What's on my needles?

Entries in Group 25 Significant Other (1)

Wednesday
Sep242008

Traveling through history

Where do you travel? Where have you been? Where do you want to visit?

For me there are so many places I dream to visit, and really hope I'll be able to during my lifetime. I love history, all history, you name it, I love it. I can sit and watch documentaries, specials, (real "6th period" stuff as my kids call it), all day long. I love archaeology, I love books on history, beautiful landscape pictures of historical sites. It really is amazing to stop and think of what it was like, long, very long ago.

What must it have been like to build the Pyramid of Giza, or Sphinx? To revel in the monumental and geometric definitions? Not to mention the astrological connections?

Pyramid of Giza & Sphinx

We could probably liken it to the monstrous skyscrapers in New York, though I've never been there, I can only imagine how humanizing it must feel to stand next to structures of such magnitude.

Or I wonder what the minds & pressures of Rebecca Nurse were while she endured the Salem Witch Trials?

Rebecca Nurse Grave  - Salem Witch Trials

I'd liken it to our modern day equivalent of gossip in our groups of people we congregate with. Do or say something wrong and you could become a cast out. Although I'd hope that present day society wouldn't lead to such hysteric and fanatical acts; though I'm afraid it is still a very real event that can happen again.

I always wondered if I were able to go back in time and visit a real Colosseum event, would I enjoy it or be aghast at the primal and vicious games that were played at Rome's Colosseum ?

Rome Colosseum

All these historical sites are just a few I dream to visit, and can sit and read, listen, or watch anything about. Which brings me to a couple of my most recent projects, the "Traveling Scarves" groups formed on Ravelry. The premise is to knit or crochet a starter or "seedlet" section, about 6 x 6 inches, give or take, and then mail on to your downstream TS pal. There are usually about 10-15 people in each group, and the Mods for each group put a travel itinerary together for the members to routinely send their sections downstream to the same person, and will receive new sections from their upstream TS pal.

What you get is a round-robin effect, where all members of the group can add to the seedlet section there own knitting or crochet, and by the time you get your seedlet back, its blossomed into a completed scarf that has traveled great distances and been welcomed in households by your fellow knitters or crocheters.

The turn around is about 6 months to get a completed scarf, and the benefits are you meet other crafters, you get to add your personal touch to the scarve sections you receive, and you get a finished scarf in the end.

I joined the Traveling Scarves Group 25 Significant Others group where there the theme is to knit a scarf for your significant other. I mailed off my seedlet the other day, and I decided to request only gray & black color yarn, because I wanted it to have a more masculine feel to it, so my hubby can wear it 8) I went with a Basketweave pattern for my seedlet with a 2 stitch garter border. I used Lamb's pride superwash wool in gray.

Group 25 Significant Others - Rocky's Seedlet

I also joined the Traveling Scarves Noro Group 37 Kit or Crochet group, only requirement is you can only use Noro yarn. I thought this would be a great way to get a Noro scarf! I also took on moderating duties for this group, along with my Co-Mod "TrustCrazyIdeas". Since this group allows crochet, I crocheted my first granny square. I just love how the Noro yarn colors transition. I'm sorry about the picture, my camera wasn't in a good mood during the photo shoot 8(

Noro Group 37 Combo -Rocky's Seedlet

Where are my scarves traveling?

Group 25 SO Seedlet I know will definitely be visiting some of these destinations...

Missoula, Montana, Lewis & Clark traveled here

Missoula, Montana

It will also be visiting the state of Michigan, I don't know what city, but Michigan was home to one of the great writers, Ernest Hemmingway, this is a picture of the cottage he grew up in on Walloon Lake.

800px-Ernest_Hemmingway_Cottage_Walloon_Lake_MI

For my Group 37 Noro Seedlet, it will get to visit Maine, there are many "haunted" sites in Maine, here is a really cool picture of Booth Bay Harbour in Maine, I love this picture. I can just see myself all cozied up with some handmade scarf and jacket basking in the airy fogginess.

Booth Bay Harbour Maine

Another really interesting location, is Charlotte, North Carolina which is home to the Andrew Jackson State Park in honor the 7th United States President. Andrew Jackson was the U.S.'s first "citizen president" in that at the time represented the common man. He was a member of the Continental Army and also a former prisoner of war.

AJ_Statue

There are many more places both my seedlets are traveling through, it is as if they are traveling through history because really, what place doesn't have a history on this old earth of ours? I would love to follow my scarves and take in the scenery and history.

I hope I didn't bore you too much with my digressions into my love of history. Again, like my kids and even my husband say "Mom's teaching 6th period again", they also call me "The Teacher" =-) They say this because they feel my books and documentaries remind them of that 6th period class in school that you'd have to sit through some movie documentary. I loved when my teachers would play informational videos, I would actually stay awake watching them while the rest of the students snored 8)

Happy Wednesday!
~Rocky