Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Once in a Blue Moon . . . .

I am sitting here at my computer, while the wind blows. And huffs and puffs. And howls. And starts behind my house, behind the hill, off to the left, and slowly and stealthily, and horrendously, rip-roars down through the trees, slamming into the house, running over the roof, then continuing on to all the trees beyond. All day it's done this. Frigid. Frightful. Late December.



Come Thursday there will be a blue moon. In case you've forgotten, that's when we get two full moons in one month. And Thursday, December 31 is still December, and just makes it. I'm hoping the moon looks blue like this one does. Maybe by then, the wind will cease.

Blue is my favorite color. It's always been my favorite color; whichever shade or hue of blue you choose. It's just me. Just like my Victorian scarf or neck-warmer here. It's one of my very favorite things to knit. Put it in a dazzling box with some silver tissue paper and a beautiful ribbon and you have the best gift!


Size 4 needles.
CO 30 sts.
Knit 1 row.
Row 1 (RS): K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, K11, yo twice, K2.
Row 2: K2, (K1, P1, K1, P1, K1) into "yo twice", P7, K4, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end. Row 3: K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, K3, SSK, K13.
Row 4: K2, P11, K4, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Row 5: K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, K3, SSK, K5, (YO, K1) 5 times, YO, K2.
Row 6: K2, P16, K4, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Row 7: K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, K3, SSK, K17.
Row 8: K2, P15, K4, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Row 9: K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, K3, SSK, K3, (YO, K2tog) 6 times, K1.
Row 10: K2, P14, K4, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Row 11: K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2 K3, SSK, K15.
Row 12: K2, P13, K4, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Row 13: K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2 K3, SSK, (YO, K2 tog) 6 times, yo, K2.
Row 14: K 19, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end
Row 15: K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, P3, K2, Knit to end.
Row 16: BO 6 sts., K12, P2, *K1, P1, K1, P2, repeat from * to end.
Knit rows 1 - 16 for 16 "points" or desired lengths.
Bind off.
Weave in the ends.

Let me know what you think!

In the meantime, I will be looking at the blue moon and thinking of all I have to be thankful for in the New Year.

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Waiting in the Sparkle

Tis the Season to be Merry! Tis a mere three days til Christmas. Have you been paying attention to the quiet weeks of Advent? Praying a little more, reading Sripture a little more, knitting a little more?
Ah, Advent! My favorite Season of the year! Quiet, unassuming, almost left behind and left out by our seedy culture. For it is a seedy culture. Everything crass, everything big, everything an innuendo of something else. Like I said, seedy.
I had a wonderful time at a Christmas craft fair in Lafayette NJ a few weekends ago. Lots of people abounding, and most of all, lots of beautiful crafts by people who put a lot of time and energy into their passions. Funny thing though, most everyone else doesn't seem to appreciate it judging by all the look-sees who buy nothing. Why are they there, I ask myself, to waste a few hours on a Saturday afternoon or to use up more precious time which they'll never get back. When you go to a craft fair, buy, already! You can't go wrong, and you certainly won't see what you buy on someone else; it's all so unique and beautifully handcrafted.
Oh, I had some sales, but it was disappointing in that respect, as it was for everyone else. So much beauty, so much creativity, so much of each one of the crafters, in their designs.
But, we are crafting for an Ebay mentality, for those whose idea of baking Christmas cookies is to buy the already-made dough, open the package and separate at the perforated line, and place on the cookie sheet. That's baking!? That's lazy. Where is the fun, the flour, the rolling pins, the aprons, the icing, the sprinkles, the mess, the laughter???The memories?! You don't make memories with lazy.
That is why, I suspect, I love Advent. It requires just a little bit more from me than my usual self. I make it a point, every day to go to my Advent place. As Christmas draws nearer, I am led through the desert and John the Baptist, past Elizabeth and Zechariah, through the streets of Bethlehem, where in the cold and the night, something happened which never happened before, and has never happened since.
Right now, I'm following Joseph and Mary in those streets, and I'm watching and wondering and waiting. In my working, in my decorating, in my driving, in my cleaning bathrooms, in my watching TV, in my sleeping, in my thoughts, and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do.
And so, very soon now, my quiet will be broken by the noise of Christmas Day. A happy noise, a joyful noise, a welcome noise.
No matter our circumstance, no matter our trial or sorrow or joy, we should, just for one day 'keep Christmas merry' with laughter and memories. And, each syllable that pours forth from our mouths, fall like the glistening snow I see every night.
Then we shall look back in future days and reflect on how our Advent sparkled. Because once Advent ends, just look what we have!


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Here is one of my favorite scarf patterns so we too can sparkle!



Winter Sparkle Scarf

Worsted Weight yarn - main color
Fun Fur yarnSize 8 needles
Multiple of 11 stitches plus 7.
(I cast on 29 stitches)

Row 1 and all WS rows: Purl.

Row 2: K1, *yo, sl1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, yo, k6; rep from * to last 6 sts, end yo, sl1, k1, psso, k1, k2tog, yo, k1.

Row 4: K2, *yo, sl1, k2tog psso, yo, k1, sl next 3 sts to cable ndl, hold in back, k3, then k3 from cable ndl, k1; rep from * to last 5 sts, end yo, sl1 k2tog, psso, yo, k2.

Row 6: Same as Row 2.

Row 8: K2, *yo, sl1, k2tog, psso, yo, k8; rep from * to last 5 sts, end yo, sl1, k2tog, psso, yo, k2.

Repeat Rows 1 to 8, for 6 repeats.

Change to Fun Fur yarn on WS row.

Knit 8 rows.

Change to main color and repeat Rows 1 to 8, then Fun Fur, etc. to desired length.

Add beaded fringe.


Sparkle!

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