Alert! Alert! We Are Reaching Strapping Capacity!
Lately, when I talk to people about the Beans I mention “Strapping Capacity” and they haven’t the foggiest idea of what I’m talking about. “Strapping Capacity” is when your family has outgrown the most possible space of your current family vehicle and you have to start strapping family members to the roof….. Like so:
As you can see we have the Mister driving, Zach in the front seat, Sam, TJ, and Beans all in the backseat (which is actually impossible with the current car seat laws) and me strapped to the roof of the car (you know its me because of the purse and the knitting needles clenched betwixt my teeth). We would have hit Strapping Capacity already, but Zach being really skinny and not one of those husky kids is the only reason we haven’t had to resort to strappage yet. So, this weekend begins the Great Minivan Hunt of ‘07.
With sadness, the Mister and I realized that we have become (out of necessity) Minivan People- something we apparently didn’t try to hard enough to avoid becoming (see kids #1 thru #4). We wanted to be Sporty Sedan People, not Minivan People. I blame him.
There are measures that are going to be taken in the future so that we do not become Church Van People. Mind you, Church Van People aren’t terrible- they have just escaped the confines of the Minivan with their numerous offspring…. something I devoutly refuse to do. I also cannot trust the Mister with this preventitive plan (see kids #1 thru #4). With the recent discovery in the comments of Stepherz blog that removed adenoids can grow back (the Mister had his adenoids removed long before we got together to stop his snoring- and yet he still snores the snoring of jet craft machinary keeping everyone in a building’s radius awake)… I have no doubts whatsoever that were he to get a vesectomy it would all somehow reverse (when I was least expecting it)…. turning us into Church Van People. I blame his Marine training, I’m sure they have a class for that or something- unconciously using your sheer will, anger, and training to grow back severed connections (if you get my drift). Hoo-rah.
We got a bit of an insider tip from a friend who works at a car dealership that you should buy your car at the end of the month, because you can push the salesman for a better deal more at the end of the month when he’s trying to reach his quota than at any other point of the month. Hopefully we’ll have a minivan (that works!) before the end of the week.
I am still plugging away at the Biggest Dishcloth in the world, it helps that last night were repeats of Smallville and Supernatural-otherwise I wouldn’t have got anything done. I did tune in for ER for a second, but I have a hard time watching it knowing that Dr Morris is the voice of Steve from the American Dad cartoon (just like when I had trouble watching it knowing that Dr Chen was the voice of Mulan, and that Nurse Samantha Taggert was Velma from the Scooby Doo movies )…. you will conveniently overlook the fact that I watch House knowing that Dr House was the dad from the Stuart Little movies.
A Little Further Then Where I Was…
Yesterday there was a big meetup at the Conley Corral (that would be the inlaws) of all the pregnant women and their broods, as well as non pregnant women and their broods. I can’t say anything for my SILs, but I was lured over there at the promise of Mexican food and access to a washing machine. (I’m easy to please, what can I say?) I don’t often get to see my nephews, but the one that helped me with the laundry was awesome- I wish I could see him more.
My plan today (aside from sorting laundry sans the laundry inclined newphew) is to continue work on the baby blanket, otherwise known as the Biggest Dishcloth in The World. After last week’s sonogramial upset, I wasn’t really feeling the baby mojo- so I didn’t work on any blocks. Much akin to why I don’t knit prayer shawls, which is… all the happy fuzzy thoughts you’re supposed to be putting into something would instead be replaced by cussing and a general frustration over why the toilet seat will be forever and eternally left up. This is however, my progress thus far:
I have about 4 more blocks to go, well… 3 blocks and finishing the one on the needles. I debated over what color to use, well not debate really as there are only so many available colors in the one pound cotton cones at Walmart, and opted for baby puke neutral. I will only give you three guesses as to how I know this is the optimum color choice.
Yesterday I got to spend some time with my BIL before having to pick up the Mister after work. This BIL and I have some history, history where he lived us and then stole a bunch of our stuff to sell before fleeing to another state. In talking to the Mister, I was discussing why it would be silly for me to continue to miss stuff I haven’t seen in almost 6 years and still be pissed about it being gone. The BIL did apologize last Easter during a visit (long before he moved back)… and while an apology isn’t going to bring my Moxy Fruvous collection back anytime soon, it is good to have received the apology rather than nothing at all. Apologies can be humbling, especially with me glaring at you burning holes into your head with the anger in my eyes while you do so.
In other news, my eyebrows are growing back nicely.
My Mister Is Not A Caveman
Often, when I tell the Mister of things I write (so I can regale him of my outrageous wittyness and bask in the glow of his agreement) he has this concern…. that I am portraying him as a modern day caveman (not unlike those freaky Geico commercials).
As much as I assure him that I think he is, by no means, a Chrismagnon- it does bother him a little how I describe him at times.
I will truthfully state that:
- On our first date he absoloutely did not conk me on the head and drag me back to his house.
- When he serves me meat (which isn’t often as I’m the cook in the house), he has bought it beforehand at the grocery store and its cooked.
- He and I do not wear clothing made of the skins of animals he has slain for our survival.
- He is quite good at making fire if we are camping or grilling.
- He has a wonderful and extensive vocabulary, even if it is peppered with Pittsburghese.
- He can operate heavy machinery very well, and can repair electric generators.
Some pictures of the elusive Mister in the wild:
I think his main concern is when I discuss his opinion, because… well obviously, its not like he writes on this blog. My Mister may not be a caveman, but he does have some antiquated and outdated ways of thinking…. like:
- Its not okay for friends to do douchey things to you, like sleep with your girlfriend or steal your stuff
- Its also not okay for you to be friends with someone who has done douchey things to your other friend (like sleep with his girlfriend, steal his stuff, or my favorite… set him on fire) simply because “well, they didn’t do it to me”
- Its not okay to allow little girls to dress like they are 20 year old hootchies
- Its not okay to allow little boys to dress like they are 20 year old slackers and thugs
- Its not okay to misspeak or diss a man in his own house (we had someone come over to our house once and tell me for 20 minutes why my Mister was an ass) [it is okay to misspeak or diss a man in your own house]
- Its not okay to continue to speak to, receive rides home from, receive gifts from, or otherwise maintain contact with exes. The only exception being if you had kids together, even then… there are limits
- It is not appropriate for your girlfriend/wife to be receiving male visitors (who are not family) alone when you are not home. On the other hand it is also not appropriate for your boyfriend/husband to be receiving female visitors (who are not family) alone when you are not home
My Mister refuses to watch alot of television because alot of people in the world disregard any of the above. He doesn’t watch the news, or more importantly reality shows, because they thrive on people not doing the right things. Do you think Survivor or Real World would be as interesting without all the backstabbing, lying, and cheating?
I think the main reason why people would consider the Mister cavemanish is his unending refusal to become a woman.
(that sentence looks too freaky and weird and makes it look like I am freaky and weird… it stays.) My Mister does not openly cry, I can count on 2 fingers the amount of times I have seen him cry in 13 years. My Mister does not sit and obsess over his feelings. He does not accompany me to any pregnancy appointments (except the one sonogram that said what Beans’ gender was)[I am, by the way, usually the only woman in the waiting room without a man with her].
To say in a shorter way, my Mister is not Emo.
And I like him that way…. ugga mugga.
The Mister, circa 2004, wearing chainmail and his military issue eyewear known as BCGs….. or Birth Control Glasses, named so because no girl will want to have sex with you when you wear them (I did not make this up, this is what the MARINES called them and why). By the way, they don’t work, evidence being that TJ was born that same year. Never rely on ugly eyewear for birth control.
The VD Aftermath And Maybe Some Other Stuff (Egads the randomosity!)
I always avoid wrinting on Valentines, not because I have super awesome plans of all night romantic proportions, but because typically by VD I’m worn out (VD here standing for Valentines Day and not some super secret diseases we learn about from really bad 70’s health movies). I’m worn out from defending the holiday from my heartless insensitive friends, who are all (by the way) men.
Then men in my life all view the holiday in the same way…. that it is a mass marketed propaganda holiday created by retail marketeers to make lots of money and that is all it is. I tell them… you are all single guys, of course you think that way.
In all seriousness though, Kay Jeweler and Godiva commercials aside, I love VD. If you read the Yarn Harlot’s post about VD, she has some very valid points. As well though, I think there is no harm at all having a day remind you of all the stuff your spouse does for you because they love you and you thanking them for it- and they also in turn thanking you for what you do. In this day and age when you can watch divorce procedings on TV, the divorce rate is just starting to lower ( a little), and one of America’s favorite shows is about desperate housewives- I think a little VD could go a long way (and in the case of deperate housewives…. I’m totally meaning the other VD).
It doesn’t have to be about commercialism. One of my gifts to the Mister has always been a quiet (alone) candlelight picnic in the living room with his favorite meal (meatloaf and mashed potatoes with gravy) and maybe a dessert. Sometimes he gets a neck rub, sometimes a foot rub. If I do decide to get him a gift, its something he can use (this year was speakers for his computer so he can stop wearing the earphones that squish and hurt his head- last year was gel insoles for his work shoes, new laces, and a foot care kit with assorted foot care creams, powders, stones, and clippers for his poor overworked feet when he worked in Southside and walked to work and back everyday). The true point being I’m not all about the romantic frivolity of the holiday, but I do appreciate the big thank you for a job well done as a life partner- and I appreciate the giving of it. Its not a celebration of a New Year, the birth or rising of the Lord, the independence of our nation, or anything else- its a celebration of the love we give each other, and that sounds like a mighty fine holiday to me.
Love isn’t flowers or candy or jewelry, its finding someone who’s shit you are willing to put up with for the rest of your life while they in turn are willing to put up with yours.
____________________________________________________
We are snowed in here at Chez Stephieface. A city/county plow still hasn’t touched my street, though there is a guy who lives a few houses down that owns his own mini zamboni like plow who did quick up/down on the street in case someone had an emergency. People are still having trouble going up and down the street because of the thick immense sheet of ice covering my hill, but not as much as they could be. Thank you zamboni man!
We were very lucky this winter storm, many people I know (pretty much anyone I know who doesn’t live within a 3 mile radius of my house) all lost power and water- while we were okay.
On a related note, during weather like this, one thought pervades my mind…..
Global warming my ass.
And The Beans Verdict Is…….. (drumroll please)
Its 12:45 and I just got back from my appointment. Believe it or not my hospital is a quick 5 minute drive from my house. We got there at 9:15 for my 10:00 appointment, and spent the most of the time waiting, and waiting, and waiting.
But you don’t care about that, you want to know the outcome of said appointment……
Well, ladies and gents….. Beans is a………………..
Boy
Yup, Boy #4. I think the pressure for a girl was too much for my pitiful boy making ovaries.
[yes I realize that it is actually the man juice that decides... I took health in highschool]
At least there were free samples of fudge in the hospital lobby. Am I disappointed that we’re having another boy? Yes, I’d be lying if I said otherwise. I am overjoyed that Beans appears to be healthy and growing, and regardless of my wanted shopping preference, a healthy baby is what’s really important.
I asked already if I could still dress the baby in pink and do its hair in bows even though it was a boy and received a resounding “no”.
Can’t blame a girl for trying, right?
In the comments of my last post, fyberduck mentioned that I should angle for a Discworld Diaperbag in the upcoming swap. I actually already have one, its just been sidelined after I had more than one kid…. see?
I own the only Nanny Ogg diaperbag in existance.
ETA: By the way, go here, you cannot fault a blog post which speaks of the Knitcronomincon.
AND, because I love Jonathon Coulton SO much:
When We LARPed, My Mister Was Crafty
Here’s a quickie link to Acme Notions, go there if you like vintage notions for needlecrafts, patterns from the 50’s, and whatnot (seriously, check em out).
_______________________________________________
There was a time when the Mister and I did this thing called Live Action Roleplaying or LARPing. We did it for a long while, stopping only really last year (do you know how hard it is to find child care for 3 kids for a whole weekend… epsecially when they are nicknamed the Flying Diaperini Brothers?). And, although I really miss dressing up in fantastic costumes (mine were never ever lame… take a peek), what I really miss is how crafty my Mister used to be then. He used to build and construct. Heck, he even used to help me with medieval-y sewing projects (he pinned, starched, and ironed…. do you have any questions now as to why I married him?).
Yet now, as our weekends are more laid back and home based, I miss how creative he was when he wasn’t sitting in front of the computer playing World of Warcraft (WoW). Here is a stenciled tshirt from Craftster that sums up how I feel:
As with many other wives across the world, I consider myself a W.o.W…. Widow Of Warcraft.
In all seriousness, the Mister is extremely creative and connecting with him on a crafty project was awesome. It made me feel overwhelmingly giddy when we completed a project as a couple…. like the safe yellow fever free home edition of the Amazing Race.
There are people that say (I am friends with some of them and this is what they say to me) I can have that again with the Mister, I just have to play the video game with him. Its hard to explain to these people that playing a video game is not creative- making, designing, and creating one, yes- playing one, noooooo. They liken and compare my knitting to playing WoW… its the same they say, sitting and just doing something (I know I just heard the insane intake of breath by all the knitters who read this). There is a difference though- when I knit I am creating something myself, when he plays WoW he is playing grown up Mario Brothers moving his little guy around the screen. Yes we both may be sitting, but it is very very different. I can knit anywhere, while the Mister is tethered to a PC. My knitting can warm you on a cold day, my Mister might be able to warm his hands by the computer’s CPU fan if he’s been playing long enough and the room is cold. I have something to physically show for the amount of time I put into knitting a project, he has numbers on a screen to show for the amount of time he puts into playing it. However, we both find our exploits relaxing…….. and we both will yell occasionally in frustration at our relaxing exploits.
While this has turned into half a rant really as to how much I dislike WoW (see? honesty.), the point is its not the same. My sitting and feigning interest in little computerized people is nowhere near the same as the two of us working side by side to craftily create something that people will remember or that beautifies.
I know its silly to long after the person our mate used to be, but I totally think its okay to miss them.
______________________________________________
On to other notes……. My appointment is on Monday- 10am to be exact. So from 9:30am to 10:30am… send me lots of girl vibes- maybe by the sheer force of collective will we can insure Beans is a girl. Its kind of funny, I’m starting to get nervous as though it were an English exam or something… how does one study for an ultrasound?
On the diaper bag note, kelley noted that my choice was very chic. I thank you very much! If you didn’t catch it in the comments… my theory on diaper bags is thus:
You will carry that diaper bag more than you have carried any treasured purse you have ever owned in your entire life. And lo, you may be forced to sherpa around half the baby’s belongings due to your newfound parental obligations- why must you be forced to carry a bag covered in frolicking bunnies?
Its one thing if those bunnies are (ahem) frolicking and you are carrying that bag about proudly for the shock value. Its something else if those bunnies are (gag) playing with baby ducks and teddy bears by rainbows with unicorns and there are wings involved in there somehow. I see nothing wrong with any of those things really, I just stopped being 12 ooohhhhh 18 years ago…. so why should I saddle myself with a teddybear bag now that I’m 30? Oh, and god help you if its quilted… god… help… you. Men do not carry the diaper bags for a reason… its the freaking happy fluffy bunnies & teddybears and I totally agree with them.
If you listen hard enough, you can hear me gagging. Any of the ones here will do, or do a Google image search for Diaper Bags (beware though some HFB [happy fluffy bunny] Bags lurk amongst the pictures).
There is also another Terry Pratchett Discworld swap in the mix- if you are a Craftster member come join in. If you are not a Craftster member, sign up so you can join in the next go round. You know you want to.
Cause If Fyberduck and Donnaz Jumped Off A Bridge….weeeeee
Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™
I saw this on fyberduck’s and Donnaz blogs. Its really interesting. Check the gift finder.
The Biggest Dishcloth In The World!
So I began another experimental project yesterday. I am making a baby blanket comprised of several squares made from dishcloth patterns from here. So far, I have one frog cloth made… woohoo! I really wanted to knit a baby blanket, but space and portability was a huge issue… hence, its solved. Almost every single one of Purple Duckie’s patterns are CO38 so I can mix and match like mad (I’m assuming). I’ll be knitting the dragonfly one today , so we’ll see… it may just end up being all frogs- you never know. Speaking of frogs…. here is how it turns out:
Not too shabby I think, I knit it while watching NCIS, House, and The Postman (and finished halfway through the Postman). One down, who knows how many to go (8? 15?) we’ll see how I feel after a few of these. I plan to just knit up a buttload of these then sew them together.
If you are watching the wee countdown bar down there at the bottom… its 5 more days until I have my sonogram where we can (hopefully!) find out what gender Beans is. I’m very very excited, next Monday seems so far away. The Mister made me promise not to make any more girly stuff until we find out for definate what Beans is. He says its because he would hate for me to go through all that effort only to discover that Beans is a boy, and how upset and dissapointed I might feel. While I can see his point- I say ‘Psssssshhhhhhhaaaaawwwww’. Somebody, somewhere, is having sex right now resulting in a baby… if Beans is yet one more in the army of the Mister’s Men…. whatever I make that is girly will go to that somebody somewhere baby. It just feels really nice making girly things for a change and looking at girly things… instead of staring with longing at all the lacey velvety dresses and whatnot that I’ve never had the oppurtunity to buy or actually look at before. 5 more freaking days!
I also went in search this weekend for the new Stephieface diaper bag. After TJ started walking, I stopped carrying a diaper bag and just started shoving a couple of diapers and a little wipies case in my regular old going out with just the Mister purse. After a few months of that, I just got rid of the diaper bags I had, they were just sitting around empty doing nothing. AND as with baby clothes, maternity clothes, and toys- I got rid of things and two or three months later found out I was pregnant. How unfair is that?
So, I went in search of the new diaper bag. I kept in mind, this go round, that contrary to my other kids (born in Sept, Oct, and Nov) that this will be a summer baby. In summer I end up carrying more stuff in my bag than in any other time of the year. Summer supplies, stripped off kiddie clothes, shoes, etc all get shoved in there- so I would have to be prepared (the summer after TJ was born I was reduced to carrying 2 bags….eeeeew). So I decided to try out another weekender bag. The best, most useful bag I owned was a weekender bag from Burlington. It was huge and had many pockets. Sadly, that sucker’s handles broke and it was ripped in several places, but the size was awesome (I could fit all my baby/diaper needs in there AND fit my knitting). Burlington had nothing I liked; they had one that was similar, but it had the very same “will break eventually” handles.
A month or two ago our friend Ben gave us a gift card to JCPenney. It was awfully nice of him, though we really don’t shop there. I decided this go round, what the hell? So, I went in and found a weekender bag that was awesome. It was on sale ($40 from $60) and in the end I had to pay the difference which was $10. So behold, my $10 diaper bag…..
I know, nice- right? This picture is, however, a giant lie- it doesn’t bespeak even a miniscule molecule about how terribly ginormous this bag is. Here is my bag pictured with a 20oz Pepsi bottle for scale:
See the ginormousity of it?! Its 18inches wide, 12inches tall, and 7in deep- I could carry the baby in there with the baby supplies, or at least a very skinny midget. People think I’m crazy for carrying diaper bags that big- those are the same people who juggle baby, diaper bag, and purse all at once. My diaper bag IS my purse, Beans is just going to have to give up a little room for mommy’s lip balm and wallet. Seriously, I don’t think that’s asking too much.
I Spent My Weekend Yarn Farming (pattern near bottom)
On Friday I decided to farm yarn (that’s recycle it from thrift store sweaters if you have never been here before). I often forget why I enjoy farming yarn so much, until I decide to do it. It’s weird, were I having to unravel work I had done myself I would be super annoyed…. but give me a sweater that I didn’t make and I’m in a place of zen and relaxation…. oh and dust bunnies…. zen, relaxtion, and little wooly dust bunnies.
I even completed 2 projects this weekend. I know what you’re thinking… either I am mad (as in nutty as a Payday bar) or I am neglecting my children….. I very well could be mad because I ended up having to hide from my kids this weekend so I could pee alone. I also picked two very short projects- which is why I have the mandate of ‘never knit anything bigger than my head’.
The first is another Calorimetry from Knitty. I intentionally made this one biggish so I could add a second button, because … well, I wanted a second button…
It is made in 100% merino wool froma sweater I farmed on Friday. After alot of consideration… I really have to buckle down here and say that Merino is, by far, my favoritest yarn of all time. Its so soft and squishy, I love it. As another aside, if you recall a bit ago when I made my first Calo I discussed my opinion on the pattern. I had found that casting on 120 stitches made this huge thing that I could wrap around my head twice. I’m not the only person who had this problem, both the Craftster and Knitty messageboards are filled with complaints that people were ending up knitting the Calorimetry that ate Pittsburgh. After many knitters fired off a complaint to the author of the pattern and Knitty, Knitty printed a Special Note on the Calorimetry pattern:
” It is very important to obtain the correct gauge for this piece. If worked to the gauge stated above, your Calorimetry will be 24 inches long. If you want a shorter piece, you can either cast on fewer stitches, or work at a smaller gauge. For example, using sport weight yarn (on smaller needles) worked at a gauge of 24 sts = 4 inches will yield a piece that is 20 inches long.
It is also very important to consider the characteristics of the yarn you are choosing. Best results will be obtained from a yarn that is springy and resilient, which will retain the elasticity of the ribbing. Do not use a yarn which will lose its shape, becoming drapey and flaccid with wear.”
After, of course, I spent a good few minutes giggling that they used word “flaccid”- it sort of hit me that what they were saying was really ‘If you had a problem with this pattern, it is because you made a mistake and did it wrong’. Again, I wasn’t the only person who thought that either as other people got the same impression . I also dislike patterns tsk-tsking me, that’s just uppity.
The second finished project for the weekend was an experiment in intentionally dropped stitches. I figured that most knitters write with dread about dropping a stitch, and sit still as death after having dropped one… lest the stitch run like cheap pantyhose all the way to the bottom of the project. What got me thinking about this was a webcomic… oh yes, you read that correctly… a webcomic.
Every Monday,Wednesday, and Friday I read this comic, Girl Genius… its steampunk/gaslight fiction with mad science and giant robotic thingamajigs in a victorian-esque setting. There is this trio of characters in the comic who are these things called Jägermonsters; Dimo, Ognian, andMaxim, frankly they are my favorite characters in the series. I love how simply ragtag they are. Then the main character, Agatha, is a spunky gal who can pretty much work with anything and get suprising results. Then I got to thinking about Jägermonster fashion, and if in some weird alternate universe of the comic [oh yeah, I do think this much about comics] if Agatha could knit (and knitted for the Jägermonsters) and dropped a stitch… what would she do with it? Make it part of the project! So, with a little playing and good old mad scientistical experimentation……
I call it… Experiment #1213. Experiment #1213 was also made using recycled yarn from a sweater in 100% Lambswool.
Experiment #1213
Materials:
Yarn, about worsted weight- I used two strands of a thinner yarn held together to make it thick like worsted
Needles size US10- I used a circular needle for the fiddley bit at the end, but you can use straights or DPNs… whichever you want
Tapestry needle
CO 15 stistches
Work in Seed Stitch for 3 rows (seed stitch, k1, p1 across row)
Knit in Stockinette stitch for 5 rows
Work in Seed Stitch for 3 rows
Knit in Stockinette Stitch for 5 rows
Knit in Seed Stitch for 3 rows
Now, here is where the pattern goes all sparky (and creative!)… Knit in Stockinette Stitch for however many rows you like
Enter a 3 row Seed Stitch section
Continue in Stockinette, again for however many rows you like
Enter another 3 row Seed Stitch section
Do this for the length of the scarf, randomly trading off between Stockinette sections and 3 row Seed Stitch sections
When you near what you would like to be the end of your scarf, work in Seed Stitch for 3 rows
Knit in Stockinette stitch for 5 rows
Work in Seed Stitch for 3 rows
Knit in Stockinette Stitch for 5 rows
Knit in Seed Stitch for 2 rows
Here is where you will drop stitches on purpose- Do Not Be Afraid!- I dropped my stitches in a pattern (3 sts, drop 1, 1 st, drop 1, 3 sts, drop 1, 1 st, drop 1, 3 sts) but you don’t have to, and you don’t have to drop them in the same pattern I did- experiment (on paper first)!
This is the fiddley bit, take time now to drop the stitches and pull them to the bottom of the scarf (stretch the scarf width wise, or just pull the scarf width wise where the stitch is supposed to drop through row by row).
After you have dropped all stitches you are going to, return back to your needles.
Now, measure out a long piece of yarn from the ball (still attached to your live stitches) to make the “tail” (by long, maybe 20 inches or so), and cut, then thread your yarn through the tapestry needle.
Bind off (in pattern) the stitches that remain on the needle, stopping before a dropped stitch ladder.
Take the threaded needle and thread the yarn through the stitch before the ladder, pull to knot (but not tightly- you do not want to pucker your scarf’s edge).
Leaving some yarn to ladder across, continue to bind off the next stitches on the needle- doing the same… binding off in pattern until a dropped stitch ladder, using the needle to thread the yarn through the stitch, then leaving yarn to ladder across and binding off the next set of on the needle stitches.
When you are done binding off the stitches, weave in your ends, and block your scarf. You don’t have to go lace nutty with pins (but you can if you want)- I just ghetto blocked my scarf: I got it wet, laid it flat on a towel, stretched it out a bit width wise, smoothed it down, and walked away allowing it to dry.
And voila, now you have a scarf fit for a Heterodyne…. or a Jägermonster. I like using recycled yarn for this as Agatha uses whatever she has on hand, or what she can get her hands on, to make what she needs to. So dismantle a long forgotten half finished sweater you will never finish knitting, recycle a sweater from the thrift store, or just use something from your stash- no need to go buy new yarn (unless you want to).
