Tuesday, April 11, 2006

AYE YI YI YI SCARCHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

First--I love to get emails like the one I got from Helen today. Check out these photos of Bryce--



I think she is pretty happy with her new poncho and hat from Nana'!










If you run your cursor over the title and follow the link, you will visit a knitting podcast hosted by Brenda Dayne, a knitter from Oregon who ls living in Wales. You don't have to have an iPod to listen to her podcasts, you can download it into iTUnes and listen to it from your computer. A podcast is like a radio show. They are free, and have great music from artists who have not signed onto any labels. I think my favorite is episode #2, The Knitter's Manifesto. She talks about what thinks would be like if Knitters Ruled the World. There is talk about knitting, music, more talking about knitting, etc. She has a great voice. And, it's FREE!

Now, you ask "what in the world is a Scarcho??? It is the coolest garment I have seen in a while and is ever so fun to knit and to wear. Technically, it is a poncho made of 8 scarves. You use a size 13 (or so) needle, cast on 10 (or so)stitches, knit away for 10" then cast off. Do 7 more combining any yarns your heart desires, then you crochet or mattress stitch them together. They could be called a "Poncharf", but that sounds like something you would wear with spandex stirrup pants from the 70's. The "Scarcho" sounds at once mysterious, sexy, and perhaps a bit naughty. It begs for tight jeans, preferably leather. See what you think---
Helen made the first one---it was on the cover of the Winter 2004 Knitter's magazine.






Yolanda was inspired and she knit this next one. Here it is being modeled by Fran (AKA "Little Missy"), who by the way, is very shy---






Then Yolanda did one in blue--here it is in the stage where you have to decide what-goes-where-







And the last Scarcho to hit the scene was knitted by Judy--here is the close-up

And here is the front--I caught Judy with her eyes closed--so I cropped---I apologize---


Judy found an interesting phenomena with her knitting. She had a knee replacement a couple of months ago, and has some residual pain that is really bothersome. When she knits, she doesn't feel the pain. A great side effect, I'd say! Knitting uses a different part of our brains, and the tactile sense, which doesn't get used too much. I think it bathes the brain in feel-good endorphins.

Aren't they all beautiful? And this is a project that would be great fun for a new knitter. Not a virgin knitter, but one who knows how to cast on and do the knit stitch. Judy wore hers in Washington D.C., and she could feel heads moving to look at her. Helen experienced the same thing when she wore hers to a gathering last weekend. They are truly wearable art, almost like a fabulous piece of jewelery, except that they are better because they cover up parts that most of us don't want people looking at anyway, and you can combine things from your stash to make them.
AAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH SCARCHO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Next Sunday is Easter, so we won't be gathering. But I expect to be back on Sunday, April 23. Happy Easter and Happy Knitting!