Scarfs or scarves - which is the plural of scarf?

While writing the previous blog post about the Red Scarf Project, I needed to find an answer to the question - what is the plural of scarf? Is it scarfs or scarves?

The answer is both are correct. Scarfs was predominantly used prior to the 20th century and scarves is the current preferred usage. However, both spellings can be found throughout the 19th and 20th centuries and this really cool Google books n-gram shows that in English (both American and British) the switch from scarfs to scarves began to occur around 1930.

I'll stay with the current trend and use scarves but it's nice to know that I wouldn't have been wrong with scarfs. Probably the only wrong answer would be to mix the two spellings in the same post!

Source:
Grammarist

Red Scarf Project - Foster Care to Success

The Foster Care to Success Red Scarf Project has a number of programs which provide assistance to college bound foster youth. One of them, The Red Scarf Project, gives students a Valentine’s Day care package that includes a handmade red scarf. Knitters and crocheters from the faculty, staff and students of Framingham State University recently sent a donation with over a dozen scarves and the package included two scarves that I made.

Ravelry Project Page - Red Scarf Project - Scarf #1

Yarn: 2 skeins of Lion Brand Heartland - Redwood
Needle size: US 10.5
Pattern: Cast on 35 stitches. Work Mistaken Rib pattern.

Ravelry Project Page - Red Scarf Project - Scarf #2

Yarn: 2 skeins of Lion Brand Heartland - Redwood
Hook size: L (8.0 mm)
Pattern: Chain 33. I used the Corded Shells pattern (#211) from 280 Crochet Shell Patterns by Darla Sims but any crocheted shell pattern would work just as well.

Candy Cane Cover

I like to make and give little holiday/seasonal gifts for friends and coworkers; so this year I designed a candy cane cover that fits the bill perfectly. There was also the added bonus that they are very quick and easy to make.

Materials:

Lion Brand Heartland yarn - Redwood

Sulky Holoshimmer thread - (silver #6001)

Crochet hook, size G (4.0 mm)

Finishing Materials:

6"-7" Candy canes

3/8" Silver ribbon

Tapestry needle

Sissors

Notes:

The gauge is not important to overall size

Work the stitches holding the yarn and thread together as one.

Candy Cane Pattern:
Row 1: Ch 33; dc in 4th chain from hook (first 3 chains count as dc), [ch1, skip next ch, (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch] 4 times, (ch 1, skip next ch, dc in next ch) 10 times, dc in last ch. (21 dc)

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in same space, * [ch 1 (dc, ch1, dc) in next ch1 space], (ch 1, sc) in next ch1 space* repeat from * to * 9 times ending by skipping dc and sc in last dc.

Row 3: *Ch 3, sl st in next ch 1 space*, repeat from * to * around ending with sc in last st. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Finishing:

Thread candy cane through row 1.

Cut 9" of ribbon and tie a Martha's favorite bow where desired.

The Power of Photos

Ravelry Project Page - Baby Hat

My cousin is a gifted photographer and takes exceptional portraits. A while ago she asked for knitted hats to use when photographing babies and I made a few different types. She photographed her granddaughter in them and the results are stunning!

Her photos are such a cut above my usual static shots and they certainly add polish and sophistication to the end result. I so wished she lived closer because I would beg her to photograph all my work.

Ravelry Project Page - Bumblebee Hat

Ravelry Project Page - Munchkin Hat

Itty Bitty Monkey

Cute little monkey! She/he (I haven't decided which yet) turned out really well but I had to rewrite most of the pattern in order to use the most important amigurumi crochet technique - the magic circle.

Reading through a pattern before I start working allows me to get an idea of how the project is going to be put together and to interpret any directions I may not understand. The instructions for this pattern were clear and easy to follow but I immediately noticed that it did not use the magic circle to start any of the pieces. The magic circle is a clean way to start crocheting in a circle and is the preferred method used in amigurumi. Even worse, the instructions for the arms, legs and body started at the widest areas and ended by narrowing to a few stitches which were finished off by gathering them together. You can never ever make gathered crochet stitches look as neat and clean as starting with a magic circle.

So before I started crocheting the Itty Bitty Monkey I went through the entire pattern and rewrote the necessary sections to start with a magic circle.

The ears and tail were both fine as written and needed no change.

The head and snout directions were also fine as written but just needed to start with the magic circle.

The arms, legs and body patterns had to be completely rewritten because starting with a magic circle meant the pieces were now being worked in the opposite direction from the written pattern.

The pattern book Itty Bitty Animals By Sheila Leslie is available at Annie's ePatterns Central and my Ravelry project page for the Itty Bitty Monkey is here.

The Itty Bitty Monkey is just the thing for this internet meme!

Sweet Tooth Pouch

My pinterest boards are filled with links to designs that have caught my fancy and I would like to make. I'll never have enough time for most of them, but every once in a while a project just falls together on its own. My daughters know that my heart is ruled by sugar and Rebecca recently sent me a generous supply of Skittles. I knew what to do with the candy! But I also knew what to make with the wrappers - the Sweet Tooth Pouch.

This is an extremely "sweet" project. The tutorial is well written and the sewing of a simple pouch is pretty basic. But working with candy wrappers as a fabric wasn't as straight forward as I thought it was going to be. I made every mistake with my first pouch (which had to be thrown out) and while each successive one became easier, I never got into a production mode.

I worked two things differently from the tutorial:

Using a quarter as a template, I rounded the corners and reduced the bulk around the curve by notching. The rounded corners turned easier and didn't have to be shaped by poking.

I did not remove the back of the candy wrapper (I cut a slit to remove the candy) and, because the pouch is lined, I didn't apply fusible vinyl to the back of the wrapper.

My additional tips:

Don't stitch tight to the zipper. The zipper tab needs room to maneuver and more is better than less.

OPEN zipper before stitching around lining & wrappers. This is pointed out in the tutorial but is worth repeating.

Stitch carefully, you can't seam rip because the paper and vinyl will tear.

All-in-all I'm happy with the results but it was a fussy project and I'm not sure I'd make them again. I do, however, have lots of fusible vinyl left over and need to find a project for that.

Tilted Duster

The Tilted Duster (Ravelry pattern page) is a popular sweater pattern which was first published in Interweave Knits, Fall 2007.

Almost everything about this sweater was difficult and a challenge. Many of the complications were because of my own choices and pattern changes but there were plenty of fit and knitting challenges as well.

I started the Tilted Duster early in 2008, finished it in 2011 and I'm blogging about it now in 2014. I procrastinated with every step of this project! If you decide to knit this sweater, save yourself from headaches and frogging by researching the experiences of other knitters and what they've done. Begin with the Tilted Duster project page at Ravelry. You won't regret it.

Here are my contribution to the research:

My Ravelry project page is here.

First, check gauge. Proper fit is important with this design so do not skip making a swatch. Second, measure yourself and use accurate measurements. The Tilted Duster has an modified empire waist and it is NOT flattering to have the skirt of the sweater start mid-breast.

Webs did a knit-along with this pattern in 2007 and their tips and tricks were extremely helpful. A keyword search using Tilted Duster at their blog will return a page with links to posts and podcasts where the knit-along is discussed. There used to be a link to an electronic file containing the notes from these podcasts but now I can't find it (if you happen to know where this link is please let me know and I'll post it.)

When binding off I used the sloped bind-off method and on the skirt side panel I used paired increases of make one right and make one left. Knittinghelp.com has videos on all of these of these techniques.

I made a checklist to keep track of the increases, decreases and number of stitches between the markers while knitting the skirt.

I completely reworked the sleeves. The tightness of the sleeve design was frequently mentioned by other knitters so I knew I was going to have to make alterations. I knit the sleeve in the round and made a looser fitting sleeve with these adjustments:

-- Cast on 36 stitches
-- Knit rib for 4" - ending wrong side.
-- Increased every 6 stitches - 42 stitches.
-- Increased 2 stitches every 6 rows until 60 stitches.
-- Worked sleeve cap shaping for size 44 (I was working everything else in size 36) and I also added a couple of extra rows in the sleeve cap for additional length.

Other knitters used various techniques to prevent the skirt front from rolling (garter stitch, crochet, I-Cord) but I thought they all spoiled the clean design. I simply steamed and ironed the bottom edge of the sweater using a plush towel to help prevent compressing the yarn.

It was hard to persevere and see this sweater to completion. It wasn't that far from being done when I lost patience and threw everything into a bag and the corner of a closet. The Tilted Duster became an UFO (unfinished object) for over two years before I got back to it with fresh eyes and renewed energy. I'm glad I didn't give up on it. It's a creative and different design, a challenging knit and a great sweater.

Lilypad

Lilypad is "a set of sewable electronic pieces designed to help you build soft interactive textiles. A set of sewable electronic modules–including a small programmable computer called a LilyPad Arduino–can be stitched together with conductive thread to create interactive garments and accessories."¹

I heard about Lilypad during a podcast where it was discussed as a way to engage girls in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)and I was immediately intrigued. I started by reading the information at the Lilypad website, downloading and installing the Arduino software and ordering a LilyPad Simple Development board from Sparkfun Electronics.

A bag or purse is frequently my favorite item to make when I'm experimenting or practicing something new and this time I made a small pouch to carry my phone and office keys when I'm at work.

The Details:

The dragonfly design is worked in a Japanese embroidery technique known as Sashiko. Sashiko is worked with a running stitch and that provided the perfect structure for hiding the conductive thread. I used a linen look fabric (53% linen, 47% rayon) and DMC #5 pearl cotton thread.

I mapped the best paths from the Lilypad controller to the LEDs on the body of each dragonfly.

Before stitching the conductive thread, I ironed fusible interfacing to the back of the fabric to stiffen it and make a sturdier bag.

After the LED's were connected and grounded to the Lilypad, I checked the circuit by running a routine to turn each LED on and off. I corrected a short that occurred when a couple of my beginning thread tails were too long and came in contact. I also determined the bag needed to be lined (to prevent the conductive threads on the front and back of the bag from touching.)

Before lining the bag I made a small patch pocket to hold the lithium battery and hand stitched it down (it could just as easily been machine stitched but, given a choice, I'm a hand stitcher.) Also, I made a cross-body strap and cut two pieces from that to make loops (for the D rings) which were machine stitched into the side seams of the bag.

Finished size is 4.5" x 7".

My programing skills are not strong (I'd rather be knitting!) so my husband wrote a more sophisticated sketch (the term used for an Arduino program) where one or more dragonflies light for a random amount of time.

I love the novelty and challenge of e-textiles and I definitely plan on my next project being a garment. The idea brainstorming has begun!

Blue Wrap Sheath Dress

Every two years the Fashion Design and Merchandising Department at Framingham State University hosts a design competition to make garments and accessories by recycling "Blue Wrap". Blue Wrap is a highly durable polypropylene fabric that is used to wrap medical supplies and instruments. The event is held primarily for students, but faculty and staff are encouraged to contribute, to showcase their work. Last time, I experimented with making "yarn" from Blue Wrap, and I designed a knit purse, made with this yarn, that you can read about here. This year, I was thinking bigger, and I wanted to make a dress.

I chose to make a classic sheath dress, which seemed to me to have the perfect fashion silhouette. However, throughout the process, I strugged with myself to keep it simple. I repeatedly had to restrain the impulse to add cables, lacework or other embellishments -- just because I could -- rather than letting the textured knitting that was created with the Blue Wrap yarn speak for itself.

I do not draw well so I do not have sketches. However, in my mind I saw a sleeveless, close-fitting dress that accentuated the waist and tapered from the hips to the hemline. When everything was finished, it was one of the rare times that the design vision in my head was executed exactly as I had visualized it. The addition of cap sleeves was the only important deviation from the original inspiration.

Usually when I make an item, it is intended for a specific person. But in this case, because I had no idea who would need (or want) a dress made out of Blue Wrap, I fit the garment to a size 8 dress form. I also had NO idea how much Blue Wrap yarn the dress was going to require, so I cut, and I cut, ........ and I cut. 100g is frequently the amount supplied in a commercial skein of yarn. So it was an interesting coincidence to find that a sheet of Blue Wrap measuring 35" x 35" produced around the same 100g of yarn. It took 3 1/2 hours to make each ball of yarn, and I didn't feel secure about starting to knit until I had made nine of them.

I liked the knit fabric that was produced in my previous project, so I used the same needles. Just to verify that I would get the same gauge as I did last time, I worked a new sample. Once I had a new knit gauge sample and measurements from the dress form, I started to calculate and to knit. I have not written a pattern for the dress (and, as of now, I don't intend to) but here are the major design and shaping details:

The dress was knitted in one piece from the hem to the shoulder seams.

The dress has only one seam from the end of the zipper to the top of the slit at the center back.

There is a 4" slit at the back of the dress to help the tapered bottom of the dress to fit over the hips.

There is 0 ease -- the dress was knit to the measurements of the dress form.

I made a muslin mockup of the top right half of the dress to determine the neckline placement and it was at this point I changed my original idea of a sleeveless garment to one with a cap sleeve.

I took the knitting off of the needles and made fittings at three major junctions: the hips, the waist and the shoulders (just before grafting the shoulders together).

There is a 22" zipper hand sewn into the center back.


The knitting was fairly straightforward:

The entire dress is knitted in stockinette stitch. The yarn has tabs made by the fused ends of the Blue Wrap. Although I used these tabs as an embellishment on the purse, this time I chose to hide the tabs by pushing them through the fabric to the inside.

The shaping for the body of the dress was done in the side seams, with paired increases and decreases.

The front and back of the dress were grafted together at the shoulder seams.

The edge of the hem was finished with a row of single crochet. The neckline and sleeve edges were finished with a knit selvage edge.

The dress used up a little less than 400g of my Blue Wrap yarn supply, which was less than half of the amount that I had cut.

People often ask me how much time an item took to make, and I rarely know the answer. The same was true of this Little Blue Wrap Dress. I am willing to design and redesign, to work and rework something until I am happy with the result, regardless of whether that takes 2, 20, 200 or 2000 hours.

I love this Little Blue Wrap Dress. I may have to use the leftover yarn and knit one to my own measurements!

Vintage Tablecloth Motif

VINTAGE TABLECLOTH MOTIF This motif was used in a tablecloth made by my Grandmother in the 1950's. I couldn't find a copy of the original pattern so in order to properly repair some damage it became necessary to recreate it. Read about my restoration efforts here.

Supplies needed: Crochet hook: 10 Size 20 thread Special Stitches: Beginning Petal Tip Stitch: : Ch 4, (yo 2 times, insert hook into next stitch, yo, draw lp through, yo, draw through 2 lps on hook 2 times) 5 times, yo, draw through 6 lps on hook, ch 1. Petal Tip Stitch: (Yo 2 times, insert hook into next stitch, yo, draw lp through, yo, draw through 2 lps on hook 2 times) 6 times, yo, draw through 7 lps on hook, ch 1. Notes: Work tight chains. All joins are with a sl st to the first stitch of the round. PATTERN Begin: Chain 8, join to form circle. Rnd 1: Ch 1, work 16 sc in circle; join. Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in same st, ch 3, *sk 1 st, sc in next st, ch 3, repeat from * around; join. (8 spaces) Rnd 3: Sl st into first ch 3 space, ch 4, 3 tr in same sp, ch 2, * 4 tr in next ch 3 space, ch 2, repeat from * around; join. Rnd 4: Ch 4, tr in same sp, tr in next 2 sts, 2 tr in next st, *ch 3, sk ch 2 sp, 2 tr in next st, tr in next 2 sts, work 2 tr in next st, ch 3, repeat from * around; join. Rnd 5: Ch 4, tr in next 5 sts, * (ch 4, sk ch-3 sp, 2 tr in next st, tr in next 2 sts, ch 4, tr in next 2 sts, 2 tr in next st, ch 4), sk ch-3 sp, tr in next 6 sts, * repeat from * to * 2 times more, then repeat from ( to ) once, join. Rnd 6: Work beginning petal tip stitch, *[ch 5, sk ch-4 sp, tr in next 4 sts, ch 3, in ch-4 sp work (tr, ch 5, tr), ch 3, tr in next 4 sts, ch 5], sk ch-4 sp, work petal tip stitch,* repeat from * to * 2 times more then repeat from [ to ] once, join to beg. petal tip. Rnd 7: Ch 1, sc in same st, *[ch 4, sk ch-5 sp, tr in next 4 sts, ch 4, in corner ch-5 sp work (4 tr, ch 4, 4 tr) ch 4, sk ch-3 space, tr in next 4 sts, ch 4], sc in tip of petal,* repeat from * to * 2 times more then repeat from [ to ] once, join. Rnd 8: Ch 1, sc in same st, *[ch 5, sk ch-4 sp, tr in next 4 sts] 2 times, ch 3, in corner ch-4 sp work (tr, ch 5, tr), ch 3, tr in next 4 sts, repeat from [ to ] 2 times, ch 5, sk ch-4 sp, sc in next st, repeat from * to * around ending with a join to beg. sc. Joining motifs: Attach motifs when working the chains of Round 8. Substitute the middle chains of the motif being worked with a slip stitch into the corresponding middle chain of the motif being attaching to. You may print this pattern out and use it for your own personal use. DO NOT copy it to use on your own site or for any other reason. You may link to this blog page. Every effort has been made to provide accurate and complete instructions.

Crochet Collars - Vintage Pattern

Crochet Collars Vintage patterns from: Gift Bazaar Book by Bernat (Handicrafter • No. 54)

COLLAR #1 (shown at upper left) MATERIALS BERNAT Super Angora (10 gram balls) — 1 Main Color(MC) BERNAT Metallo (1,000 ft spools) — 1 Contrasting Color(CC) 1 60 inch string pearls No. P/6 1 aluminum crochet hook No. 6/G DIRECTIONS: Using CC, string pearls. Using 1 strand each of MC and CC, ch 60 sts to measure 14 inches. Row 1: 1 sc in 4th st from hook, * ch 2, skip 2 sts, 1 sc in next st, repeat from * to end of row, ch 3, turn. Row 2: * 1 sc in next ch 2 space working in a pearl, ch 3, repeat from * ending ch 4, turn. Row 3: * 1 sc in next ch 3 space, ch 4, repeat from * ending ch 5, turn. Row 4: * 1 sc in next ch 4 space working in a pearl, ch 5, repeat from * ending ch 7, turn. Row 5: * 1 sc in next ch 5 space, ch 7, repeat from * ending ch 9, turn. Row 6: * 1 sc in next ch 7 space working in a pearl, ch 9, repeat from * to end of row. Fasten off. Row 7: Using 1 strand each of MC and CC, with wrong side facing you join with sl st in first ch 9 space, * 1 sc in ch 9 space, 1 sc in same space working in a pearl, repeat from * twice more, 1 sc in same space, repeat from * around collar. Fasten off. TIES: Make 2. Using 1 strand each of MC and CC, ch 1, * work in a pearl in next ch, repeat from * twice more, join with sl st to first st to form ring; then work in ch st until piece measures 4½ inches, join with sl st to first ch of collar. Fasten off. COLLAR #2 (shown at lower left) MATERIALS BERNAT Beada (75 yd tubes) — 1 1 steel crochet hook No. 0 2 dozen each coins Nos. 1 and 2 DIRECTIONS: String coins on Beada, alternating 1 large size and 1 smaller size. Ch 96 sts to measure 14 inches. Row 1: 1 sc in 2nd st from hook, 1 sc in each st to end of ch, ch 7, turn. Row 2: * Skip 4 sc, 1 sc in next sc, ch 7, repeat from * ending ch 7, turn. Row 3: * 1 sc in next ch 7 space, ch 7, repeat from * ending ch 7, turn. Repeat Row 3 three times more. Fasten off. Row 7: Join yarn in starting ch, 1 sc in first mesh, 1 sc in same mesh working in a coin, 3 sc in same mesh, * 2 sc in next mesh, 1 sc in same mesh working in a coin, 2 sc in same mesh, repeat from * on short edge of collar, ending 1 sc in 5th ch of last mesh working in a coin, ** ch 3, ch 1 working in a coin, ch 3, 1 sc in next ch 7 space working in a coin, repeat from ** to other short end; then repeat from * to starting ch. Fasten off. TIES: Make 2. Ch 1, work in a coin, ch 1, join with sl st to first st; then ch until tie measures 9 inches, join with si st in first st of collar. Fasten off. COLLAR #3 (shown at right) MATERIALS BERNAT Beada (75 yd tubes) — 1 2 60 inch strings of pearls No. P/6 1 steel crochet hook No. 2 GAUGE: 7 meshes = 2 inches 3 rows = 1 inch DIRECTIONS: Ch 102 sts to measure 14 inches. Row 1: 1 dc in 4th ch from hook * ch 1, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next st, repeat from * ending ch 3, turn — 50 meshes. Row 2: * 1 dc in next dc, ch 1, repeat from * ending ch 3, turn. Repeat Row 2 four times more. Fasten off. TIES: Make a ch 6½ inches long. Fasten with sl st to first ch of collar, 1 sc in each st of starting ch, ch 6 inches. Fasten off. FINISHING: Sew a pearl in each mesh of collar. Sew 3 pearls on each end of tie. You may print this pattern out and use it for your own personal use. DO NOT copy it to use on your own site or for any other reason. You may link to this blog page. Every effort has been made to provide accurate and complete instructions.

Plate Ruffle - Vintage Pattern

Plate Ruffle Quick Tricks in Crochet (Book No. 267)

MATERIALS: Clark's Big Ball Three Cord Mercerized Crochet, Size 20: 1 ball of No. 123-A Flamingo. Milwards Steel Crochet Hook No. 9. A white china plate, 6 inches in diameter. A paper plate, 6 inches in diameter. A small decalcomania transfer, 1 yard green satin ribbon, ¾ inch wide. Paste. INSTRUCTIONS: Ruffle . . . Starting at center make a chain to reach around outer edge of plate, 1st rnd: Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across until piece is slightly smaller than outer edge of plate. Join with sl st to first sc, being careful not to twist sts. 2nd rnd: Sc in same place as sl st, * ch 5, sc in next sc. Repeat from * around. Join. 3rd, 4th and 5th rnds: Sl st to center of next loop, sc in same loop, * ch 5, sc in next loop. Repeat from * around. Join. 6th to 9th rnds incl: Sl st to center of next loop, sc in same loop, * ch 6, sc in next loop. Repeat from * around. Join. Break off at end of 9th rnd. Starch Ruffle heavily and press. Sew Ruffle around edge of paper plate. Tie ribbon into bow. Sew ends of ribbon to paper plate. Paste china plate on front of paper plate. Place decalcomania transfer in center of china plate. You may print this pattern out and use it for your own personal use. DO NOT copy it to use on your own site or for any other reason. You may link to this blog page. Every effort has been made to provide accurate and complete instructions.