The gift that keeps on giving….

Last week F aka Tigger’s Mum remarked on a knitted scarf I’d used as a ‘prop’…..which I said I usually wore outside (or inside) a sleeveless jacket (similar to a gilet but not so close fitting).
There’s a blue colour in the mix so it works well if I’m wearing jeans, I’ve another lightweight one that works in the same way – adding a bit of interest to the dullish brown colour of the jacket…..
….which is one of those ‘comes in handy now and again’ things I’ve had in the wardrobe for years – made from some sort of fleece that weighs almost nothing so was good for o/seas travel – especially on trips like the 2013 one to several Canadian provinces

The scarf was a Christmas in July gift to me – the year after I made all these as Christmas presents for a group of ‘crafty’ friends. Yes we do daft things like that down under – give winter scarves as gifts when more often than not the temperature is in the high 20sC/80sF😊

I’d been given an enormous bag of fine Mohair, Acrylic, Nylon mix yarn which I was loathe to pass on…..too ‘pretty’ to give away and surely I could make something with it. . So what to do with it became almost a 6 month project. No ball bands with needle size didn’t help so there was much trial knitting to end with something that draped. I used 5mm/uk 6/us 8…..a little bit thicker than what I usually work with – and boy did my hands complain!

I started with the lilac colour- knitting it in feather and fan. A pattern I knew – well, I thought I did. How can you mess up a 4 row pattern – 3 of which are just knit and purl stocking stitch – quite easily it seems. My yo’s and k2tog’s never seemed to be in the right place, After getting it sorted and finished It turned out looking more like a baby’s wrap than a scarf so no more of that design.

My stack of old baby patterns – the ones with lacy matinee coats – were long gone and this yarn needed holes not solid, couldn’t ask ‘the group’ as they’d want to know all the ins and outs New baby coming??? everything on the net seemed very complicated so I ended up scouring the op shops

This was in an old Lincraft book – just 4 rows again – ones I actually remembered. Two with the same combination of yfd’s, s1k1psso and k2tog’s intermixed with two purl. Strange how they ‘stuck’ and F&F didn’t.

So come Christmas all finally finished, wrapped in the same paper, in a lucky dip box so each chose their own – lots of oohs and aahs and thank yous.

A few weeks later one of them asked if she could have the pattern hers was made from. Sure, no problem.

Christmas in July is a ‘big thing’ here – it’s cold and often dreary so all the twinkling lights display the way they do in the northern hemisphere during the Christmas festivities up there.
Our little group self catered for a get together each year – our only stipulation was the gifts were to be fun little pressies. Like a Secret Santa – everyone provide one gift- nothing big – a low cost was often mentioned.
Surprise Surprise- no dipping in the box for me – mine’ was actually given to me – “you knit all these and didn’t have one for yourself- so here’s one just for you”.
Lots of oohs and ash’s and Thank you from me😊

The group is no more – I still have my lacy scarf – still giving me warm memories whenever I wear it

Monday Musings – a time to think and ponder.

Do you have gifts that give whenever you see them

(To comment please click on post title and scroll down)

Not an actual ‘unraveled’ post but there was much unraveling involved😊.
Do pop over to Kat’s blog to look at  Unraveled Wednesday  and see what others have made and read this week