So my crazy DH wants me to make him. . .

[greenegirl]

A Tom Baker Dr. Who Scarf. If you aren't familiar with it, you can see a website devoted to Tom Baker's scarves here. It is 1 foot wide, 10 to 20 feet long depending on which version, all garter stitch, 8 different colors of stripes in random widths.

Believe it or not, I actually cast on today. I didn't really want to buy yarn since I have a massive stash, but didn't have all the right colors in the same yarn. After reading a couple of sites about the scarves, I decided it didn't matter much if I used the same brand of yarn for every color. The woman who knit the original scarf for the show claimed people kept sending her yarn, so she just kept knitting. Who knows if they were all the same or not! So I knit the purple rows with Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, then switched to a TGK undyed yarn for the cream. Some of the colors will be Peace Fleece.

Hopefully it will go fairly fast since it is garter stitch. But it is ungodly boring to knit that much garter stitch so I need to find a way to keep entertained while doing it!

[Ruthla]

This looks like an incredibly simple project- just use one yarn until the skein is used up then switch to another skein (just make sure you stop colors at the end of one row, not mid-row.

You could do this while watching TV or a movie, listening to a book on tape, chatting with friends, etc.

[mamasthree]

now that's love

[notjustmamie]

Originally Posted by mamasthree

now that's love

Do you mean the OP or the person that put up the website and figured out what happened to all the scarf variations?

[Sasharna]

Big Tom Baker fan here! :

Your DH is so lucky!

[texaspeach]

good luck! I'd want to never knit again at the end of it.

[Melissaak]

I made one for a good friend of mine. I used red heart super saver to keep cost down. It is an incredibly long and somewhat boring project. It took me a month of monogamous knitting. Getting to the color changes was the exciting part. There is an incredible sense of accomplishment when you are done though! Here's a pic of mine
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/...9a0b3a2f21.jpg

[greenegirl]

Originally Posted by Melissaak

I made one for a good friend of mine. I used reh heart to keep cost down. It is an incredibly long and somewhat boring project. It took me a month of monogamous knitting. Getting to the color changes was the exciting part. There is an incredible sense of accomplishment when you are done though! Here's a pic of mine
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/...9a0b3a2f21.jpg

That's awesome! I've only done one color change so far, but I've sort of been thinking of it as a series of mini projects -- each color change is a milestone... The crazy thing is we live in Orlando, so DH is never going to wear this thing, except maybe if we go to a costume party or something...

I should tell the rest of the story. This year, we decided not to get each other Christmas presents because we desperately need a new mattress, but just haven't had the funds to get one. So we decided we would do that instead. Then, 2 days before Christmas, DH disappears into the garage and a good deal of sawing, hammering, and sanding ensues and continues for a couple days. I was actually a little ticked about this since we hosted 18 people for Christmas dinner and I needed his help for cleaning and cooking (which I did tell him). But my sister and parents pitched in to help and everything got done.

Anywho, the present he emerged with is a very beautiful book holder that will lie across the tub. About a month before Christmas, I showed him something similar (and not nearly as beautiful) in a catalog. I *love* to take baths and read in the tub. This is fine if you are reading a novel, which I do on occassion, but since I am in law school I also have these massive (1000 to 1800 page) textbooks that I need to read. And it is very difficult to read these massive books in the tub. He designed the book holder himself and made it out of red oak, most of which was scraps left over from another project, and spent about $10 getting the wood he needed to buy.

So, I told him I would happily knit him something and asked what he would like (thinking he would want some slippers because his are just about falling apart). Instead, he picked a Tom Baker scarf!

Once a week, I get together with one of my law school friends to knit and chat. She's also a huge Dr. Who fan, and when I told her about the scarf, she laughed hysterically. At least I will have some sympathy from her.

[greenegirl]

Originally Posted by mamasthree

now that's love

Originally Posted by notjustmamie

Do you mean the OP or the person that put up the website and figured out what happened to all the scarf variations?

[flapjack]

Oh, that's sweet
I think there's pretty much one story per stripe of the scarf, btw. so you could knit and watch as well. That would add a huge amount of added value to the present, at least it would for my lot.

[greenegirl]

Originally Posted by flapjack

Oh, that's sweet
I think there's pretty much one story per stripe of the scarf, btw. so you could knit and watch as well. That would add a huge amount of added value to the present, at least it would for my lot.

This is a great idea! We have been getting the disks from Netflix a few at a time, but I've been pretty busy so haven't been watching many of them with DH.

[greenegirl]

You know, I just thought of a reason to like this project. I'm going to use it to learn how to knit Continental. I knit English style and have been wanting to learn Continental since it is supposed to be faster. I also have some problems with my wrists when I knit too long at once and was thinking Continental might be better for me since it looks like you move your wrists less. I just haven't had the patience to actually do it because I've been knitting (off and on) for 17 years or so and knit English style at a decent clip. But knitting miles of garter stitch seems as good a time as any to practice something new!

[mamasthree]

Originally Posted by notjustmamie

Do you mean the OP or the person that put up the website and figured out what happened to all the scarf variations?

yeah, I meant the op...20 feet of garter stitch...makes my head spin!

[SevenVeils]

Yeah, I knit Continental and all that I really move is my finger. When I see even a very accomplished knitter knitting English style, it looks weird, tiring and awkward

[flapjack]

Actually, that's a good idea. I did a slytherin scarf for a swap on here (256 rows of stocking stitch with 80 stitches in a row) and was switching between English and Continental. By the end, I was completely comfortable with continental. I generally only use it when I'm knitting on circs though...

[cyrusmama]

I did a solid color scarf for my best guy friend last year for Christmas. I don't remember how long it ended up being, but I am 5'9" and with tasseled ends, it drug the ground on each side and wrapped around my neck once. (He is 6'2" so I knew it wouldn't drag on him). It was double knitted and I was so sick of hunter green knitting in the round at the end that I ended up making the tassels longer than I had orignally planned

[kennedy444]

Originally Posted by greenegirl

so I need to find a way to keep entertained while doing it!

I love to download lots of different kinds of podcasts and listen while I knit and crochet. I listen to everything from National Geographic, NPR and BBC podcasts to Manic Mommies and TheDivaCast to knitpicks and stash and burn to people and ryan seacrest!

[kennedy444]

Originally Posted by Melissaak

I made one for a good friend of mine. I used reh heart to keep cost down. It is an incredibly long and somewhat boring project. It took me a month of monogamous knitting. Getting to the color changes was the exciting part. There is an incredible sense of accomplishment when you are done though! Here's a pic of mine
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3024/...9a0b3a2f21.jpg

Wow, great colors. Love the multi colored fringe too.

[neveryoumindthere]

am i the only one who wants to see the book holder? :

[Melissaak]

Originally Posted by kennedy444

Wow, great colors. Love the multi colored fringe too.

Thank you!