Right after I finished that beaded scarf in March, I cast on a beaded hat, using a modified sock pattern and much prettier beads than I’d used the first time. (You can click on most pictures to see them bigger.)
That finished in only a few days, and then I cast on a scarf.
I was barely a third of the way through it when a woman, watching me knit, said, “But winter’s almost over.” I replied, “There will be another one.” (Who says I can’t predict the future?)
Kiddo#4 arrived before I could finish, and I set it aside. For, seemingly, ever. I was tired of the pattern, tired of not making progress. Just plain tired.
About a month ago, I had a blow-up with a friend and after we resolved that, I said I’d make a scarf and donate it as an I’m-sorry.
After that was done, I whipped up a pair of socks for Kiddo#3, and then I ended up with that scarf-for-me which stalled out because I can’t knit for myself.
I returned to the white beaded scarf, and after much persistence, I’m proud that it’s done.
The scarf is absolutely beautiful, and as I knit, I prayed for all sorts of outrageous blessings for the person who receives it. I’ll never know how much of that God grants or how much of that makes God roll His eyes. Regardless, it’s done and ready for donation when the Angelborough Food Pantry is open for business.
Check out the pattern here: 
I had more of the scarf-for-me yarn, and Ivy had told me it would make a good hat, so I zipped over to the local yarn store today for dpns, bringing the pathetic scarf-for-me. And when I was there, two expert knitters said, “This is a beautiful scarf!”
Really? I thought it was too ugly to donate.
Nonsense, they told me. Someone would love to have that.
I said what Ivy had, that it would be too itchy. More nonsense, they said. Some people would find it itchy, but many would not. If I wanted to donate it, I should be proud to do so.
When I went back to my car, my head was spinning. I wanted to finish that scarf — I longed to finish it. I could give it away! Someone could use it!
I have no idea why that changed everything, and yet, I went right home and resumed knitting on it.
And I’m eager to get that hat cast on as well. God’s going to get tired of me asking for outrageous blessings for strangers, but you know what? He’s God. He’ll deal with it. And maybe someone down on her luck will end up, feeling humiliated, at a food pantry to feed her family, and touch one of those scarves and think, “God loves me. There is good in the world after all.”
I think that they are all beautiful. And the prayers are most beautiful. I think God smiles on our petitions and grants to those we pray for what is best for them. Prayers are never in vain.
I love those beads. They are beautiful. So is your knitting and crochet. You’ve gotten very good. It looks like you hooked the beads. Will you post your hat pattern?
Mohair is tricky. Remember those experiments in school where you licked a bit of paper. There is a genetic quirk that makes some people able to taste it and others not. Mohair is kind of the same way. Some people find it soft and wonderful and others find it nasty and itchy, which is why, before committing to a scarf (the skin on your neck is particularly sensitive) you should test the yarn against against your neck or wrist to see which camp you’re in. As a donation it works because the person who chooses it will be in the “mohair is soft” camp.
That last scarf is pretty. I know it would work with my style so yes, there will be someone who loves it!
As for winter…where on earth is winter almost over! We are just now getting cold fronts here ack! I love your response…it’s not like you buy a new winter wardrobe every year; scarves and such keep for a very long time!
She said that last March, so winter really was almost over. I’m such a pathetic knitter. I took off about six months and did nothing at all in that time. 🙁
I just kept looking at that last scarf and seeing it as a big mistake, and now it looks so different to me. It’s amazing what a little affirmation can do. I’m glad you like it.
The scarves look very good, actually!
I have a scarf that I have been working on for over four years. I’ll pick it up from time to time, knit a few rows, get distracted (or tired of having to play tug of war with the cat once she has discovered that I have STRING! and lots of it) and put it up so she can’t get it… and promptly forget where I stashed it.
I’m almost done with the scarf now. One of my goals is to finish it this weekend. It was originally going to be a gift to a friend of mine, but well… she’s moved to an area where scarves aren’t needed, and no longer travels to Montana for business for two weeks out of every four.
This is going to sound strange… but would you like a scarf that was finished with you in mind?
These are gorgeous! Your family and friends (and others) will wear them for a long time. Reminds me a little of Dorcas (Tabitha) with all of the women showing each other the things she’d made (but hopefully you won’t have to be dead like in that story! 🙂
At our church we knit hats and mittens for orphans in Romania.
Samantha, you’re so sweet to think of me. To be honest, it seems that the best use of any scarves right now are for all the people who are so badly affected by the economy. My hope is always that someone who is utterly down on her luck will receive a donated hand-knit scarf, realize how much love goes into one, and feel that the world is a beautiful place again.
If you have a local food pantry or homeless shelter or battered women’s organization, they would love to have it. Think of it as giving someone in need a virtual, winter-long hug.
Nothing at all in that time? Kiddo #4 doesn’t count?
Kiddo#4 got “bound off” in late March. 😉
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