“Super City” Super Scarf

The request came in quite some time after the Indianapolis Super Bowl was over.  A gentleman from the city contacted me and asked me to make him a Super Scarf.  I asked if he had something in mind or if he wanted me to surprise him. 

“Surprise me,” was his reply.  He wanted a scarf he could display at work and use as a conversation starter. 

The truth is, I had a scarf idea for this particular person before I even finished reading his full email.  It was the charting, knitting, and some piecework that took a bit of time. 

Early into the Indianapolis Super Bowl Super Scarf Project, I had seen a Super Bowl logo that I really liked.  I saved it in case the occasion arose where I could put it to good use.  See the logo below:

It’s a very linear design already, but the logo as it is above would not have worked on a winter scarf.  The lettering AND the skyline in their original positions would have made the scarf much too wide. 

So I deconstructed the elements of the logo, discarded the lower lettering “A FIELD GUIDE TO THE BIG GAME,” and used everything else but the clouds. 

My favorite part is the skyline.  I individually replicated the images as they were represented in the logo and appliqued them to the scarf.  As much as I love the skyline, it would have been too bulky at the center of the scarf if it were ever to be actually worn, so I located the skyline at one end of the scarf.

 

I took the six stars out of the Indianapolis sky in the logo and moved them to the opposite end of the scarf, where I also attached the official Indianapolis Super Bowl patch.

 

As for the center of the scarf, I used the “SUPER CITY” lettering.

I shipped the scarf for arrival before Christmas.  It arrived on December 19th.  If it causes as many interesting conversations as there are memories of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl, then there will be a LOT of fun conversations for a long time.

It hasn’t really ended . . .

This post is just a general brief update.

Despite the Indianapolis Super Bowl having been played over nine months ago, the Super Scarf story hasn’t really ended.  The posts from my blog with the highest number of hits every day have consistently been the posts which included knitting patterns for some of the Super Scarves I contributed to the effort.  That means knitters are finding ways to use the patterns – whether it’s in the original blue and white colors per the Super Scarf Project or in various colors to show support for other teams from pro to high school football. 

Suffice it to say, that it hasn’t been over for me, either.  I have been consistently working on blue and white scarves since my plane landed back home after having attended . . . some big football event last February.   

My current Super Scarf project is a ‘design of my choice’ per the request of someone who contacted me.  I’ll give you a sneak peek.

I’m actually further along than shown in the photo, but haven’t snapped a pic in a couple of days.  I’m using bobbins for the first part of the project. 

If everything goes well I should have it finished by . . . . . . . . . ?

 

A few final Super Bowl XLVI pix . . .

One of my goals for my Summer Retirement Internship was to organize my 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl pix and then put together a scrapbook of some sort.

The scrapbook didn’t happen because I enjoyed hosting my mother for a lovely three-week visit instead.  We had a rather busy schedule while she was here and it mostly involved attending the activities of the teenage member of the household. 

Now that I’m back to work for the Summer term, the scrapbook won’t happen either, but I can still peek at the photos during my lunch break.

GN took a cute photo that I somehow hadn’t seen until recently.  I love it!  I have a feeling those feet were pretty tired by the time she took that photo.  We had done a lot of walking.

There was a lot to see and do inside the NFL Experience and on game day, there were many signs added to help us find our way through security and then on to the stadium.  I’m glad GN noticed the one on the floor. 

Some time after the big game, when I had already returned home, I received an email from the Director of Communications for the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee.  In an attachment, she included a photograph of Bob Costas wearing the Super Scarf I had made for him.  He is joined in the photo by Allison Melangton, CEO of the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl Host Committee.  I was thrilled to receive the photo.

Last night, just before I hit the sack, I received what I think will be my final Super Bowl photo.  Indybro took the time to don his Super Bowl volunteer uniform with the scarf I knit for him. 

He received a Super Scarf as part of his uniform and he wore that scarf.  All along, however, I had planned to knit him a copy of the scarf with the Roman Numerals on it, because it was his idea in the first place.  I didn’t knit his scarf until after the Super Bowl was over, because I had committed myself to making as many Super Scarves as I could fit into my schedule.  Indybro knew that.

Thanks for the photo Indybro.  You worked so hard during the Super Bowl activities and it’s folks like you who answered the call for volunteers that contributed to the success of the event and the safety of visitors.

 

I miss football . . .

One Last Super Scarf

Indybro is a good brother.  He’s been patiently waiting for me to knit him one of the Indianapolis Super Scarves I designed per a suggestion from him.  He wasn’t in a hurry because he was issued a Super Scarf as part of his volunteer uniform for his zip line assignment during the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl.

The scarf he requested was the second most difficult of the 46 scarves I knit for the Super Scarf Project.  I called it “He, Myself, and I, II, III,” after Indybro, me and the first three . . . well, you get it, but we refer to it as the Roman Numerals scarf.

It’s done!  I worked on the Roman numerals side during my Spring Break because Goodnight had to go to school.  I had lots of time to concentrate on my charts.  I was mostly able to complete the scarf during my week away from work.  There was a fair amount of finishing to do, however and my schedule has been hectic since my Spring Break ended.

Thanks to the state high school basketball tournament, however, I was able to get the remainder of the work done on his scarf this week.  Whew!  Glad it worked out a second time because I didn’t write the pattern as I knit it up the first time.  I only charted the numerals and scribbled some notes and in intend to let my notes and charts remain in that state . . . . .

Hey Indybro!  It goes in the mail on Monday.  Thank you for your patience, but mostly, thanks for so much fun, laughter, and family time with the Super Scarf Project and the Super Bowl!  You’re a peach. 

Super Bowl XLVI Volunteers

In the comment section to my previous post, someone asked me if it was fun to see the volunteers wearing their Super Scarves.

Absolutely!  They were everywhere!  That was the point.  The blue and white Super Scarves made the XLVI volunteers visible and accessible.  GN and I ran into them everywhere we went.

In fact, it took me a long time to get out of the airport when we landed at Indianapolis International because I walked up to everyone wearing a scarf like I knew them or something and had to say ’hello.’  I thanked them for their time and for their warm hospitality.  I didn’t have any questions, but they were all so wonderful.

In the airport, there was a digital billboard showing people wearing the Super Scarves.  I had to wait until the photos looped around to the Super Scarves again before I could take a photo.  I loved seeing them up in lights!

When GN and I got our first glimpse of Super Bowl Village, Indybro had taken us to a street he wanted me to see.  He waited for my reaction to what I saw in the following photo . . . a building with large photos of people wearing Super Scarves.  They were on the building!  It made me giggle.  It was such a great reminder to visitors that they could stop anyone in a blue and white scarf and get some good assistance or reliable answers to their questions.

In fact, the blue and white Super Scarf Project worked so well that people even walked up to me and asked me questions.  (Remember, in an earlier post I showed you what I knitted for myself to wear to Indy.)  I didn’t sew on the official Super Bowl patch, but it didn’t matter, people stopped me in Super Bowl Village and asked me where things were. 

I wasn’t a volunteer, but I got lucky with the questions I was asked and I knew the answers!  So I got to help people too.  What a fun time.

Thanks to Carol E. for asking her question about seeing the scarves.  I LOVED IT!  I even got to meet Bev Meska . . . the Super Scarf Project participant who made the most scarves.  I’ve read differing numbers, but she crocheted between 250 and 300 Super Scarves.  I asked her permission to take the following photo.  She said ‘yes.’   You can still click the link to the Super Scarf Project site and see a video about her contribution.  Amazing! 

A Few Photos from 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl

I’ve been going through my photos from the Super Bowl activities in Indianapolis and wanted to share a few that make me smile.

First of all, there wouldn’t have been a Super Bowl hosted by Indianapolis in the Colts’ stadium at LOS if there hadn’t been the famous night move of the Colts from Baltimore.  When GN and I were walking through the NFL experience section that had some items from the Pro Football Hall of Fame, I spotted an old pennant and had to take a photo for posterity.

Another item struck my eye as well.  Roger Staubach was a quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and among the things for which he is remembered, is the Hail Mary Pass, coined when he threw a long pass in a 1975 playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings.  With only a few seconds remaining on the play clock, the Cowboys were down by four points.  Staubach’s 50-yard throw was caught by wide receiver Drew Pearson who crossed the goal line to make it a Dallas win.  I’m happy to have seen Mr. Staubach’s jersey.

A little something for those who inherited the ‘shoe’ gene.  I didn’t, but Gr8, my sis, and GN got it, so I try to notice things.  The shoes in the following photo were pretty spiffy, if I must say so myself.  I asked the Giants fan if I could take a photo and she was happy to comply.

Monument Circle in donwtown Indy was decked to the nines with a HUGE XLVI.  Great for photo ops and lots of fun milling around.

I guess watching the confetti and streamers fall after the Super Bowl game is over is more fun when the team you’re backing wins.  I was rooting for the Giants, so . . . it was fun for me to snap the pic.

I played in a high school band and have always liked to watch band formations on a football field.  I know they take a lot of practice and so I snapped a photo of the band formation at before the start of the game.

Of course the pix that make me smile the most are those of my granddaughter having time of her life!  She tried the football toss at the NFL experience.  All three of her throws went through the hoop.  Yea!

She also had fun stopping at the various photo ops with team uniforms.

It was great fun! Great memories! 

“Super Peacock” – Super Scarf #46

Now that the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl is behind us, I have one last Super Scarf to discuss – #46.

It went to NBC sportscaster, Bob Costas.  I was asked if I could come up with an NBC-themed Super Scarf.

(Above photo was taken before the second blocking.)

I knit the scarf from corner to corner - increasing the row length until I achieved the scarf width I wanted.  When I got to the right width, I knit italicized ‘NBC‘ monograms into the scarf over its length. There are five monograms on each side of the length and none around the back of the neck.  I needed some transition space so I could reverse the knitting chart and have the ‘NBC’ turn our right-reading when worn about the neck.

Since I was allowed to use more than the official Super Scarf Project colors for this scarf, I knit the NBC logo, complete with the well-known peacock.  To add a bit of whimsy, I knit a little Super Scarf for the peacock to wear.  The peacock’s scarf has 46 stripes on it for Super Bowl XLVI (46).

 

In order to make the peacock’s scarf to the right proportion, I separated the plies in the blue and white wool I was already using in the larger scarf, used two plies instead of the original four, then went down to size #1(US) needles.

To balance out the NBC logo, I reserved space on the opposite end of the scarf for placement of the official Super Bowl XLVI patch . . . and some cute little footballs.

For the curious, I included a comment card with the scarf, explaining the design and including my email address, per the form.  Mr. Costas arrived in Indianapolis well before the Super Bowl and his thank-you email to me arrived shortly after he was given the Super Scarf.

This scarf was fun to make.  I liked the diagonal construction and the challenge I gave myself with the monograms.  The peacock as you see it in the above photo was not how I originally wanted to make it.  I know how to knit more feathery-looking feathers and I started with those.  Though they were fun, they didn’t look dignified enough to go with the monogram, so I scratched them and began again.  That’s just part of knitting.  I love the work of it, the math of it, the trial and error, the quiet time.  Something eventually works.

 

I Lost Something at Lucas Oil Stadium

I’m rather shy and conservative as a general rule.  I like to listen to what goes on around me and take most things in without the need to . . . be outspoken.

It all goes out the window when I’m watching football, however.  I don’t yell obnoxious things, but I definitely stand up and cheer.

Case in point: 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl XLVI.  Of course I had a vested interest in the festivities.  The blue and white Super Scarves were everywhere.  Most of the teams that I wanted to see at the game had been knocked out, and other teams I would have liked to see . . . um never got off the ground this season.  But I chose a team to back during the game and that’s what I did.

The team I chose to root for won the game Sunday, but my favorite yelling moment in the stadium was when Mario Manningham went downfield for what ended up being a 38-yard gain ending at the 50-yard line.  He was covered by Sterling Moore and Patrick Chung at the sideline, but managed to keep both feet in bounds.

The Patriots challeneged the catch and the fans in the stadium glued their/our eyes to the jumbo screens for the replay.  I was sitting in a section that had a fun mix of Giants fans and Patriots fans.  When the replay came onto the screen, it was in slow-motion and we Giants fans stood and counted: 

“ONE . . . TWO . . . It’s GOOD!!!!!”

We were counting his footsteps inbounds and both feet were legal. 

“YEA!!!”

We roared and roared.  We didn’t quiet down until the head game official came onto the field to announce the results of the review.  The play was upheld.  We all roared again.

I LOVED it.  Just like at home when I watch football but with 68,000 people yelling with me.  Okay, maybe half of those folks weren’t cheering for Manningham, but it was a fun moment in the stands.

To the folks who have to clean up Lucas Oil Stadium:  I lost my voice there.  If you find it, would you return it to me?  Send it UPS.  I suppose that would make it a snail mail voice mail. 

Gram’s going to be kinda quiet for a few days.

A Super Day Here in Indianapolis

Goodnight and I have been having  Super time here in Indianapolis!  When we landed in Indianapolis, I called Indybro to let him know we had arrived.  But . . . then it took me forever to get out of the airport because as I walked from our gate to baggage claim, I said hello to EVERYONE I saw wearing a Super Scarf!  It felt like old home week and I had never met any of those folks.  It was great fun!  The Super Scarves look FABULOUS and the smiles on the volunteers do too! 

We’ve been to the NFL experience, the NFL Play 60, the NFL Shop, the Zip Line, etc.  We saw the Vince Lombardi Trophy, the AFC and NFC trophies, some very interesting pieces from the Pro-Football Hall of Fame, and the Colts’ Cheerleaders.  But today is game day.  Goodnight is excited beyond belief . . . and truth be told, so am I.

We are going to the game.!!!! For Safety and privacy, I have removed the Row and Seat location from the photo below, but GN is holding her actual ticket!  I like the ticket design.  It shows Lucas Oil Stadium behind the Lombardi Trophy. 

 

Goodnight has chosen the team she want to win and so have I.  I’m rooting for Indianapolis, the Host City.  It’s been a blast here.  The city is beautiful and its residents/volunteers/employees have been gracious.  The highly visible presence of Law Enforcement has made it feel safe to be out participating in the big bash!

When I handed GN her ticket, she asked me a question: Gram?  Are we staying for the WHOLE game?

Catch you later.  I have a Big date with my granddaughter today.

Gram:  Yes, honey!  We are staying for the whole game.

Super Weekend!

Greetings to everyone stopping by for a visit because of the Super Bowl XLVI Super Scarf media attention.

The countdown clock is still ticking: three days to the 2012 Indianapolis Super Bowl.  After GN’s science test and basketball game today, we are heading to the airport to fly to Indianapolis and join in the festivities with Indybro.  The Super Scarf Project website shows 13,024 scarves were collected.  That should make for a lot of blue and white viewing around Indy!  I already heard from someone who received one of my scarves and I know where her volunteer gig is, so I am going to try to spot her to say ‘Hello!” 

My Indiana brother told me about the Super Project in August of 2010.  I thought it sounded like a lot of fun, so I decided to get on board and kept knitting until (after) the deadline passed.

Early into my participation, Indybro sent me an email with an idea for a design: “How about all the Roman Numerals of all the Super Bowls?”  Below is a photo of Indbybro’s idea after if came off my knitting needles.

I had a lot of fun participating in this project.  Indybro and I giggled a lot behind the scenes as we emailed or sent text messages back and forth about scarf ideas.  I enjoyed the challenge of coming up with ideas and designs while adhering to the two-color (blue and white) limit stated in the Super Scarf Project guidelines.

Below are a few of the ideas I came up with, but if you’re interested in a closer look at any or all of the scarves I contributed, go to the Super Scarf XLVI Scarves category on my sidebar.  I wrote posts for 45 of the 46 scarves I completed and a few of the patterns are available. 

                 

#6 ‘The Big Kick’ - a liner closeup of the kickoff itself, when foot meets football 

                      

         #40 ‘Please Rise for the Singing’ – includes the entire first verse of the Star-Spangled Banner            

                                       

                                   #42 ‘Charlie’ – my tribute to Minnesota native, Charles M. Schulz and the loveable Charlie Brown

Then of course, there was a horse named Blue . . . . .

I haven’t written a post about my 46th Super Scarf.  That will have to wait until after the game.  But I can give you a little peek at the knitting.

Like I said, it’s a little peek.    Truthfully, a full peek has to wait until after the game, too. 

I want to thank Indybro for telling me about the Super Scarf Project and for all the fun we’ve had across the miles over this last year and a half.  I loved that he talked about knitting with me and got involved enough to come up with ideas that would make some wonderful Super Scarves.  It became a family event, so to speak.  My mother, Gr8, and my granddaughter, Goodnight, also got involved with knitting scarves and sometimes, when we got together, the three of us would sit and knit while having a good chat.

I want to thank anyone who contributed a Super Scarf because you may have found the information on this blog.  I know many of you have contacted me offline to tell me that you were going to participate.  I also would like to wish Indianapolis, the Host Committee, hospitality industry personnel, the volunteers, the teams, officiating crew members, media,and visitors to the Super Bowl Village activities or the game all the best as the clock winds down to XLVI.