women of a certain age are like sunflowers; they know how to turn their faces to the sun.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Tilt-a Whirl

“Well, shake it up, baby, now, (shake it up, baby)
Twist and shout. (twist and shout)
Cmon, cmon, cmon, cmon, baby, now, (come on baby)
Come on and work it on out. (work it on out)”

-The Beatles


Remember the thrill you felt as a kid, when summer rolled around?

Summer meant 3 blissful months of freedom. It meant:

  • Swimming at the local pool
  • Cherry freeze Pops staining your tongue red
  • Neighborhood kickball games that lasted deep into the dusk
  • Curling up under a big shade tree with a stack of library books
  • Baseball games
  • Movie matinees
  • Bicycle races to the end of the street
  • Our annual trip to the amusement park, complete with corn dogs and cotton candy

And a ride on the tilt-a-whirl.

When I first tried out this nifty little open cable pattern, back in February, it was all I could think about. Look at the way in which the cables display a slight list, first right and then left.

I tried it in a variegated yarn with primary colors, but the colors overwhelmed the pattern.

So I put the idea back on a shelf at the back of my fevered, fertile, little brain.

Fast forward four months...

I'm looking at this skein of Kureyon sock yarn, thinking, "Man- this thing is too bright to do anything with!"

And then my creative gut overrode my rational brain and retrieved the idea, dusted it off, and put the two together.

Thank God gut!

TILT-A-WHIRL SCARF
$4



SIZE: 8 inches wide by 88 inches long
MATERIALS: 1 ball (460 yds.) Noro Kureyon Sock or other sock yarn
Color: 180
Size 4 (US) needles
Cable needle
GAUGE: 6 stitches = 1 inch (blocked)

written directions - advanced beginner level



As you can see if you look closely, there is a touch of lacy open space in the center of the cables. The yarnovers that give it a slightly off kilter bent, also serve to lighten the piece.

This one is a lo-o-o-o-ng lean scarf, to wind around your neck a couple times.
Wear it to the county fair...
Wear it to the park...
Have a corn dog...
An elephant ear...
Don't forget the lemon shake-up!

Let the ends fly free.
Let it catch the summer breeze.

Twist and shout, bay-bee...

Twist and shout!

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