In Preparation for the Big Game (Super Big)

I've written all the news about my Superscarves (and I really hope you watch for them on Sunday!) but I wasn't the only one making them! (Current count is 13,024!) I ran across "GoodnightGram"'s blog, probably from the Superscarf newsletter, but I'm no longer sure. She's has made at least 45 scarves for the project and she has designed some zingers. I had to share! (All pictures are from her blog.)

My favourite is probably the Charlie Brown homage:

Isn't that fantastic!? She added a figure to each end of the scarf.

I heard the following one will be worn by Kelly Clarkson when she sings the anthem:

It's the whole first verse of the anthem charted out in lines of knitting,

each phrase punctuated by a little picture. (Like the setting sun above.) Delightful!

An even more ambitious project was this "uni-scarf" for the Colt's mascot, Blue, to wear at games:

What a mammoth lot of work!!

She took requests for themes, and someone suggested cheerleaders:

She used two full skeins just for the pompoms. Brilliant!

You can see lots more of her projects if you click here and look through the Super scarf posts.

I really admire the work she's done in not only producing so many scarves for the project, but making them so varied and creative. Great work!

Holy cow!!

I just got a message on Ravelry letting me know that my Super Scarf was chosen to be featured on the cover of the February edition of the magazine, Indianapolis Woman. I am so stoked!

The woman wearing it is Allison Melangton, President and CEO of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee.

The woman who let me know is in Indy and is going to send me a paper copy. I can't wait!

Lookie Lookie!

Hey! Look what I saw when I got the last Super Scarves Update:

Yup, that's my scarf on the left (with the "Super Bowl XLVI" knit in). It's nice to see it with the patch sewn in the right spot. (I curved the letters XLVI to go around it.)

I'm a little curious why it's a yellow patch instead of the same as the other scarves. (You can see several with the Indy Super Bowl logo on top of the table on the right.) Or maybe the picture was taken while it still had the paper circle I pinned on with "Sew patch here" written on it. Yup, controlling, that's me!!

In any case, very exciting to see my scarf in a group shot. If you'll be watching Super Bowl coverage, make sure to keep an eye out for it! ;)

Super Scarf II and Mosaic Knitting

I haven't written much about it, but I did make a second SuperBowl scarf. In fact, it looks like this scarf didn't even make it to my current projects list in the sidebar. Oops!

Well, I have been working on it on and off since early April. I saw this new pattern for a football themed scarf and couldn't resist doing a second SuperScarf.

I made the scarf one repeat shorter than the pattern called for because I was short on yarn but it is plenty long. Final dimensions were 7" by 64". I liked the pattern a lot and I hope the volunteer who gets it does too!

I filled out all the forms and hope to [finally] have the two scarves shipped off to Indianapolis this week.Project Stats
Started: 6 Apr '11 / Finished: 29 Apr '11
Pattern: Football Mosaic Scarf by Sarah Burton (free)
Materials: Universal Yarn Classic Worsted, 651 White, 638 blue (1 ea @ $6)


One reason I wanted to make this scarf is that the pattern is made with a technique called mosaic knitting. I had never done any mosaic patterns before but have been intrigued by the look of them.

In mosaic knitting, you only ever work with one colour at a time and alternate which colour every two rows. The result is a pattern that looks like you used multiple strands when you didn't.

Here is an introduction to the technique:

This pattern starts with a row of all white stitches:

(That part's easy enough, right?)

For the next row, you knit in blue all the stitches indicated by the chart:

When you come to a stitch that is marked white, you don't knit it, but just slip it from the left needle to the right:

Then continue to knit blue stitches as indicated by the chart:

and slipping the white stitches as directed.

For the wrong side row, you're still knitting with blue and all you do is knit the blue stitches and slip the white stitches (with yarn in front):

That's the best part of Mosaic colourwork--the wrong side rows are so easy and you don't need a chart for them.

At the end of the two rows you have some blue stitches which have been knit and some white stitches that have been slipped:

As you start the next row, you are using white and simply knit the white stitches as indicated by the chart and slip the blue stitches. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

So if you've been scared of doing stranded colourwork for some reason, you may want to check out some mosaic patterns because you'll only ever have to work with one colour at a time. (But because it's a less common technique most people will still think you're a genius because they've never heard of it. Go ahead and use that to your advantage. I give you permission to do so.)

I will end with the note I included with the scarf:

Thank you for volunteering, for taking the time to make sure that things run smoothly and people have fun. The SuperBowl couldn’t happen without you!

I wish I could be there to help, but since I can’t I’m happy to contribute this scarf. I hope you like it. I hope you wear it in good cheer.

The scarf is knit in a mosaic design by Sarah Burton (not me). If you would like more information, you could snoop around my blog www.christinacreating.blogspot.com. I write about all my projects there.

When your scarf needs to be washed, it can be done by machine. I would recommend cold water and a gentle wash. Dry on low heat or lay flat to dry. The materials are 80% acrylic and 20% wool.

Super Scarf!

It's a bird!

It's a plane!

It's a SUPER SCARF!

I have finished my scarf for the Superbowl XLVI in Indianapolis. I was relieved to have enough yarn to make the center [striped] section long enough that the words were still visible even when the scarf is wrapped around the neck.

All I did for that section was 12 rows for each stripe. The stitch is K1 P1 ribbing which is offset every two rows. (In other words, each wrong side rows lines up with the previous row, but on each right side row you knit the purls and purl the knits.) I knit right up to the end of my blue. (In fact, I had to knit the last row with a smaller needle so that I had enough to be able to anchor the end!) And I had a couple meters of white left--that's it!!

Another thing that worked out was the shaped letters "XLVI." I graphed them with a curved bottom so that the 3" patch that the organizers are sewing onto all the scarves will fit under the letters. (ETA: actually, I've since learned that female inmates are sewing them on!) With a little help from Photoshop, I can show you that it should look something like:

I'm glad I found a way to make the patch belong instead of looking like it was slapped on later.

Project Stats
Started: 5 Feb '11
Finished: 20 Mar '11
Pattern: my own design
Materials: Alpaca with a Twist, special Superbowl blend, 2 skeins ($24)
I will remind you that I knit this scarf from the bottom up, doing each side separately. I started the stripes as soon as the letters were done and joined the two halves with a Kitchener stitch. Once I got to the striping, I actually knit both halves at once with the white going on one half and the blue on the other. This way I only had to count rows half as much: if one side was long enough the other side had to be too!

I started each half of the scarf with a two-colour version of a provisional cast on:

I'm very happy with how it came out. The blue and white stitches seem to just grow out of each other without a cast on getting in the way.

On the next pic I've drawn down the center of a few of the columns so you can see that the two layers end up being offset by a half stitch:

This doesn't really affect the final project, but it is a necessary piece of the puzzle if you want to understand how it works. If you don't really care how it works, but just want to see how to do it, try these two videos I have recorded for you.

Part 1: Getting Started.

Part 2: The First Row.

I hope that helps you get started on your next two-colour double knitted project! (And now that you know how to get started, that may be sooner than you would have thought!)

And since I couldn't put it on the scarf, I will say it here, "Go Colts!" Let's hope there are some NFL games played next season, and let's hope the Colts can pull off the never-done-before and play--and win!--the Superbowl in their home stadium!! Now that would be super!

The Other Travel Project

You can never travel with just one project. (You wouldn't want to be stuck if you, totally hypothetically here, broke a needle or something.) In addition to the Hourglass socks, I also took along my Super Scarf.

We visited friends with children (2 boys about 5, and a boy about 3) the first weekend and they were totally intrigued with my knitting. (Ok, for completeness I'll tell you they also have a baby girl, but she couldn't care less about my knitting and doesn't feature in this story.) The boys were a bit skeptical at first that I was really making a scarf. The conversation went something like this:
3-yr old Ben: What are you making?

Me: A scarf.
B: No, you're not.
Me: Yes, I am.
B: No, you're not.
Me: Yes, I am.
B: No, you're not.
Me: Yes, I am.
B: No, you're not.
Me: Yes, I am.
B: A thoughtful silence.

The older boys were a little quicker to believe me and one of them (Andrew, in case you know them) started quizzing me on other things I had made. Did you ever make a shoe? Did you ever make a blanket? Did you ever make a chair? etc. I was surprised at how many yeses I could give to his questions and took that as a sign that he had a pretty good idea of what sorts of things a person could make.

At one point, I put my knitting away because I had made an error in the colours two rows back and had to go down and fix it. I didn't feel up to it with all the hustle and bustle going on. Ben asked what I was doing and I said I was taking a break. NO!! He was very insistent that I keep knitting. I think he has replaced David as my knitting coach. (Reference here.) Sorry, David, but he was really good; and dang, if I didn't pull it out a couple minutes later, fix the mistake and knit some more!

By Monday night, I had the first word done and had started the second side:

I had to re-graph the bottom letters ("XLVI") on the trip because I had originally graphed out XLV, which would have been correct for this year's Superbowl. Thankfully I realized my mistake before I knit it into infamy. The second reason was to make the letters curve around the place I am leaving for the patch they are going to sew onto all the scarves. (Probably so someone sneaky like me won't knit themselves a blue and white scarf and try to sneak into the Superbowl as a volunteer. Yeah, don't think I'm the only one who's considered it!!)

I asked in a couple places and eventually got an answer on Facebook on what size the patch is going to be. It should fit perfectly under the XLVI. Yeah!

I had been mostly knitting my sock, but once the needle broke I had no choice but to work on this scarf. Besides, I am getting a little anxious to have it done and sent off. Last night I finished the second set of letters:

Now I am working on the middle part which will join the two existing parts. I stopped double knitting and have started a textured stitch which I will stripe in blue and white.

This will keep me from running out of yarn too early (I hope) and make the scarf less bulky around the neck. It's going pretty well so I hope to finish soon!

___________________
We took a walk on Sunday and I did not knit while walking. For one, there was quite a drop off along the narrow path. And for two, Ben told me to "told his tand."

Super Sunday (After a Super Saturday)

In case you live in another country (or under a rock), today is the Superbowl. My Colts aren't in it, but it'll still be fun to see the Packers and Steelers fight it out.

Next year the Superbowl will be in Indianapolis for the first time. (They basically built the new Lucas Oil stadium to get the Superbowl and apparently it worked.) The organizers are letting people who don't live in the area get involved by making scarves they're going to give to all the volunteers. They need 8,000 of them. (I wonder if they heard what happened when the Special Olympics asked for scarves, but that's not my problem...)

They specified very specific colours for the scarves in several brands. I've opted for a special blend made by the Indiana company Alpaca with a Twist in Touchdown White and Touchdown Blue.

Although team logos are not allowed, apparently they had no problem picking the blue and white of the Colts. ;-)

Yesterday the yarn shop, Yarn Gourmet, had a Super scarf knit in/potluck for everyone in the area who is making scarves. Yarn Gourmet is carrying the Cascade brand approved colours. I had a fun time and stayed for knitting, eating and shopping for a couple hours! (I bought some nice Mini Mochi but I'll show you those some time later.)

I've decided to double knit my scarf, spelling out SUPER down one side and BOWL XVLI down the other. Double knit means it'll be two sided, blue background on one side and white on the other.

I finished the R while I was there:

Since white stitches on one side are blue stitches on the other, the letters will be backwards on the back.

I've decided I can live with that. (Lots of scarves have a "right" side and a "wrong" side.)

Here's an extra shot:

See how the blue stitches on the needles proceed from columns of stitches on the scarf? And the white stitches come from nowhere. Well, not really of course--those stitches are from columns of stitches on the reverse side. It's a intriguing spatial puzzle while you're knitting. You have to think in pairs, one stitch from the front, one from the back. And each time you need to change the colour to make a letter, you have to do it on both sides. I find it fun.

I just hope I don't run out of yarn...(Just started and I'm already worried about it!)