Anthony Wants Anything

I started this blog at the beginning of the semester, and I’ve made a friend in Anthony, a guy in two of my English classes this semester. I told him about my blog and how I love to knit and he said, “Do you have a black scarf? I’d buy it off you!”

I don’t have a black scarf in my current inventory. But I’m totally willing to make him one.

Anthony has an amazing idea for the end of his college career. He’s currently in the process of selling/giving away all of his possessions and has the plan to buy a plane ticket and is going to backpack across Europe.

I’m thinking that a black scarf will help to keep him warm if he’s in a cold country (he’s leaving in the middle of a Wisconsin winter) and will be small enough to stuff in his bag whenever he doesn’t need it. I’ll be presenting it to him as soon as I’m done and satisfied with it.

Once my size 8 needles have become free from their use of the Broadway Baby scarf, I’ll be starting on his scarf. He left me free reign on how the scarf should look so I’m going to go with whatever looks best with the yarn. I’ll be doubling up the yarn so as to make it look fuller and be more plush on the neck, but I’m not sure which stitch to go with, if I should venture into cabling, or if I should just make a simple K1P1 scarf and be done with it.

It helps, when making something for someone, to always have that person in mind; that way you won’t get attached to the item and not want to give it away. If you make something specifically for someone else, you won’t have that big of a problem giving it away (or in this case, getting the money for it!).

The Christmas Present Montage

I went to Joann Fabrics on Friday. I know I shouldn’t have but I have so many things to do before Christmas!

I figured the best thing for me to do is go with my strengths. I have an awful time buying things for my friends so I usually end up getting a CD or going to Bath and Body works which I hate doing because it feels like a fall back for me. I decided to create my presents for my friends and I feel like it’ll be the easiest way to make them happy by these items.

For the sake of keeping things secret from my friends who may be reading this, I’m keeping the colors vague and only mentioning what pattern I’ll be using.

M1 loves a certain Broadway show so I’m making a scarf inspired by one of the characters. It’s made of a simple garter stitch on size 8 needles. I’m about half done with this sucker. He’s super tall so I had to account for that. I think it’ll reach my knees when I’m done.

M2 wanted a hat so I’m going to make Quincy out of a beautiful Autumn Red that I think will look amazing with her hair and eyes. I bought Brooklyn Tweeds book of patterns a while ago and have yet to create anything from it so I’m really excited to delve into this project. I’ve also never made a hat, so it’ll be an interesting feat. If I have extra time and yarn, I’ll create some mittens in the same color for her. She has long walks outside between classes so I think simple Stockinette Stitch mittens would also be great for her.

C told me she’d prefer a scarf. I found a BEAUTIFUL teal blue that would make her gorgeous blue eyes pop and her hair be a great contrast. I’ll make the Ribbed For Her Pleasure from Stitch ‘n Bitch (It’s one of my favorite things to make) with double stranded yarn. I think it’ll look beautiful in her wardrobe and she’ll be able to wear it all over the place.

T changed his mind about a hundred times on color, style, length and everything possible that he could want. Finally he settled on black and I got started this past weekend. I loved the Green Vertical Striped scarf I made previously so I decided to attempt it on a thinner weight yarn. So far it’s looking good, though I’m not sure if it’s long enough. I just started casting on, didn’t count my stitches and stopped when the yarn was bunching on the line. I’m sure it’ll be fine!

M3 is going to be a different story. She told me that she’d like a scarf. I don’t have any color ideas for her because she looks fabulous in anything and she wears a lot of colors and looks great in them. I’ll have to make at least one more trip to Joann Fabrics to pick up an idea for her and this scarf. I’m leaning toward the burnt orange I already have but I don’t know that she’d wear it if it’s that colorful. I may end up going with the organic black yarn I saw at Joann and create something beautiful from there…

Sadly… you, my dear readers, will have to wait until after Christmas to see what these babies look like. I’ll be taking pictures of them before I give them away to my friends and I’ll offer up some pictures of what they look like/ my friends have to say about them!

Note: I have way too many friends with names that start in M…