A Happy Beheading
Several months ago I blogged about a yellow cowl I was knitting that was inspired by a truly gruesome moment in English history.
Not long after the original post I finished the cowl, but it’s only been in the last couple weeks that I finally was able to get decent photographs of it. I love this cowl so much. It has a great story and is the perfect length – loose, but still warm and cozy. And since it was knit out of MadelineTosh Vintage you know it’s super soft too.
I usually don’t allow myself to wear a project until after it’s been photographed, but I admit I snuck this one out of the house a few times.
Always with this outfit too. I feel very comfortable dressed like this. Before knitting this cowl I probably would have told you I liked long cowls the best, but now I’m not so sure.
How do you say Multnomah in German?
I have no idea, but thankfully my kind reader, Andrea, does and she translated the pattern for me.
This marks the sixth language that Multnomah has been translated into! So cool! If you’d like to download a copy of the German translation it’s available here.
If you’re interested in the other translations of Multnomah you can find them under the Multnomah Miscellanea tab at the top of this page, and if you would be interested in providing a translation in another language please let me know!
Athena
Athena is a semi-circular shawl designed to include all of my favorite things: worsted weight yarn, garter stitch, stripes, and ribbing.
I spend all winter wrapping myself in wooly goodness. I don’t accessorize merely to be stylish, I do it because keeping myself warm is a constant struggle. Luckily I think Athena accomplishes both.
My version of Athena is knit out of Madelinetosh Vintage, which makes for a super soft and snuggly shawl. Wear it scrunched up around your neck or draped around your shoulders, and have fun choosing the colors – there are so many great combinations!
Gauge
18 sts and 40 rows = 4” in garter stitch
Size
46” x 18”
Materials
Yarn
400 yards/92 meters worsted weight yarn (main color)
100 yards/366 meters worsted weight yarn (contrast color)
Sample shown in MadelineTosh Vintage in Charcoal and Antler (2 skeins MC, 1 skein CC)
Needles
US 5/3.75mm 36”/91cm circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge
Notions
Stitch markers
Tapestry needle
Athena is available for $5.00
How I got married in a bar
Before I tell you how I became Mrs. Scientist I should give you a little back story, but first let me begin by saying I am not a girly girl. Fancy dresses? No thanks. Shopping? Pass. Makeup? If it’s not mascara I have no idea what I’m doing. A wedding? Kill me now. I’m obviously the product of two hippies.
The first time I got married we actually eloped. My ex-husband and I went to a place called The Hitching Post, where you could walk in without an appointment and get married. It’s a local institution, around for almost 100 years, and is nice inside and not at all Las Vegas, getting married by Elvis (not that there’s anything wrong with that). It was exactly my style.
The Scientist had a real wedding for his first time around, something he had no desire to repeat. So we were on the same page: it wasn’t technically an elopement because we told our parents (who were all thrilled) beforehand, but something similar to The Hitching Post would be ideal. Houston is a big city, so that should be no problem, right?
Wrong.
We searched for places and when nothing immediately showed up we started considering contacting a judge. Then I stumbled across a website that offered walk up weddings in Houston. The minister officiated ceremonies on the weekends, but on Monday-Thursday you could come to his location and he would marry you there. The website was nice, I called and everything seemed professional, and we decided this was the place.
The Scientist and I get there and the outside is nothing special. There was a sign outside saying it was called something like the Westward Club, and I remembered that the website said something about a dance floor so I figured this was probably a hall you could rent out. The Scientist started making vague rumblings like ‘I don’t know about this’ but I assured him it was totally legit.
So, you know in the movies when someone walks into a situation where they don’t fit in AT ALL and there’s a record scratch and right then you know craziness is about to ensue? Yeah, that’s this part right here.
We walk in and it’s a bar. Not kinda. Not sorta. A for really reals bar, complete with dart boards and country music. Very Texas. At this point The Scientist and I both turn back towards the door, then back inside, and then look at each other like WHAT DO WE DO. And then the bartender calls out something like ‘How can I help you folks,’ like it isn’t completely obvious, me in a dress and a handknitted white shawl and The Scientist in his best suit. I mumble something about wanting to get married and he comes out from behind the bar, introduces himself, and asks us if we want a Christian or civil ceremony. We say civil.
At this point I’m understandably confused and there’s still a part of me that is thinking there must be some room in the back we can’t see that’s nice and, you know, NOT A BAR where the actual ceremony will take place. The lone customer, a woman, calls someone and is telling them that Paul is about to marry us and that is when I realize two things: 1. The bartender is the minister 2. There is no other room and we are about to get married in a bar OH MY FUCKING GOD. Then two rednecks walk in, and they’re filled in on the situation and they shake our hands and congratulate us.
Paul turns off the music and leads us to the entrance to the dance floor, where there is an arbor decorated with fake flowers, and the ceremony begins. Something tells me in good old Texas the civil ceremony isn’t often requested, and the reason I’m guessing this because Paul keeps forgetting the words. But he makes it through it, and The Scientist and I exchange rings, say our vows, and share our first kiss as husband and wife, bathed in the glow of multiple neon beer signs.
And that is how I got married in a bar. It might not have been perfect, but as The Scientist said later, there was a lot of love. So at least we got that part right.
The Rays – Christmas 2011
Destash!
I’m destashing some really lovely yarn that’s been sitting in my stash for too long. Some of the yarns I’m offering for sale are:
Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR
Dream in Color Classy
Fleece Artist
Have You Any Wool Lux Sock
JulieSpins MCN 200
MadelineTosh DK
Malabrigo sock
Mama Blue Sea Merino
Pigeonroof Studios Siren Two Sport
Rowan Felted Tweed
Sundara Sock, Fingering Silky Merino, and Lace
Please visit my Ravelry destash page. If you’re interested in purchasing any of my yarns please message me through Ravelry, do not leave a comment on the blog.
