There's a Kind of Hush...

10 hours till "the big game" and the mood in Green Bay appears to be changing.  The euphoria of the last few weeks  with its constant Packer talk and Packer post season analysis has become more solemn and measured.  Will they?  Won't they?  Most analysis comes down to this, if the Packers display the same focus and skill they showed in the last two games, they should win.  If they get sloppy, either because they are cocky or nervous, they won't. 

Lest you think this solemnity and measured response to the upcoming game is putting too much of a damper on the festivities, I should point out that the reports from Dallas make Mardi Gras sound like a wake and many GB tailgate parties started at 8 or 9 this morning.  The majority of die-hard football fans like a good party, it would seem.

While I waited, I did what I do best, learn new things and knit (and knit and knit). 

I learned all about the first Super Bowl game:

1967: The first Super Bowl happens spontaneously when a bus carrying the AFL-champion Kansas City Chiefs crashes into a bus carrying the NFL-champion Green Bay Packers. Instead of swapping insurance information, the two teams play a full-contact game to determine who will pay the damages. Today, the surviving members of both teams meet every year to recreate their famous bus crash.

Maybe Groupon.com wasn't the most authoritative source of Super Bowl history.
I have finished two projects for the Packers-Steelers Charity Challenge:

Ravelry project link:  Cowl'd and Frosty Charity Cowl  made with Green and Gold Berroco Vintage Chunky.  Can't decide if I like this yarn.  It is 50% acrylic, 40% wool, 10% nylon.  I chose it for price, colors, and, especially wear and washability, but it has an unusual feel to it.  So far, I prefer either my usual 100% merino favorites (Cascade 220, Malabrigo, etc.) or a very good 100% synthetic, like Berroco Comfort, which is 50/50 superfine nylon/superfine acrylic but has a wonderful texture and feel to it and great stitch definition due to its cabled construction.  I'm usually strongly biased towards natural fibers, but the Comfort is a lovely example of how far synthetic fibers have come from the acrylics that squeaked when you knit with them and felt like repurposed grocery bags.  There are some wonderful microfibers out there now as well!

The pattern is Ravelry Link to Cowl'd and Frosty Morning  by Kelly Without A Net Kelly's website (a non Ravelry link!).  Super easy free pattern that I modified a bit for this challenge but would knit again (as written!) for myself.  Mods:  used a 6.5mm needle instead of 6mm, did 1 row knit, 3 rows purl instead of 4 rows seed/moss stitch, did 10 rows stockinette per section instead of 11, eliminated one repeat to make shorter, and added Packer theme stripes even though the pattern looks better not striped.
 
Also finished one pair of kids Packer mittens Project Linky.  Pattern is a basic mitten pattern I improvised with a Packer stripe added.  These were quick, fun, and adorable.  They are made with Berroco Comfort (see above). 

As of this morning, the Steelers fans are ahead, with 22 FOs tagged as Steelersxlv vs 16 FOs tagged Packersxlv, however one of the packer projects actually contains 11 hats made by the super fast knitter Proudrn, so I count that as 22-27 with the Packers ahead.  It is early days yet though, so we need to keep up the good work!  The deadline is February 28, so I hope to have several more finished objects to show in the next few weeks.

But first up is finishing Cindy's Mara.  I began binding off last night while watching Transformers with Mom (I know, I'm the last person on the planet to see that movie.  It was embarrassing to have my 68 year old mother quoting dialog while I asked "but is he a good guy or a bad guy?"), but it will take a few hours to complete, with well over 500 stitches to BO, and needs its bath before final pictures.  So hopefully I will have finished pictures by Wednesday!

I leave you with Noel showing her support for both the Pack and the people who will be helped by the charity challenge.  Good kitty!