Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Time Travel, Pineapple Scarf, and a Giveaway


I did a little time traveling today .... for this story, we have to go back to June, 2009.  Before we had either of our grandchildren and before we bought our Oregon farm.  I was still teaching middle school art, working on my art ed master's degree, meaning to learn how to knit, and hadn't even started blogging yet.



That June, my husband and I spent a wonderful few days at Skamania Lodge in the Columbia River Gorge, winding down after a tough school year.  




We hiked, explored the nearby town of Hood River, rode the Mt. Hood Railroad, soaked in the hot tub .... and while in Hood River, I found a great little yarn shop, Knot Another Hat, and bought a few skeins of Malabrigo Silky Merino in Indiecita.  A few days before we'd left home, a new Japanese crochet book arrived and I'd packed it, hoping to get in some crochet time.  And I did!  I whiled away the afternoons on a deck chair overlooking the gorge, sipping on sangria and working on a pineapple stitch scarf.  Heaven!

As all vacations do, that one ended and we returned home.  I ran out of Indiecita for the scarf and by the time I'd located, ordered, and received more, the scarf had been put aside and pretty much forgotten.  The summer of 2009 was also when I started using Ravelry and that scarf was the first project I entered - and was the only project until I decided I needed something to help me keep track of all my knitting and I re-acquainted myself with Ravelry.  Everytime I entered a new project, I'd see that pineapple scarf sitting there on my project page and wonder whatever happened to it.


So .... last weekend I accomplished a task I've wanted to do for a couple of years.  I totally emptied and cleaned out my fabric closet!  And tucked away in a corner, still in its Knot Another Hat bag, I found the almost finished scarf.  This morning I sat down and finished it .... and all the memories and the feel of that summer came flooding back like it was a few months ago, not a few years.  A very nice, time traveling morning and now I have a new pineapple crochet scarf!




About the pattern:  It's from a crochet book that's totally in Japanese (with nice charts) - I've been told the title translates to Crochet Accessories with Cotton and Linen.  I don't know if it's still in print and a quick websearch didn't turn up anything.  I ordered it from Pomadour24's Etsy shop - a good place to get Japanese craft books.



Which brings me to the giveaway.  I was so energized after finishing the fabric closet, I also tackled my yarn cabinet.  I am now vowing to not save all the little leftovers of yarn from finished projects - I think I had about 10 years worth stuffed in there.  There were also many, many skeins of yarn I know I won't use.  I saved the best ones out and the boxful will go to one of you readers!  Just post a comment by March 27th .... you can time travel and tell us about a great vacation, you can post a link to your favorite pineapple crochet pattern, or whatever else you think of!  Just no commercial posts, please.  I'll randomly draw one commenter's name on Saturday, March 28th.  Good luck!  The giveaway is now closed - look for more in the future.

Happy Creating!  Deborah

46 comments:

  1. I love figuring out what to do with yarn - I recently knit my first yarn animal - those bits of yarn would be perfect for making more.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Love all this beautiful yarn.. I tried to teach my granddaughter when she was 9 to knit and crochet and grew tired of it... Recently I introduced loom knitting to her and she lovers it! Even tough now she is getting older we can still bond.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Your scarf is beautiful, and I enjoyed your story. Would you consider making scarves for abused women with that yarn? It is rewarding to create something with those lonely balls that is going to warm someone's heart. Take a look:
    www.handmadeespecially.org

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a wonderful story and lovely scarf. It almost looks like an old fashioned insertion lace done up large. That's the kind of offbeat work I love to do. I just joined my first mystery crochet along and frightened myself when I figured out that I had enough yarn in my stash to make a coordinated afghan. A few years ago, I found an adorable crochet 'gift' bag on Ravelry and made a few dozen as gifts. I thought I had made a dent in the hoard, but I guess not. My project for the spring and summer is going to be stash busting. Maybe some premie hats, some scarves and wrist warmers for a women's shelter, more of the bags? Who knows? That said, I wouldn't mind adding to the stash.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hi Deborah, the scarf and story are beautiful! I also did some "time-traveling" yesterday. While cleaning out mystery boxes under my bed, I discovered some old papers from when I was in graduate school. It reminded me that this was when I taught myself to knit and crochet. One of my first projects was a knitted sweater - very boxy but with knit-in pockets in a different color. And, I still have it, and, it still fits!

    ReplyDelete
  6. My mum would love this bundle. She has recently retired and is loving picking up her knitting needles after many years away from it. Thanks for the giveaway x

    ReplyDelete
  7. Several years ago mu husband and I spent a week in Rome. It was a trip of a lifetime.
    kdavis1@centuryte.net

    ReplyDelete
  8. My favorite vacation spot is Switzerland. I love it there. sarah@forrussia.org

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm a beginning knitter and would love to win your yarn. Your scarf is wonderful!

    lin.web.28 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I enjoyed your story. That sounds like a great vacation. I love to knit, mostly hats and cowls to donate to our high school. Thanks fvor sharing with us! cknapp3626@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  11. I enjoyed your story. That sounds like a great vacation. I love to knit, mostly hats and cowls to donate to our high school. Thanks fvor sharing with us! cknapp3626@sbcglobal.net

    ReplyDelete
  12. You can never have too much yarn! I started crocheting when I was on my 1st deployment while enlisted in the Navy as there tends to be a lot of down time but little to do. A fellow shipmate was kind enough to get me started and several of us started a group making baby blankets and donating them upon our return state side. I have kept making baby blankets and even managed a king size blanket! I am currently working on a crochet baby blanket for a couple that is adopting a baby boy next month. All of my creations are gifted so it would be wonderful to win this giveaway and be able to gift that much more. Good luck to everyone that enters! eva.nmay@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. I really like how color makes such a big difference between your scarf and the original. Thank you for the chance to win this lovely stash.

    ReplyDelete
  14. My nine year old knits and would love these yarns!

    ReplyDelete
  15. I went on my vacation in 1992 to visit our son. We had a good time. I crochet and would enjoy winning

    ReplyDelete
  16. One of our favorite vacations was visiting Santa Fe when we were kids!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Awesome yarn!! Would Love to Win them! Thanks for the chance!! The vacation I remember most is visiting our Daughter in NC a few years ago...and getting to see the Ocean for the fisrt time!! Was soooo Beautiful!!

    ReplyDelete
  18. We loved our trip to Alaska. Thanks for your give away:)

    ReplyDelete
  19. I love going to my inlaws in WV. We sit, relax and sometimes go out 'camping' to the lake house and go swimming.

    ReplyDelete
  20. I love your pineapple scarf. I would love the yarns for the doll dresses my mom makes. My favorite vacation was when we took the girls to Disney World and we went to Daytona Beach and went to the ocean for the first time.

    ReplyDelete
  21. How ever do you do it? I love it!

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm a vetran knitter but I've just learned to crochet and am so excited about it. Your scarf is just lovely!

    t_ktl at yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love these skeins of yarn I am glad you werent able to use them because I would love to win them thanks for the chance to win! I love the way your scarf came out that is one stitch I have never tried but it came out great.
    sally0630@frontiernet.net

    ReplyDelete
  24. I love to make scarves and dishcloths. I would love to revisit my trip to Prince Edward Island...it was for our 30th anniv. And now this year will be our 35th. Where will we go this time?

    ReplyDelete
  25. Your scarf is beautiful! My favourite holiday was a year and a half ago when we took our kids to the snow. It was cold, but magical!

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'd like to shift dimensions to one where I can go visit my parents on the coast this month, for some proper spring weather, instead of staying here in the northern muddy melt. In the meantime, knitting with the brightest green I have will have to do. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  27. HELLO, what a delightful Post on your Blog today!
    Lovely work; lovely thread!
    Thanks for sharing+a neat giveaway too!
    msstitcher1214@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  28. Love the yarn. Good job on the spring cleaning. I did get my sewing room organized. Thank you for the giveaway.

    ReplyDelete
  29. Gorgeous scarf! The colours in the yarn are just lovely!
    I love pineapple patterns in crochet, and I've made a few afghans, but my favourite thing I made was a pineapple tablecloth for a round table.

    ReplyDelete
  30. My great grandmother who was sick with cancer wanted a blanket/small afghan or a lapghan so that that way she could always have a piece of me wherever she went and she took it with her everywhere she went even after death she was buried with it.

    ReplyDelete
  31. Lovely scarf, I love the pattern. Thanks for sharing your time travel story with us. My favourite place to visit has been Japan, it is wonderful there. It's the furthest I've ever travelled too, I can't get much further away from Britain!

    ReplyDelete
  32. My best holiday was to Estonia and Finland. If you are not familiar with Estonian folk knitting traditions, I suggest you consult Dr Google for inspiration. I visited the National Museum in Tartu, and examined traditional knits in their archives, so much knitting artistry. A highlight was finally tracking down some estonian sheep (double-coated) at a museum on the outskirts of Tallin. I came back to NZ with an extra suitcase of cheap Finnish and Icelandic wool, pattern books and wedding-ring shawls (hand knitted).

    ReplyDelete
  33. Wonderful time travel story and your scarf is lovely too!! I travelled around Europe last summer with my husband and daughter but woul love to do it again and bring my son (he needed to work to earn money for University).

    ReplyDelete
  34. Beautiful scarf, great contest!

    ReplyDelete
  35. I love pineapple patterns
    http://www.crochetkim.com/patterns/pineapplecaress.html

    ReplyDelete
  36. What a fun giveaway! I know I have a few skeins laying around that I won't use . . . I suppose I should do something similar. I just can't resist yarn! ;-)

    ReplyDelete
  37. I'm hoping to get some crocheting done on a trip to Gatlinburg this spring.

    ReplyDelete
  38. I usually craft in front of the TV and when I look again at something I've made, I often get a flashback of the film or programme I was watching when I made it. It works the other way round too, as I may watch something for a second time, years later, and suddenly remember a bracelet or a hat I made when I watched it the first time around. I bet you will time travel every time you wear your beautiful scarf.

    ReplyDelete
  39. I have just started crocheting again after 9 years. Had half an index finger cut off because the bone died so I have some difficulty with many things but I keep trying. gandn74@ymail.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. Expecting 2 new grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild - have a LOT of baby blankets to make :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. In 2007 I took a solo road trip up Pacific Coast Highway to the Oregon coast. It was the most meaningful vacation I've ever had. To this day I can still smell the salt of the ocean when I hear the music I listened to on that drive. I'm teaching myself to knit and I would love to win this giveaway. Thanks for the chance!

    ReplyDelete
  42. I love the pineapple scarf! I was looking for something light to make for spring and I think that's it!!!

    ReplyDelete
  43. We love going to the Black Hills every few years. For us (from Nebraska) it is not such a long drive.

    ReplyDelete
  44. We have 5 kids, so I'm always looking for new patterns and yarn! I love to knit and crochet while watching TV in bed most evenings, it takes me back to when I was learning both from my great-aunt. Lots of great memories.

    ReplyDelete
  45. Beautiful pineapple scarf. I do most of my knitting & crocheting while riding in a car, usually when going for a weekend outing to the UP (Upper Peninsula of Michigan). But I always pack some when going on vacation too - nothing is more relaxing!

    ReplyDelete
  46. This is perfect timing as I've been wanting to return to knitting and crocheting. These yarns would help me get off to a wonderful start for sure. -- soparkaveataoldotcom

    ReplyDelete