And then I opened a package I had received in the mail while I was away from home continuing my work in San Luis Obispo.
Before Mom died, I had asked her if any of her friends knitted. This was because back in 2010 I had come across this pattern on Ravelry probably linked from io9 or somewhere. Now, Jennifer crochets, and the scant few people I knew who knitted were unwilling to take on such a project. I would look around occasionally, but I couldn't find anyone to make it. So I asked mom. Not for her to make it. Mom never sewed any more than she had to, but she was great at repairing my old stuffed tiger as a kid.
So she referred me to one of her mystery-book reading-group friends. We conversed a few times, and she seemed willing to try it. I paid for the materials and paid her a little more than what she seemed to think was a fair price. It turned out to be more than she could feasibly do. I got back a one-sided scarf that was a long as a minister's stole. I'm six feet tall, and around my neck it reached past my ankles on both sides. It was not a scarf I could realistically wear because the stitches would have snagged and ruined the scarf. I got a local tailor to stitch a nice fabric back on it, and while it's now safe, it's still much too big to wear. I'm thinking of turning it into a wall tapestry.
But then last year, after Jennifer suggested I go looking on Etsy, I came across ArachneCrafts. Now, right off I was intrigued because I love a clever mythology reference. My years of reading comic books had prepared me for just such an experience. And so looking in my search, I came across her examples of the One Ring scarf, called the Lord of the Rings scarf on her site. (At this point, I have to say that I'm proud to have the one she made for me being the last in the photo examples.)
I put off making my purchase because I just wasn't sure. I had gone to ThinkGeek and bought a One Ring scarf from them, but it wasn't as nice feeling as my Aperture Science scarf. It was also smaller, and overall, kind of disappointing. But finally, in December, I put in my order.
Susanna of ArachneCrafts worked with me on choosing the colors. I wanted it to look lik the gold of the One Ring with script that looked like it was on fire. You know, like it does when Gandalf drops it in Frodo's hand after it being in the fireplace.
Susanna was concerned that the yellow in the red-orange-yellow multicolored yarn would get lost in a golden yellow scarf. I talked with Jennifer, and she suggested a charcoal color. We tend to help the other see color combinations sometimes that the other isn't quite seeing. And it turned out amazing as you can see below.
Susanna started just after the new year. She actually got it done in about three weeks.
The only way I could be happier was if it were colder so that I could wear it. But here I am in the scarf. I think it's a fitting mashup with Pratchett wear plus the scarf. It is so amazing.
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