Then raise the scarlet standard high

It's been an odd weekend. It felt like autumn was coming - the cooler breezes, the dappled sunlight coming through my bedroom window. I barely made it outside, yet outside would have been ideal for someone in the strange mood I've been in lately.

My pantry however, is clean. And the Red Crocus Scarf has been blocked.


Pattern: Crocus scarf from Knitting Daily/Interweave
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in cherry colourway



Hook: 4.00m bamboo
Notes: I made an extra pattern repeat again, as per last time. I also increased the hook size from 3.25 mm to 4.00 mm and I think it was esaier to work. This scarf is mine, all mine!!

I've started, then frogged, then recalculated, then restarted the easy shrug in red Zara. Something is going screwy with my crocheting technique, I think. I've always been a tight hooker, so tend to go up 0.5 mm in hook size for most patterns. This pattern called for a 6.5 mm hook, yet to get gauge (and gauge was very important) I had to go up to 8.0 mm. Ridiculous! I soldiered on with the bigger hook, but when I measured after 6 rows I was getting 16 inches, not 18 inches. Wha'?

I suspected a few things. One is that Zara is very stretchy. Another is that my foundation chain may have been a little anxious (i.e. tight). So I ripped it, added 6 more chains to the foundation to come up to 61 chains, and started again with a 7.5 mm (come on, 8.00 with 8 ply was just ridiculous!)

I measured again after a few rows, and guess what the length was?

22 inches.

How on earth does adding 6 chains and going down 0.5 mm in hook add 6 inches to the length? Is it that the ripped yarn has lost some stretch? Whatever, I'm taking it. I'll probably need the extra for the ample boobage.

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Something crazy has been happening in Civic. I think it's turning into a "big city" with lousy "big city attitudes'.

First there were these mannequins outside Sussan in the Canberra Centre. Flawed body image, much? Realistic? Attractive? Seeing these mannequins with their ill fitting clothes and their holocaust-like flat stomachs made me feel ill and sorry for the younger kids and their struggle with the 'body ideal'. And doesn't anyone believe in good posture these days?

On Thursday my team went to lunch at the new Babar's in North Quarter. We had been regulars at the Babar's at the Boulevard, so thought we knew what the portion sizes were. At the old Babar's, 'small serve' meant you were fed enough not to want to eat until at least dinner time.

Not at North Quarter. Oh no. Here, 'small serve' means having to go past Macca's for a Big Mac and a sundae on the way back to the office because you are still so hungry.

Look at this poor excuse for a risotto. The serve is so small it makes the fork look large. $17.90 thank you very much. Plus it was oversalted and had way too much butter. Plus I want to stab in the eye any chef who puts bloody snow pea shoots as a garnish. It's not 1998 anymore people.

I won't be going back.

But yeah, getting back to the scarf and the whole issue of show projects. I'll be putting them up in one post after the show, even though a number of you have asked to see them in one post. Hope you don't mind.