The mobius scarf.

I am going to use the phrase "Mobius scarf" about fifty times in this post so that other people in my position might come across it in their Googling and not make the same mistake I did.

A mobius strip, for those who aren't maths geeks, is "a surface with only one side and only one boundary component."

Pretty cool!  So imagine how excited I was when I discovered I could combine my enthusiuasm for maths with an enthusiasm for knitting in the Mobius scarf!  I made one of these Mobius scarves for a friend, and I like how it turned out, but as I found the start of the pattern a little difficult to work, I had to use another pattern for advice.

As mentioned in an earlier post, my brother's girlfriend is coming over for Christmas, and as she's a scientist I thought she would appreciate a Mobius scarf!  Alas, I couldn't find the tutorial that had helped me out the first time.  I did, however, come across a few sources telling me that to make a Mobius scarf, I should twist to join in the round.  How handy!  Alas again!  The finished product wasn't a Mobius scarf, but had a complete twist in it.  I must have over-twisted it.  No matter, start again.  This time it would be a snuggly feat of maths!

Nope.

I read this (lovely) tutorial yesterday, and something about it seemed strange to me.

"Depending on what you like, you can leave some twists to create a mobius-like effect, or get all the twists out for a more traditional scarf."

"MOBIUS STRIPS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY."

Thank you, Morbo.

So it turns out that "Mobius scarf", in the knitting community, refers to any twisted circle scarf rather than a cosy mathematical quirk.  Good to know!  For my own part, I'm surly and have changed my mind about how much she'd like it (Do microbiologists instantly like maths?  Who knows), so it's going to be a plain ol' circle scarf instead.

... 

Mobius scarf.

FO: Kris Kindle scarf

My class are doing a Kris Kindle, so I made this circle scarf for the girl whose name I drew.

Winter sun and pasty Irish skin make for a lot of glare!

Used up the last skein of this mystery yarn!  I had lots of it for some reason, and I've long since lost the label, but I think it's Rowan and some sort of merino.  Lovely and soft anyway.  Touch touch touch.

I think the hip-young-thing way to wear these is with a bit of length in them, but it's less cosy that way.  Looped around a third time keeps your neck all snuggly.  I may make one for myself, I'm pro-warmth.  When I went outside to take these photos I didn't bother putting on shoes, and it turned out the grass was wet, so when I came back in I had to take off my socks.  Then I realised the shadow of the camera was in a few of the photos, so I went back out barefoot, and HOLY GOD my poor toes.

Also I got most of my hair cut off again.  Long hair never prepared me for the eventuality of my ears being cold.  I tried to dye it red and it turned out purple, but I think it looks okay.

I have a new resolution: to try to take decent photos of my makings.  Difficult in college accommodation where I can't open the blinds, but home has a garden and sunlight!  This is partly because I'm considering opening an Etsy shop, but partly just on principle.  Even though it means waiting until my family aren't around because going into the garden and taking photos of myself feels narcissistic.

FO Friday: Fingerless mittens.

I really like the idea of FO Friday/wip Wednesday posts (regular alliteration!), but the former would be far and few between, and the latter would get quite repetitive.

A friend of a friend requested a pair of bright pink fingerless mittens, so these happened.

I think they turned out well enough, given that I didn't use a pattern.  I just put them on as I was knitting to work out when fingers were long enough, and where the pouch should go.

Last night I also finished a Mobius scarf to be given as a Christmas present, but realised I had put in a full twist instead of a half-twist.  Annoying times.  It's been frogged, and there's weeks yet.

The new cryostat in the lab keeps acting up and damaging my specimens!  It is ever so sad.  And last weekend I cycled out to St. James' to get some books from their library, but got lost on the way, and when I got there it was closed, even though the website told me it would still be open.  First world problems over here.

Came across this on a fashion blog.

When the Blackberry Market in Rathmines used to still exist, there was a old woman who had a stall that was just a room full of wool. It was packed to the ceiling and would spill out the door and you'd have to rummage deep within for whatever colour wool you were looking for. This was before knitting was cool again, though. Now you can get wool in little boutique shops in the Powerscourt Centre and isn't that what it's all about, really.

I could shout "Hipster!" at this a bunch of times, but... I've been knitting since the only places you could get yarn were Hickeys, Woollen Mills and that shop across from the Ilac Centre with sewing machines in the window.  I still love going into any of those shops.  I also love going into This Is Knit, the "little boutique shop in the Powerscourt Centre."  I'll spend twice as long as I need to, out of wanting to make everything out of everything.  This Is Knit is certainly fancier, and more indulgent, but there's no harm in that.  It seems strange that someone who's interested in high fashion, when Dunnes covers your body from the elements just as well, would complain about not-strictly-necessary self-indulgence in another field.

I could really go for a yarn-shopping day.

Nearly broke my two week rule.

I am alive!  Fourth year is hard.  I spilled blood from a chick embryo on my skirt today.  I missed the Knitting and Stitching fair last week to go to SVP intervarsities, came away buzzier than I would have otherwise.  People were impressed by the fact that I was knitting away for the weekend.  I am making gloves!

At this stage they could conceivably be called gloves already, but I'm making an extra pouch to be sewn to the side so that they can serve as mittens if needs be.  They're for a friend of a friend, and a different friend of that friend wants to meet me to commission a hat.  And I have to make another brainmonster for another friend's brother-in-law for Christmas.  And socks for my mammy and maybe a scarf for my brother's girlfriend, and finish a secret thing I started yonks ago.  And the lab got a new cryostat so I can start sectioning my samples from the Summer tomorrow!  And I made chickpea curry as a late dinner, with a view to not eating much and using the rest for lunch tomorrow, but I'm not sure what's left will do for lunch.  And I put in twice as much curry paste as usual in my sleepy state and my mouth kind of burns.  And I may have volunteered to make a rabbit mask for the panto.  And I have to find a pair of size 15 riding boots for Prince Charming.  So!

Does anyone read this, even?  Who knows.