So — I cast on my sister-in-law’s birthday Green Bay Packer scarf, actually at the opening kickoff of the Packers – Seahawks game. For the first two minutes of the game, I superstitiously thought that had been a terrible mistake. But after that, I knit my way through to the Packers’ decisive and snowy victory!
The knitting was naturally punctuated by squeaks, yells and assorted encouraging comments, to my husband’s amusement from his kitchen vantage point (though he actually played high school football, he doesn’t really watch it, nor any sports particularly, except our older daughter’s volleyball games). Luckily, the knitting was simple and fairly impervious to adrenaline-fueled boo-boos. The Gothlet (my younger daughter) was initiated into watching football with this game; the fourth-graders play football in gym, but she had never really understood the rules other than kind of what downs/touchdowns/field goals were. So she got a basic education in the rules of pro football.
(Her brain probably felt like this screenshot looks, as I blathered on. She said, “Mom, I kinda get what you’re saying….”)
I couldn’t *quite* finish the scarf during the game, but knit the majority of it. Here it is partway through; tomorrow, the finished product.
My sister-in-law is a Packer fanatic, living in a Minnesota Vikings enclave in Minneapolis. I was therefore determined to get this finished and off to her ASAP, so she can wear it around in our now January-esque Midwestern weather, and show off her Packer fandom in advance of the NFC playoff game, Packers vs. Giants IN GREEN BAY Sunday. (And believe me, she *will* wear the scarf, anything to rub it in!)
The hardest part of this scarf was finding yarn the right green. My trek to virtually every place that sold yarn in the area, as well as several mail-order attempts, inspired this haiku:
Green Bay Packer Green Yarn
Your basic green yarn
Should not be this hard to find.
Where has it all gone?
Here’s just a sampling of the green yarns I found, none of which were right.
Not pictured (just like the class photos), I also had a ‘hunter green’ from WEBS Valley Yarns, which was more pine green (blue-ish tint); a bright kelly green from Red Heart; an almost olive green from Lion Brand Jiffy; a fluffy boucle from Hobby Lobby which was also olivine; and so forth and so on. Apparently plain green is not in fashion right now; soft dusty leaf green is, and pine green, and very dark green, and olive, pretty much.
Beth pointed me toward Dale Falk which has a good green. Unfortunately, the only place I’ve seen that around here, is the Sow’s Ear in Verona (near Madison) – a 2 1/2 hour drive from here. Unfortunately, much as I’d like to visit the Sow’s Ear, I can’t right now!
So, having gotten the last box of disappointing wrong greens, I was about to look into mail order Dale (too bad they don’t really have the right yellow, but we won’t go there right now), and I was also finding Plymouth Encore Chunky online as having a green that was a little bright, but not too bad in a pinch; that was under serious consideration as well. But then I walked (for the hundredth time) past a bag of ‘vintage’ yarn from eBay which has been waiting — for, let’s just say a while — to be put away. And, glory be, it was ‘the right stuff’! Pierre Cardin washable wool, whoda thunk it.
Apparently in the 80s (?), this green was ‘in’. I started swatching it multi-stranded; seemed a little thin and not the most soft, so I added the elann Peruvian Cuzco bulky alpaca; then it was too dark, so I added the Jiffy;
then it was still too dark and now too bulky, so I subtracted the alpaca and was pleased with the result. Together with my potluck Cherry Tree Hill Fringe ribbon,
which happens to be approximately GB colors by the luck of the pot (other than one minute spot of pink which occasionally shows up, but we won’t talk about that), this made a soft, warm, pretty-much-the-right-green, fun football scarf.
More suitable for outdoor wear, which is fine in winter in Minnesota; but perhaps next year, I could make her a more decorative scarf, or a poncho, to wear indoors while cheering the Packers on. Maybe with the Dale Falk (I am SO coming to the Sow’s Ear for a Knit Night sometime this summer, or sooner if I have an excuse!); or the elann Highland Wool darker green and yellow aren’t too bad together even though I wasn’t content with the green by itself.
Next to lastly, because you can’t live here without being obsessed about the weather (or at least having to take it into account — as a pregame commenter said in regard to playing at Lambeau, ‘where weather is always a factor’ — definitely the case Saturday!), let me share with you the latest sky update.
Last night I worked late; leaving work, I looked at the G in the sky (only green last night, apparently technical difficulties) and saw something weird. Little bright lights in the sky!
I haven’t seen those since I can’t remember when. Maybe Christmas, maybe earlier. I felt like this lolcat.
I got a little excited. Stars! Maybe there will be sun! Sure enough, the weather forecast said clear in the morning, changing to cloudy (what else?) with a chance of flurries.
This morning? Completely overcast. By the time I got to work, it was snowing sideways — more than flurries. As I’ve said, I don’t mind the snow, and it’s better than rain in January, but the more usual rhythm for January is a snowstorm, followed by clear and cold weather. Midwesterners are getting cranky due to lack of sun, I think. Except for Packer fans, who are jazzed right now.
But then this afternoon, it turned Cold — and Clear! Some subzero weather coming up, but it’s so good to see this:
despite the brisk northwest wind.
And lastly (I can just hear you say, “Finally!”), continuing my haiku theme, I will inflict a Packer haiku upon you.
Green Bay Packers
Not a religion
— Football here in Wisconsin —
Just a way of life.
Haiku inspiration? Leave it in a comment on yesterday’s post, or wherever you wish! I have some more coming your way. You know they’re addictive. Just try to write just one.
Hither and Yarn 