Translation....

Do you like a good challenge? I would say that on most days, I have the ability to take on a challenge and to get lost in the adventure that it brings. That day would be today of course.

Challenge: Translate Nicky Epstein's Yo-Yo Scarf from it's original knitted version to a crocheted version with fewer individual finishing steps in order to keep my good friend, Kim from stabbing at her pillow with her crochet hook.

To be honest this just started as a simple request from Kim to help her figure out a way of connecting crocheted circles without having to sew each element together and weave in way more ends than anyone should ever be asked to count. It just so happened that Nicky's book, Signature Scarves was coming to me this week - it will be review next week in the Knitty Scribe blog. I admit that it was I that turned this simple request into a full-blown challenge of my crocheting abilities. Yes, dear knitters, the Green Girl can crochet with the best of them. I crochet less than I have in past as knitting became my addiction of choice a long time ago, but I still have skills when it comes to being a hooker. You know what a hooker is right, I know you do, don't gulp in the air and make a shocked face, it's just a silly nickname for a crocheter. Anyway, I dusted off my hooks and grabbed some leftover yarn and started to figure out this puzzle.

I admit, I had to stop and grab a cuppa tea this afternoon and take a Tylenol. The stress headache was interfering with my zen-like ability to turn yarn into something that I might actually want to wear.  Then as I turned my head I heard SNAP, CRACKLE, POP.... No DH was not eating krispy cereal, that sound came from my neck and man oh man did it feel gooooood..... A little self-chiropractic can work wonders.Whew!!!

5 connected circles at the half-way point

Then I put on a little JT (James Taylor for the young and uninitiated)  and there came the zen like flow once again. And so did the answer to my challenge. There is no way to connect all these little circles with no tails, but I can decrease the number by over half if I crochet half a circle at a time connecting them as I go and then crochet back to finish the full element. Make the strand as long as I need it to be for the length of the scarf, make three of these lengths, and two end cap pieces. Like I said there will still be some attaching, but not nearly as much. I think this idea will work for the knitted version as well and I intend to give it a try after I have finished helping my friend get this to be what she is envisioning.

Challenge complete -challenge won - good day all around!!!

Peace and joy to you all......
The Green Girl