Alligator Scarf from Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy - Done!

Gat'r Done!

Ok, I realize that was a horrid pun, but you can't blame me--I'm an author and I am highly amused by such things.  


This has been a delightful project, starting conversations wherever I pulled it out to knit.  Everyone wants to know where I got the pattern, so big thanks go to Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy for offering up this charming reptile.


Up next:  Milwaukee, WI  
But first:  a brief look at my upcoming novel about the World War I Red Cross Knitting Campaign, HOMEFRONT HERO.

Alligator Scarf from Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy - Day 5

Gator Wrestling...

That was harder than I thought.  It had that "second sock syndrome" feel, where all the novelty of making alligator bumps wore off and it was just "get it done" persistence that got me through.  Got me through in twice the time I thought it would, by the way.

One trick helped.   I've been rather busy this week with a bunch of book events including book blogger Barbara Vey's reader appreciation luncheon in Wisconsin--look for a Milwaukee episode up next--and the enormous RT Booklovers Convention here in Chicago, so it's been lots of knitting in public.  That's good, because I love promoting the craft, especially with the knitting focus of my upcoming novel HOMEFRONT HERO, but it makes counting hard.  

I adapted by adding stitch markers to the increase points of each bump so that I only had to look for markers instead of counting.  Even with those helps, I only managed about a row of bumps a day, so it took me a week to do the final six rows of bumps instead of the three days I had planned.

Today, as I sit at my table for the gigantic book fair, I look forward to making big headway on the tail.  One of the nicest parts?  Everyone who stops to look at this project it totally charmed by the alligator.  

A charming alligator?  Why not?  Still, I doubt I'll be trying a knitted spider anytime soon.  

Alligator Scarf from Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy - Day 4

Rehabilitative Reptiles?

I’m astounded how “alive” this thing looks.  Every once in a while I think a dragon is in the making.  I have a feeling my little nephew will adore this once it’s done.   If I ever have the privilege of teaching a young boy to knit, this would definitely be my project of choice.

The only drawback is that this is a LOT of knitting.  I’m used to scarves whipping up quickly, and that’s not true of this one.  Maybe it’s all the increasing and binding off, but this takes time.   Not that time is a bad thing--in this case there is a clear pay-off so it feels worth it--but what I thought would be an easy project is taking some serious attention.  This scarf would be an excellent distraction project for a young knitter stuck with a broken leg, hospital stay, or long journey.  Rehabilitative reptiles?  Why not?

I’ve also found it’s a real conversation starter.  After all, how many times in life do you run across someone knitting an alligator?  Socks you see everywhere, scarves, too, but an alligator?   That’s going to make a spectator come up and ask you about your knitting.  Of course, I just love an opening like that. I’ve been chatting up the virtues of “fibergators” all week.  Fun galore (or is that fun gatore?)!

I’ve slogged through the first half of the 12-bump back, and now it’s time for the second half.  It won’t be loads of fun, but then after that I get to see how the tail’s made.  

I won’t promise there won’t be tail-gating jokes...you know how bad I can get with those puns...

Alligator Scarf from Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy - Day 3

See you later...? 


Sometimes, the world just sorts itself out so nicely. 


Of course, it wasn't a surprise that after I visited Louisiana I'd be vacationing in Florida. Like most family moms, vacation arrangements (food, snacks, hotel reservations, hire dog and house sitter, etc) fall to me so it's not like I just hop in the car and recreate. I must organize, expedite, execute, and than maybe if I'm lucky I can recreate. 


The marvelous connection I hadn't made was alligators. In short, it's as much fun to be knitting an alligator in Florida as it is to do in Louisiana. Florida Gator comments aside, vacation plans afforded me the chance to visit the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and see...what else? The real deal. 

The above brown blob is an actual photo of an actual live alligator I met in Florida.  The bumpy thing on the right lurking behind all that foliage?  A particularly large alligator (thank God for zoom lenses!)  You'll have to believe me because I'm certain you could not ascertain that fact with the naked eye. Gators, it seem, are not fond of paparazzi (unless, as a dragon-loving friend of mine is known to quip, you are crunchy and good with ketchup). 

Unlike the herons who shared their swampy hangout, the gators were not interested in posing for photos. About the only thing you can clearly see are the bumps on their backs. 


How fitting, then, that I am at the point in this project where I am knitting endless rows of alligator back bumps. 

Having seen their real-life counterparts, I have new respect for the snugly fiber variety. 


The only gator I ever want near me is this kind.

Alligator Scarf from Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy - Day 2

There comes a point in many patterns where you have to trust the instructions--even when they don't make sense.  You can see where you are, see where you will end up, but can't fathom how you'll get from A to B.  The back bumps of this alligator are just such a situation.  I've done enough three dimensional knitting that I understand the basic concepts.  Still, when I reached the "bind off eight stitches tightly" part of these instructions, I couldn't quite picture how those increases were going to turn into alligator bumps.  This is where a knitter has to have faith in her designer.  Faith that--unlike lots of life--following the directions really does achieve the desired results.

And lo and behold--it does! The next line where you knit across tightly produces a row of five tidy alligator bumps.  This is one of those situations where it is best to be knitting amongst your own kind, for a non-knitting friend or spouse doesn't get it when you stuff your successful knitting in their face and demand adulation.  They just don't see the triumph in alligator bumps.  


But we do!

Alligator Scarf from Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy

When you say...

So I'm knitting an alligator.

Let's just start with the entertainment value of that sentence.  It's grand fun to say, although it does get you funny looks.  Good thing I'm used to funny looks.  The novelty comes from the dichotomy between the basic images that come to mind when you say knitting (warm, cozy, comforting) and when you say alligator (predatory, man-eating, sneaky reptile).  You run from alligators, not knit them.  Unless you're an old lady from the 1920's, in which case you make purses from them.

But I digress.  Which I'm good at.

At first glance, this looks like a complex project.  You're essentially knitting in three dimensions, which always feels like it will make your head hurt.  Fret not, for this alligator doesn't have much of a bite--the impressive effect is achieved with mostly garter stitch and simple increases and decreases.  Okay, there's a tiny bit of cast-on in there, too.  As a matter of fact if you have a young person who is ready to take their knitting beyond just knit and purl, this would be an ideal project for mastering increase and decrease skills.

I do find the hollow eyes a bit creepy.  If I catch this out of the corner of my eye, I think the thing is looking at me.  I don't mind gazing at my knitting, but I take issue when my knitting stares back.  I've been considering finding some google-eye buttons, but I can't decide if that would make it better or worse (feel free to chime in with your opinion).

SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA

Everybody’s brain goes straight to New Orleans when you mention Louisiana.   There’s a whole state to explore, folks, not just beignets at Cafe DuMonde (although I will remember the Bananas Foster I had in New Orleans for the rest of my life!).  Wander up to the northern part of the state and you’ll find the lovely, genteel city of Shreveport and its sister across the river, Bossier.  Home to a few author buddies and the charming NOLAStars Romance Writers, I had the opportunity to spend time in Shreveport and found one of the most engaging, friendly yarn shops ever.  

Line Avenue serves as one of the city’s main byways and is considered by many to be the boutique shopping center of the city.  Start your trip here and you’re bound to come home with good memories.  And any good start--at least for me--includes breakfast.  My pick:

Another Broken Egg Cafe

855 Pierremont Ste. 132  

Shreveport, LA 71106

318-865-1124

anotherbrokenegg.com 

I’d not encountered this chain before, but the line out front was an indicator that good food was in store.  Quality ingredients and a bit of inventiveness make a breakfast place for me, and I found both here.  I have a spouse who doesn’t do breakfast after breakfast (whereas I’ll eat breakfast any time of day) so it’s always good to find places with a lot of variety.

Not far away is today’s yarn adventure, and you’re going to love it:

Knitting Under the Influence of Nancy

6505 Line Avenue Suite 43

Shreveport, LA  71106

313-866-9984

www.shreveportknitting.net

It seems once a year I encounter a store that embodies everything DestiKNITions is about--that instant camaraderie you feel when you walk into a yarn shop that is more community than retail establishment.  The name should have been a dead giveaway, but I didn’t have to get three steps into this charming store filled to the brim with fiber and fun and creativity to know that this was a winner. 

Tucked away in a quaint knob of boutiques along Line Avenue, entering this store feels like you just walked into your favorite aunt’s home.  You just know it’s going to be a wonderful visit.  From the “yarn tree”--a Christmas project happily extended into other holidays, to the photos of group excursions up in the classroom on the second floor, to the coffee machine and the comfy chairs, I felt swept up in an instant family. 

Thanks to good friend of the shop Marcy, nearly every inch of the the place is decorated in a way that makes you feel as though its seeping right into you as you breathe.  

It’s the kind of store that knits lives together, thanks to Nancy--as in “Under the Influence of Nancy”--Gauthier’s master connector skills.  During my visit I watched Nancy introducing customers to one another, matching up moms, suggesting the perfect project to try next--the woman is a veritable tidal wave of friendliness.  I could have stayed all day and come back tomorrow for more.  Here are just a few of the many goodies that caught my eye:

Katy’s Sampler Scarf

If you’re here for an extended stay, graft yourself into the Sampler Scarf class that meets either day or evening on the first Thursday of the month.  This skill-stretching project combines five or six balls of Debbie Bliss Prima into a twelve stitch patterns from Volume 1 of the Vogue Knitting Stitchionary.  The finished product--not to mention your expanded skill set--is worthy of admiration and you’re bound to make loads of new friends.  

Waterfall Scarf

I love a good, versatile pattern.  One that can accommodate any number of yarns for diverse results.  The kind you’ll practically know by memory because you come back to it over and over.  The Waterfall Scarf from Judith Durant’s  101 Designer One-Skein Wonders is just such brilliance.  Take 180 yards of just about anything, and you’ll end up with an eye-catching scarf that will be deliciously different every time you knit it.  I saw three distinct examples--from laceweight to dk--and loved each one for entirely different reasons.

Cabin Fever Alligator Scarf

Need a little whimsy in your life? No trip to Louisiana would be complete without something alligator-ish, and this playful scarf from Morehouse Farm fits the bill.  It looks complicated, but isn’t that hard at all--guaranteed to give you most-favored mom/aunt/grandma status for any little person in your life.  Two skeins of Cascade 220 paints (or any color, because who wouldn’t welcome a purple alligator in their life?) knits up into the nicest reptile you can imagine.  It’s our knit-along from today’s visit.

Stay and chat for hours--I did--but when you’re ready, don’t miss the many lovely shops right around you in Pierremont Common.  My favorites were:

The Village Washstand

6505 Line Ave 

Shreveport, LA 71106-3277

318-865-8553

http://www.facebook.com/VillageWashstand

If you are a lover of fine linens and pajamas, here’s your heaven.  A thoughtful, browse-worthy mix of home goods, this place stocks miles of Vera Bradley and a brand of personalized leather goods I’d never seen before: Jon Hart Design out of San Antonio, TX.

La Bambolina

6505 Line Avenue #20

Shreveport, LA  71106

318-861-1616

Shreveport has an upscale, well-mannered southern charm, and this store makes sure the little people in your life can show off that same sense of style.  From teeny-tiny preemie babies to size 16 for girls and 14 for boys, the store’s good selection has a little bit of everything.  Sure, you can make that adorable new niece some hand-knit baby booties, but the smocked dress she needs for her first big day out can be found here.  With a dozen matching hair bows to complete her look.

Tallulah Trading Company

6505 Line Avenue Suite 21

Shreveport LA  71106

318-869-0295

I was trying to figure out why this place appeals to me so--I’m not really the decorative housewares type--when I found this slogan on their business card:  “It’s the mix, not the match.”  That says it all.  Stuffed full of stunning floral displays, candles, soaps, figurines, art, and a gazillion other goodies, this place is a potpourri of great accents mixed to perfection.  Owners Donald & Bess Ann Walker were friendly as could be to this wide-eyed northerner, and that only added to the tumble of charm that had me wishing I’d brought along another suitcase.

When you’re ready to eat, there’s really only one place to go if you care about dessert the way I care about dessert, so you’ll need to venture off Line Ave (but not far) to:

Strawn’s Eat Shop

125 Kings Highway & other locations

Shreveport LA  71106

318-868-0634

www.strawnstoo.com

Full disclosure here:  Nancy Gauthier and her husband once owned this restaurant and her children run it now, but the huge consensus of everyone I talked to backed up her praise:  this is pie to die for.  Often voted as Shreveport’s Best Dessert, it’s not hard to see why.  

You simply must not leave town without tasting the strawberry pie, and I believe it’s a state crime to leave the peach untouched if it’s in season.  I loved the chocolate and coconut cream, too--not that I had three slices on one day or anything.  Pair that with just the kind of “good square meal” you’d expect in Louisiana, and life is lovely.  Really lovely.  A bad day could turn around in one meal from here.

If you still need a bit of shopping to round out your visit, continue your exploration of the little clusters of boutique-y shops along Line Avenue.  Some are in strip malls, others in groupings of former houses.  One of my favorites--and not just because it’s next to a Starbucks which I sorely needed once the pie-sugar-high wore off, was:

The Spotted Zebra

4826 Line Avenue  

Shreveport, LA 71106

318-868-3686

Were I not of the must-wear-orthopaedic-inserts ilk, I’d be a big fan of TOMS shoes.  I tend to like artsy, comfortable clothing, and while I admit it skewed a bit young for a woman of my years, I found several good purchases as well as loads to like.  I’m also grateful that they didn’t make me feel old or out of place for shopping there, as if often the case with trendy clothiers.

Hint:  the nearby Starbucks has a lovely outside patio just perfect for casting on your new project and taking stock of all your purchased treasures.

When you are all shopped out, you still don’t need to leave Line Avenue.  Find your way back to: 

Superior Grill

6123 Line Avenue

Shreveport, LA 71106

318-869-3243

http://shreveport.superiorgrill.com/location.html

The best Mexican food around according to my sources--one even said “best Mexican food on the planet.”  They’re known as much for food as for their margaritas, which are killer-potent (not that I’d know) so be warned.  The packed parking lot in the middle of a Friday afternoon affirms the local wisdom, so try for an early table or a weeknight if your schedule is tight.   Live music on Friday nights, however, may make the long wait worth it.

I wouldn’t be surprised if this trip stands as one of the best DestiKNITions of 2012--warm hospitality, great weather (as opposed to March in Chicago), outstanding food, fab fiber, and oh, the pie.  I’m drooling just thinking about the whole experience.  I’ll probably have to set a book here--or three--just so I can lock in a few return trips.