Connecticut River Scarf and Shawl

 

This pattern was inspired by the natural beauty of the lower reaches of the Connecticut River in summer. The river banks are lined with greens, in shades ranging from new leaves into the deeper greens of occasional spruce and pine. The river itself has moods which change its color. Turbulent days and changing tides stir silt and clay from the bottom, and the river goes darker brown in color with white peaks. Calm weather in bright summer sun reflects the blue from the sky but darkens it to a cobalt. A bright summer day with just a few perfectly picturesque fluffy white clouds completes the picture, adding light and warmth to top off the image.

The scarf and shawl show the river on a breezy summer day – one with a luminous blue sky accented with a few drifting puffy white clouds. The waves and ripples are a reminder that the summer days pass and come again, always moving. The tides ebb and flow causing the river to flow in one direction, until it flows in the other. Picture yourself embarking on one of the ferry boats to see the natural beauty as you cross the river. The boat rises and falls with the power of the river; as you cross in the open air. You arrive on the far shore and observe the waves that had been moving you, still moving water at the river’s edges.

This pattern is written for an advanced beginner. It contains a few specialized stitches such as K2Tog (knit two together) and YO (yarn over) with CDD (center double decrease) being the most challenging. It is provided here as a written pattern with supplemental charts. Knitted in worsted weight garter stitch lace, the scarf and shawl are a reminder of New England summer, but they are fit for a New England winter.

Yarn: any worsted weight yarn Scarf (430 yds), Shawl (1600 yds)

Mile Wide Crafts hand dyed cotton boucle in the Connecticut River colorway is used in the photos. However, other yarns may be used at other gauges, which will make larger or smaller scarves or shawls.

Completed Size:

Scarf: about 6.5” x 70”

Shawl: about 26” x 60”

Tools:

·         US size 6-7 or other needle needed to obtain gauge

·         Stitch Markers

·         Tapestry or darning needle

·         Ruler or tape measure

Gauge: 17st by 32 rows in 4”x4” square in pattern for the river crossing (so about 2 sections wide by one repeat high). Gauge is not overly important for this pattern as these are not fitted garments.

Abbreviations:

BO: Bind off

CO: Cast On (long tail is recommended)

CDD: center double decrease (slip first stitch, knit next two together, pass slipped stitch over the knitted stitch)

K: knit

KFB: Knit into the front and back of the stitch

K2TBL: Knit two stitches together through the back loop

M1L: Make one stitch slanting to the left

M1R: Make one stitch slanting to the right

PM: Place marker

Sl: slip stitch (always purlwise)

St: stitch(es)

Wyif: with yarn in front

Pattern

The scarf and the shawl both follow the same format; the difference being the number of center repeats you use. There are 3 stitch i-cord edges on either side (river banks) and garter stitch lace in the center (waves in the water). The beginning and end borders are scalloped to mimic waves as well. The finished scarf or shawl is reversible. Where the directions are different for the shawl size, they are listed in parenthesis. For a printer-friendly version of this pattern, only print out the last two pages.

Embarkation: See Chart 1

CO 64 (256) st. PM every 16 st.{sections defined by the stitch markers} K until the last 3 st. Sl the last 3 st wyif.

Row 1: *K7st CDD K6st* repeat* until the last section. In the last section, sl the last 3st wyif instead of kitting them. {14 st per section}

Row 2, and every even numbered row for the embarkation part of the pattern: k across the row to the last 3st. Sl last 3st wyif.

Row 3: *K6st CDD K5st* repeat* until the last section. In the last section, sl the last 3st wyif instead of kitting them.

Row 5: *K5st CDD K4st* repeat* until the last section. In the last section, sl the last 3st wyif instead of kitting them.

Row 7: *K4st CDD K3st* repeat* until the last section. In the last section, sl the last 3st wyif instead of kitting them. Remover stitch markers as you knit this row. (8st per section)

Row 8: (last row of embarkation) K every stitch until the last 3. Sl the last 3st wyif. PM after the 4^th st and then every 8st after across the row. New sections established with edge stitches {4 each} and center section stitches {8 each}.

River Crossing: See Chart 2

This section is the majority of the scarf or shawl. There are outer edge sections, consisting of the i-cord edges plus one knit stitch, and center sections, consisting of 8 stitch repeats. The center sections are charted in chart 2, a 32 row repeat.

Row 1: K4 {edge stitches}, *slip marker, YO K2TBL K6*. Repeat* for each center stitch section. K1 sl wyif 3st {end edge stitch section}.

Row 2 (and all even numbered rows) K to the last 3st. Sl wyif last 3 st

Row 3: Repeat row 1

Row 5: K4, *K1 YO K2TBL K5* for each center stitch section. K1 sl wyif 3 st.

Row 7: K4, *K2 YO K2TBL K4* for each center stitch section. K1 sl wyif 3 st.

Row 9: K4, *K3 YO K2TBL K3* for each center stitch section. K1 sl wyif 3 st.

Row 11: K4, *K4 YO K2TBL K2* for each center stitch section. K1 sl wyif 3 st.

Row 13: K4, *K5 YO K2TBL K1* for each center stitch section. K1 sl wyif 3 st.

Row 15, 17 & 19: K4, *K6 YO K2TBL* for each center stitch section. K1 sl wyif 3 st.

Row 21: repeat row 13

Row 23: repeat row 11

Row 25: repeat row 9

Row 27: repeat row 7

Row 29: repeat row 5

Row 31: repeat row 1

Row 32: K to the last 3st. Sl wyif last 3 st

Continue in pattern until desired length is reached. Consider that you may want to save some yarn for the disembarkation section. The disembarkation will require about 12yds (48 yds) of yarn to complete. You may wish to reserve that amount before deciding how long to make your scarf or shawl.

Disembarkation: See Chart 3

This is the last section of the scarf or shawl. It forms the second scalloped border to match the embarkation. Like the embarkation, it is worked in sections that ignore the previous River Crossing sections. Increases may be worked either as two KFB or as a M1L followed by a M1R. The garter stitch tends to hide the delicacies of the M1L,M1R approach, but they are good skills for a beginner to learn. M1L, M1R may be substituted for any 2 KFB stitched in this section.

Setup row: remove all prior stitch markers. PM every 8 stitches. {new sections established} K to the last 3st. Wyif sl last 3st.

Row 1: *K3, 2KFB, K3*. Repeat across until the last 3st. Wyif Sl last 3 st instead of knitting them.

Row 2 and all even rows: K until the last 3 st. Wyif Sl last 3st.

Row 3: *K4, 2KFB, K4*. Repeat across until the last 3st. Wyif Sl last 3 st

Row 5: *K5, 2KFB, K5*. Repeat across until the last 3st. Wyif Sl last 3 st

Row 7: *K6, 2KFB, K6*. Repeat across until the last 3st. Wyif Sl last 3 st. Remove stitch markers as you knit.

Row 8: BO

If you would like a PDF version of this pattern, it is available through Ravelry here:PDF Pattern

TP your garden

TP Your Garden

In this time of uncertainty a garden can provide security. It is a hobby for many, but it is a hobby with a purpose. A garden, well-tended, can feed a family and possibly your neighbor’s family, too. It is a hope for fresh, delicious fruits and vegetables throughout the summer and into fall and winter. And, so today, we at Mile Wide Crafts begin our long awaited series of Crafting in the Garden.

This post is appropriate for the beginning of this series as it is about starting seeds. As many of us know toilet paper has been a topic of much discussion lately. With so many of us home all day, every day, we inevitably end up with empty tubes from toilet paper, paper towels, and similar items. Some of the tubes shown in this post came from wrapping paper, too. I had been collecting these tubes for a bit as they are also useful for making periscopes, but that is another post.

In this episode of Crafting in the Garden, cardboard tubes are transformed into free, compostable planters for starting garden seeds.

Materials:

TP tubes, or similar cardboard tubes

Garden seeds

Potting soil

Water tight container

Permanent Marker

Instructions:

Step 1: Obtain a water tight container

Call up your favorite locally owned restaurant and order takeout or delivery.

My favorite containers for this project are the kind with a clear plastic lid as the lid can be used to help contain humidity when the seeds are first sprouting. However, any container that holds food without leaking will also hold water and soil for your seeds.

Don’t go out and buy a container for this without checking out your recycling bin first.

Step 2: Cut your tubes to length

How big your tube needs to be depends on what seeds you are starting. If you are starting bigger seeds like beans and squash, you will need enough room around the seeds for it to sprout and grow roots, so you may wish to leave the tube a little longer. If you are starting tiny seeds like lettuce, you can cut the tubes shorter to get more planters out of one tube. 

The other consideration is the depth of your water-proof container from step 1. If you have a clear lid and wish to use it to hold humidity during the sprouting stage, you will need to cut your tubes to fit in the closed container.

So, how long should the tube be? 

Measure the depth of your container and add about 1 inch for regular TP or paper towel rolls.

If you have a wider cardboard tube, from wrapping paper for example, you will need to measure the diameter of the tube. For those who may have forgotten geometry, the diameter is the distance across the opening of the tube. You will add half your diameter in place of the 1 inch mentioned above.

So, as an example, if my container is 1.5 inches deep and my wrapping paper tube is 2 inches across, I would take 1 inch (half my diameter) and add it to the 1.5 inch depth to get a total length of 2.5 inches. Please use centimeters if you are more comfortable with them.

You may wish to make one tube that fits as you like it, and use it as a template to make more the same size.

Step 3: Cut tabs in your tube

Cut slits into the end of your tube so that the end of your tube can be closed to hold soil. The slits should be about 1 inch deep (for regular TP or paper towel tubes) or whatever amount you added as half your diameter in your last step (for larger tubes).

For a regular TP tube cut about 8 slits evenly around the tube. For other tubes space out the slits so they are about a half inch apart all the way around. 

To keep the slits even, I found it easiest to think of the end of the tube like a clock face. Start with slits at 12 and 6. Then, do the slits at 3 and 9. After that just do the other 4 slits halfway between the ones you just did.

Step 4: Fold in your tabs

You should have about 8 tabs cut into the end of your cardboard tube. If you gently scrunch the tabs together, you will notice that the tabs tend to overlap with one edge going over the edge of the one next to it. This is what you want. Try to arrange the tabs so that one edge (either right or left, doesn’t matter) always goes over the next tab.

When the tabs are arranged, keep pushing the tab tips toward the center of the tube until you have a closed flat bottom on your tube. 

If your tabs are a bit long and don’t lay completely flat, just tuck them toward the inside of your new container so that you get a sort of dome shape when you look inside your tube.

If your tabs are a bit short either cut them all a bit deeper or place a small bit of paper inside to cover the hole.

Your tabs will want to spring open a bit. This is ok.

Step 5: Plant your seeds

I am assuming that you have made multiple TP tube planters at this point. You should be pretty good at it by now…Make sure that your tubes all fit pretty well standing up in your water-proof container.

Find a tube and figure out what seeds you want to plant in it. Use the permanent market to write the name of the seed on the outside of the tube. Most other ink will run when you water your plants, so be sure to use a permanent marker.

Hold the tube shut with one hand and fill it with loose, dry potting soil to the rim of the tube. Place the filled tube into your water-proof container and add a seed or several to the soil filled tube. Stir the soil a bit to cover the seed(s) and tamp it down. You may wish to hold down the cardboard tube so the bottom stays shut while you do the tamping down. Add a bit more soil to the surface if needed.

Step 6: Water your seeds.

Once you have planted all the seeds you are going to plant in a particular container you may add water. I don’t recommend watering before this.

When watering the newly planted seeds, add water to your water-proof container rather than to your soil. Do this SLOWLY as the tubes occasionally begin to float and may tip if your water-proof container isn’t tightly packed with tubes.

You may wish to hold one hand on top of your tubes as you add about a half inch of water to your container. In time the cardboard and soil will absorb the water and stabilize, but until then, the tubes can be a bit tipsy.

Step 7: Wait

Place your newly planted seeds in their water-proof container in a warm sunny window.

Now is the part all the school children hate. Now we wait for the seeds to sprout.

If you have a clear plastic lid for your container, use it at this stage. You should see condensation on the inside of the plastic lid. If you don’t see any after the container has been in the sun for at least an hour, add a bit more water to the bottom of the container. You may need to add water later, as the seeds begin to germinate, too.

If you don’t have a lid for your container just make sure the cardboard tubes stay damp. It is ok if the top of the soil looks dry as the seeds will absorb the water they need from the tubes, and the seeds are under that dry soil.

Step 8: Plant your garden

When the soil is warm enough and the days are long enough and your seedlings are strong enough, plant your seedlings, cardboard tube and all, in your garden. The bottom of the tube will open up on its own at the seedling’s roots push their way out. Eventually, the cardboard will decompose and add nutrients to your garden soil.

If you object to having the tube in your soil, you may remove it from your seedling by carefully peeling the cardboard apart. If you look carefully, most TP tubes are made from a single strip of thick paper that has been coiled into the roll. If you find the top corner of this strip of paper, you will be able to unpeel it to remove the cardboard. Be careful not to damage the seedling’s roots, though, if you choose to do this.

Enjoy your new seedlings and stay tuned for more Crafting in the Garden!

Special thanks to my neighbor, Jennifer R., for sharing the seeds which are shown being planted in the illustrations in this post. Her generosity is such that many of our neighbors will have food this summer.

Many, Many Thanks!

An Apple a Day

An Apple A Day

Delicious Applesauce

We all know the saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away”. While we here at Mile Wide Crafts would never spurn a friendly doctor, we do believe in the importance of eating a well-balanced diet, including a wide variety of fruits and veggies. For those who object to apples, please feel free to substitute pears instead of or in addition to apples.

 

So, for today’s craft, we venture into the world of kitchen crafts. Making good homemade applesauce is truly an art form. Applesauce seems like such an innocent food. After all how hard can it be to mash up some cooked apples, right? But applesauce is so much more than that. Without the right blend of apples, the sauce can be too watery, too dry or mealy, too sweet, or too tart. Without the right technique you can end up scorching the apples or causing them to gel too much. 

Apples

Fortunately, today we have one of our favorite contributors, G.A.P. to guide us through the process. G.A.P. has kindly shared her many years of experience making excellent applesauce with us, so without further ado, we’ll get started.

Materials:

Apples, the varieties should be good for cooking, McIntosh and Empire are good options

Pot, deep enough to hold the fresh apples without boiling over

Colander or Food Mill

Heat-proof bowl for catching the finished sauce

Instructions:

 

 Step 1: Wash the apples

Since I’m going to cook these apples with the skins on, I wash them first. [Note from MWC: cooking the apples with the skins on generally increases the nutritional value of the finished sauce.]

Apples ready for their bath

I like to use apples for sauce toward the end of the season; I think they have a more mellow taste than when freshly picked. 

[Note from MWC: Please notice the different varieties of apples combined in this sauce. McIntosh, Empire, Greening, and Granny Smith are all good choices. Most people find that "cooking" apples, or ones that aren't too sweet work well. The exact combination is largely a matter of taste, so eat a few apples to see what will work well together.]

Step 2: Quartering the Apples

I quarter the apples and remove the stem and seeds.  Inspect for and remove any damaged areas. [Note from MWC: if you use fresh, organic apples, check for worms and other critters at this point, too.]

Quartered apples with stems and seeds removed

 

Step 3: Cook the apples

When the pot is full of quartered apples, I add enough liquid to cover the bottom and prevent burning.  Usually, I add water; this time I added apple cider, made locally at Ochs Orchard (https://www.ochsorchard.net), which contains no preservatives or sugar.  Sometimes I add a couple of cinnamon sticks at this point.

Apples and liquid in the pot, ready to cook

The apples are cooked over medium heat until I hear the liquid beginning to boil.  Then, I turn down the heat to medium-low and partially cover.

Step 4: Testing for doneness

It’s finished cooking when the apples are soft and look fluffy. [Note from MWC: cooking time will depend on the amount and variety of apples used.]

Cooked apples

 

This pot-full cooked for 40 minutes (while I read the paper). I checked it after 20 minutes and stirred it a couple of times. 

Step 5: Process the apple mush

I ladle the cooked apples into my mother’s 1930s colander.  [Note from MWC: This can be a steamy process, so please be careful.]

Apples spooned into the colander

You can buy similar equipment on the internet or at some local kitchen supply stores; some people use a Foley food mill. [Note from MWC: most equipment sold for making home made baby food will work for making apple sauce. If you search online for equipment, try terms like food mill, baby food mill, applesauce mill, etc. If you buy a colander, look for one with a wooden mull rather than a plastic one, as the plastic doesn't survive well at applesauce temperatures.]

Saucy happenings

The wooden mull goes round and round.  It’s very satisfying to see the sauce develop.  I always use a glass container so I can see it happening!

Step 6: Final additions 

The finished apple sauce is about 12 cups.  There’s enough left-over on the utensils for a sample taste!

Finished applesauce

At this point you could add sugar or honey if you wished. My step-mother would add a package of cinnamon red-hots. They melted, coloring the sauce rosy, and as a kid, I thought it very good. [Note from MWC: Cinnamon red-hots are also sold as cinnamon nonpareils]

Don’t be concerned if the sauce looks loose when it’s hot.  It will thicken as it cools.  Refrigerate when cool enough.

Apple peels go in the compost, and there’s a little cleanup – and you’re done!

We hope you enjoy your applesauce. Please comment below on what apples you chose and how your sauce tasted. As always, if you have questions, please post those below, too.