that I have the most of in either spun or dyed roving/yarn .  If you don't have one color that stands out as the main, you can tie all the stripes of color together with a purchased or spun or dyed yarn.  Black is a good choice if your colors are bright and you like the illuminated/stained glass look.  White is excellent if your colors are pastel.  Something I learned recently while researching different Granny Square patterns, was that any darkish color can be used to crochet all the finished squares together as long as it works with the colors it abuts.  Using a color that isn't as harsh as black or as bright as white can make the same difference as, say, using fresh ground pepper instead of tobasco at the table.  The visual feast presented by that type of moderation is far more digestible.

The idiot shawl is based on the idiot washcloth pattern.  The only difference between the shawl and a washcloth is that you never decrease when knitting the shawl.  You will increase until you get a shawl the size you want or you get to the last odd ball. 

Pattern:

1.  Cast on 4 stitches
2.  Knit 2, increase by knitting in the front and back of the 3rd stitch, Knit stitch 4.
3.  Knit 2, Yarn Over, Knit to the end of the row.
4.  Repeat Row #3 until the shawl is as wide as you would like, or get to your last odd ball.
5.  Knit 2, Yarn Over, *K1, K2tog, YO*, repeating between * * until you get towards the end, finishing the row with a YO, K2.  Fudge if necessary.
6. & 7.  Knit.
8.  Bind off loosely, weave in ends.

Note here -- I join the balls together using Russian Join .  It gives you a little time to decide if the colors you're putting together actually belong side by side.  Alternately, you can overlap the old and the new yarns and knit with both for a a few stitches before dropping the old yarn and continuing on with the new.

Have a very happy New Year and see you soon!

P.S.:  I've been watching Lone Ranger re-runs while working on this blog post and the episode plaing now keeps mentioning a little western town called Colby.  Colby, Wisconsin is the birthplace of Colby cheese and I have a sudden, uncontrollable urge to run out and buy some ... and some fudge of course ... and maybe some pears.  Happy Happy!