Pop Culture Knitting: A Dr. Watson Scarf, I presume

Knitting is full of whims. For the modern knitter, just choosing to knit must be whimsical on some level. So I have no good explanation beyond whim for why I made this scarf. I haven’t even seen the movie in which it appears, only a trailer and a few still shots. But I will. Eventually. I would not have chosen this color combination (brown, blue, and cream). But I love it. I love that combo enough that I am now knitting matching slippers and planning to repaint my living room.

Jude Law’s movie version of the scarf comes down to his knees. I may have overshot that a bit. Mr. Law is surely taller than I am, but not enough to make a nine-foot scarf come down to his knees. Correct me if I’m wrong.  

Please click pictures to embiggen. 

Our grapefruit tree, sporting a Watson Scarf

Eglentyne wearing a Watson scarf in a balmy South Texas winter

What I've Been Doing Instead of Writing, Halloween Craft Edition

I’ve watched some soccer and started teaching an adult literacy class. But mostly I’ve been working on Sonar Halloween costumes. Please click to embiggen any photo.

Last year Sonar X11 was a headless guy. This year he started with a conceptual costume, “The Balance of the Universe,” but may transform this piece into a black and white jester or clown. Oh, and no, I didn’t do this. He is eleven and needs me only to run the sewing machine from time to time.

Sonar X11’s Halloween maskLast year Sonar X8 was Gimli the Dwarf. This year, continuing the martial fantasy theme in a slightly different direction, he wants to be Sir Lancelot. He made the sword. This one gets to reuse the Santa boots that Sonar X11 wore in third grade. En garde, villein. 

Sonar X8’s Knight of the Round TableLast year Sonar X6 was a recycled Harry Potter, so this year he wanted something splashy. I balked at the Instructable for the Indiana Jones Lego Minifig, but we came to a compromise: regular minifig, built my way. We still need to cut out the face so he can see when he wears it.

Sonar X6’s Lego Minifig headThe primary materials here are two pool noodles and an empty oatmeal container. Plus some yellow sheets of foam and a good amount of duct tape.

The guts of Sonar X6’s lego minifig costume piecesWe spent Sunday morning goring up the front of the house. We inherited the grave stones from awesome neighbors (I think they’ve been pictured here before), but the bloody paint sheets are ours. The cheerful mums are for irony, of course. Not pictured is the entire scene backlit by a red porch light in the dark, a smoke machine, and a Sonar dispatched behind a sheet to surprise passersby.

Instant graveyardVisitors must pass through the bloody plastic to get to the front door. Plus mums.One view from the front door. The little guy makes a lot of noise. 

Something Gifty

A crafty acquaintance recently got married.  We wanted to give her something thoughtful and yet affordable.  I hoped to think of something homemade to tuck in.  We thought about a gift-basket of some sort.  Then we had a brain wave. 

We took a new terra cotta pot, and tucked in a square table-cloth (I whipped it up with some canvassy fabric in a country print I thought would appeal to Bride).  Partner made two loaves of French bread, and we found some fancy salt, a funky bottle of olive oil, and a pot of jam.  We tucked in a card with a note about wishing them a life full of happiness and good flavor.  We had hoped to include a packet of seeds or a potted herb or something for some symbolism about growth, but our seasonal timing is off there.  We liked the idea of a gift for now (the bread, cloth, some condiments) and later (the pot, plant, cloth, some of the condiments).  It sort of reminded me of that scene from It’s a Wonderful Life where the Baileys give the families bread, salt, and wine when they move into their new homes.  

Flower pot, homemade French bread, table cloth, and sundry condiments recently composed and wedding-giftedBride and Groom loved this gift.  It is one we’ll remember next time someone we know gets married.  It can be dressed up or down with a different cloth or pot (though there is something very comforting about that big terra cotta pot), could include a bottle of wine or champagne and glasses, the aforementioned growing thing, or other items to suit the personalities of the recipients.  We could decorate the pot.  It could include homemade food and objects or nice store-bought items.  It strikes me as a good gift for a couple that already has an established household and isn’t in need of more practical objects.