the first 100 days

If you remember, this scarf was featured on my very first post. I wrote a little about the knitting and techniques that went into its design, but it's extremely difficult to photograph properly because it's so long! Finally, pictures that show the entire scarf.

I know the Obama-mania has died down some, and I also realize the dangers in knitting a dated object. However, I wanted to knit something to commemorate the historic election and an administration I was legitimately excited about. (For anyone who doesn't agree with my politics, it's still a pretty cool scarf and I don't mean to offend anyone.)

As far as knitting goes, this is knit double (meaning both sides at once), and the scarf is totally reversible. I used worsted-weight wool, combining Plymouth Galway and Cascade 220 to get the right colors. I charted the entire thing out before I started knitting, thinking that, in doing so, I would reduce the opportunity for error. Well...no...designing is inherently frustrating, but I would not wish this chart on anybody. Knitting the design on one side was hard enough, but reversing it on the other side at the same time was just ridiculous. I don't know if I would wish this upon anybody! But you bet I'll be wearing it no matter what year...if only because it's one of my proudest knitting acheivements...but I really hope it will be to show continued support of our administration. I still think that yes, we can.

And so it begins.

Welcome!

Tuesday marks the beginning of a new era in Washington, D.C. An era of change, hope, intelligent thought, and progress. For that I am excited, grateful, and optimistic.

In the spirit of new beginnings, I am starting this blog. It's something I've considered a lot over the past year, but hadn't fully committed to...I guess to me, the internet seemed isolating and lonely! Knitting has always felt like a communal effort, a craft that brings people together (even if they're strangers!) to share ideas, insight, and life- in short, the opposite of the knitting experience online. Once I started thinking about it, though, the online knitting community is just an extension of these small knitting groups meeting out there. Sites like Ravelry connect various small groups, facilitate the exchange of ideas, and inspire knitters to take on challenges that they wouldn't have attempted otherwise. So I'm throwing myself out there to see what it's like. I love the individuality that each knitter brings to his or her project, no matter how simple. I love the enthusiasm, the hope and optimism and joy that knitting provides. I am so excited to begin, so join me!


So to connect the two worlds of knitting and politics, I have a creation. It's a double-sided campaign scarf...and if for no other reason I'm glad Barack won so that I can wear it for the next four years. In typical knitter fashion, it wasn't finished until last week! In time for inauguration, but a little late for Election Day wearing. (I'm thinking about it like a prayer shawl sort of thing: the whole time I was knitting it I was thinking "Obama '08! Obama '08!" So whatever that means, I put out some extra cosmic energy that helped make his win possible!)


I wrote out the whole chart, it was more than a little ridiculous. The knitting was SO obnoxious, since it was two-sided you had to read the chart from opposite ends. I'm pretty sure I spent more time ripping than knitting, and only my stubborn fixation with the thing produced a finished object. I knitted with a combination of Plymouth Galway and Cascade 220- both worsted weight, 100% wool yarns with great color ranges. If you want a good example of a double knitting scarf, check out Son of Stitch and Bitch and refer to the Brooklyn Bridge Scarf! (That pattern calls for sport weight, I used worsted and it produced a lovely, gigantic scarf that's perfect when it's -9 degrees outside.)

More posts to come soon, I have a backlog of projects and designs and ideas and madness to share! Please check back, and check my Ravelry page, too: ckeighan. I have a few projects, and like this blog, Ravelry will soon be full of my projects for your viewing enjoyment.