Friday This 'n That, and What do you think?

I posted this photo collage on Flickr the other day with a question:  Worn this way, does the shawl look crooked in a way that makes you want to reach out and straighten it -- or want to tell me to straighten it?

I have always worn this shawl "traditionally," with the point of the triangle pointing right to my butt.  (My butt isn't in any of those photographs, so I don't even have to ask THAT question!)  The other day, as I threaded the tails through an old Bakelite belt buckle (my favorite way to tame the tails) and adjusted and arranged, I had a thought...  and decided to wear it differently -- slightly askew, a bit off center.

What do you think?

Look at this!  I finally searched through the archives to find my first Tools of the Trade post on October 26, 2004.  (How long ago is that in blog years?)  The similarities crack me up, especially that I'm still toting "seldom-used point protectors" and the old stork scissors "that’s purely for decorative purposes, as it doesn’t cut worth a damn"!

So, I cast off a couple of quick-knit projects in the last week or so and I'm not altogether happy with either of them -- in fact, one of them will be frogged forthwith and need not be mentioned ever again.  Last night, I cast on another Afghani Cap so I could try the mods I had in mind and, so far, I'm very happy!  Yay for happy!

Comments

[Chris]

I'm twitching to straighten it....

Maybe it's time to get rid of those scissors!

[margene]

Don't straighten it...take the point a little farther over to the shoulder so it looks like you want it that way. Love the shawl with the buckle. I wear my shawls askew all the time and usually wrap them around like a scarf. You have lots of options!
Happy is fabulous! ;-)

[Lee]

Personally, I like the asymmetrical look. I think it draws the eye to your face. I love the idea of a belt buckle to hold the tails, I can't believe I never thought of that before!

[kmkat]

Don't straighten it, just make it a bit more askew. Asymetry is good for those of us with round faces (said by one with a VERY round face).

[lisa]

I like it slightly askew! I figure it reflects something of yourself... or would for me anyhow.

[Kay-From the Back Yard]

I like it that way. Great idea for an old belt buckle!

[Ann]

I like it, but as it is, one might think it just slipped. Try raising the buckle another 2"-3" up your shoulder.....then there will be no doubt that it was done on purpose. I wear my shoulder shawls that way all the time with a brooch pinning it in place to my shirt. And I never have one pointing to my too prominent rear end.

[kathy]

Hi Vicki!

I love the jauntiness of the asymmetrical look, and you can pull it off because you're a hip-chick.

Hey, those "stork" scissors are embroidery floss or quilting thread scissors. They don't have the blade power or strength to cut anything other than thread or floss. They should not even be used for thin crochet string and never for yarn. I'm surprised using them to cut anything else didn't cause them to break or at least bend the blades. The seller should have alerted you to their ultra-specialized use (the right tool for the job at hand sort of thing).

Usually, these types of scissors are often razor sharp to deal with careful and precise cutting of thread that has to get through tiny needles or to cut very closely to knots to prevent frayed threads from hanging around on the backside (wrong side) of embroidered fabric so the thread ends don't show through to the right side. They also have very thin blades to allow them to slide under stitches that need to be cut (an embroidery or hand-quilting method of "frogging" stitches) without cutting fabric or causing large holes in the fabric where the thread is pulled up and down.

They aren't even supposed to be used to cut lightweight fabric or paper. Using them to cut anything other than thread probably dulled the blade significantly and likely made the screw loose where the blades are joined, and often when this happens, the scissors are shot.

Just about all good scissors have specialty uses, like hair cutting scissors that should never be used to cut anything else, especially paper, or pinking shears for fabric selvage trimming. Something as seemingly innocuous as dropping good scissors on the floor can ruin them. A good pair of hair cutting scissors costs upwards of $200.

You might be able to take them to a blade sharpening place that specializes in scissors to help them recover, but you are correct that using them for anything else would make them pretty useless. But, if used carefully, like a great lens for a camera, they should serve you well for decades. I have a pair handed down from my grandmother who made about a billion quilts, especially cross-stitch quilts, and they are still the sharpest blades I own even though they are older than my mother, and she's in her mid-70s.

Those Victorian-women who sat around doing crewel work used slightly larger versions of these small "stork" scissors, which often took on the shape of some sort of bird. These bird-shaped scissors probably owe their shape to 17th Century Persian tailoring shears:

http://thenonist.com/index.php/thenonist/permalink/from_the_history_of_scissors/

Yeah, I'm a dork; I have a scissor fetish. Who doesn't? They're just one more specialty tool like Rosewood or Lantern Moon DPNS or pretty stitch markers.

[Mary]

As soon as I post this comment, I'm going through my box of stuff to find a couple of antique belt buckles I've been saving for something someday. Obviously, I love the shawl askew!

[Norma]

I ALWAYS wear mine askew, or with the point in the front. I HATE the point evenly in the back -- makes me feel ancient. :D

[Cathy-Cate]

I am (apparently) adding my voice to that of others to say that I like asymmetrical as far as the shawl, but I would make it a little more so; just an inch or so more. I don't know why, but it would look better to me. Less like an accident, more of an accent?