Tag: jimmy beans wool

Christmas Tardis Scarf

On By aftheadIn Knitting5 Comments

My brother is a Doctor Who nerd. Now before you tell me about other people you know who won’t stop talking about the new Doctor this season, let me assure you, he is a nerd of a higher level. Before he was 40 he was on a panel at some sci-fi convention speaking as an expert on early Doctor Who. He’s been watching since William Hartnell (the first Doctor) and Tom Baker (the fourth Doctor) were PBS regulars at our house along with Sesame Street and 3-2-1 Contact.  He has obtained his 10,000 Doctor Who hours several times over.

So when Jimmy Beans Wool and Lorna’s Laces released their limited edition Police Box yarn in March I started planning. I looked for patterns that looked like the Tardis–the magical police box in which Doctor Who travels the galaxy–and settled on the Blocks and Squares Scarf by Tetiana Otruta:  a modified basket weave pattern with a nice border to keep the scarf from curling.  To me, the pattern looked like the rectangles on the side of the Tardis.

My plan ready, I started knitting with the anticipation that the scarf would be done for my brother’s birthday in November.  However, scarf knitting always takes me longer than I expect. The monotony gets to me.  I missed his birthday so had to get my knitting mojo going for a Christmas delivery date.  By December 22nd, I had the final garment finished and ready to block.

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When knitting, I often miss the forest for the trees, so I was shocked when the blocked scarf revealed an unexpected cosmic sinusoidal wave. This miraculous pattern is enhanced by the fact that I joined two skeins of yarn mid-scarf, and as far as I can tell I accidentally did it perfectly.  It’s not the multicolored scarf that was Tom Baker’s trademark, but the scarf feels very Doctor Who and  “wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey”ish.

The scarf was further improved by the addition of a tiny Tardis charm, a stitch marker, also purchased from Jimmy Beans Wool, which was released the same time as the yarn.  It’s subtle, yet ensures that the careful observer knows this is a scarf for a time traveler aficionado.

Now, I have never knit a present for my brother, so this whole enterprise had me a bit worried.  I assumed he would love the gift, but his knit-worthiness had yet to be tested.  So after taking a few artistic shots of his present on our fence that needs painting, I carefully wrapped the gift.

To ensure he understood the full meaning of his present, I wrapped the two yarn sleeves around the scarf, proudly displaying the “Police Box” name along with the tiny silver police box charm.

Christmas day I anxiously watched him open the gift.  He studied it for a bit before I started blabbering: telling him about the yarn and the charm and the pattern I picked.  He unwrapped the scarf and put it around his neck.  “It looks so nice,” he said, “I thought it was commercially made.  Do you mind if I show it to some of my Doctor Who friends online?  They are going to be jealous.”

Such magical words to a knitters ear.  Of course he could share it.  Then he asked me how to wash it and didn’t flinch when I said it should really be hand washed.  All early indications lead me to believe that this won’t be my brother’s last hand knit present.  Which is good, because I may have picked up a few skeins of Bigger on the Inside this spring too.  Time to start planning for next year’s knitting gifts.

Here’s hoping all your holiday knitting was loved and cherished.

Knitting Details

Pattern: Blocks and Squares Scarf by Tetiana Otruta

Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Police Box from Jimmy Beans Wool

Ravelry Link: https://www.ravelry.com/projects/afthead/blocks–squares-scarf

 

Embarrassingly Excessive Advent

On By aftheadIn parenting, Uncategorized12 Comments

I have a confession to make.  I have an obsession that has gone into the realm of embarrassing.  Do you have one of those?  Maybe a penchant for shoes or purses or coats beyond what is reasonable for your budget or your closet size?  Maybe this desire even contradicts your core beliefs?

My addiction is advent calendars.  Not those paper ones where you open for a new picture every day.  Not the felt ones where you stick a new ornament twenty-four times.  Not one where you get a festively shaped piece of chocolate every day.  Not even the cute ones with little drawers that can hold a Hershey Kiss.  Folks, all those enabling Advent calendars have been part of my life, but I’ve moved beyond those.  My problem is much worse.

Behold!  My daughter’s advent calendar!  Purchased from The Land of Nod several years ago it has been the instrument of my decline.  Note that every day in December, up to and including Christmas – totally Advent inappropriate, having a pocket for the 25th – my daughter gets a gift.   I’d like to say that they are just little trinkets, and there are some.  However, there are Lego sets in there, my friends.  Small Lego sets, but Legos nonetheless.  There are objects too big for the calendar, thus the “box” cards, which direct my little girl to an extra box of wrapped gifts.  For example, today she got a book, which is too big for day 1 pocket.  I confess that there are even articles of clothing in some of those numbered pockets.

If I step away from this monstrosity and look at it objectively I’d tell you that I live in a tiny house that doesn’t need more stuff.  We are a family that values experience over things.  My daughter will get tons of Christmas from our extended family, if I didn’t get her anything she’d have more gifts than the average kid.  I’m sure, in confidence, my mom would tell you that I’ve made her feel bad about buying things for her granddaughter because I’m so anti-stuff.  In fact, the commercialism of Christmas is just obscene and my favorite part of the season is our celebration of Hanukkah, where we light the candles together as a family and quietly say a prayer as the lights burn down.   I love that moment of togetherness and quiet.

(But I also REALLY love the Advent calendar.)  I love that there is a day where the cookie cutters I bought her in Minnesota will remind her of our family vacation.  I love that there are Nutcracker leggings for the day she’s going to the Nutcracker, and brass instrument leggings for the day we are going to go see a brass holiday concert.  I adore how she springs out of bed every day in December to see what I got her.  Her joy and gratitude are an amazing way to start the day.  I love the planning involved:  making sure her crafting gifts are delivered just before our annual crafting party.  It is excessive and ridiculous and I can’t stop.

I CAN’T STOP!  Last year the Advent Calendar issue took a terrible turn, because my favorite online knitting shop, Jimmy Beans Wool, started offering a knitting Craftvent calendar.  I couldn’t resist and I loved getting a knitting surprise every day last year.  So I bought it again.  Gak!  There’s not even any thoughtfulness in this one.  It’s pure unadulterated Christmas commercialism and I love it so much that the guilt just slips away.

I refuse to calculate it, but I may spend more on my daughter’s Advent calendar than on her Christmas presents.  My husband is a stabilizing force with the actual holiday gifts.  I know I spend more on my Craftvent calendar than he spends on my gift.  It’s this weird annual sickness I have: excessive advent celebration.

I cannot wait to see what we get tomorrow!  And the next day!  And….