Have you ever worn a babushka?  Do you even know what it is? A babushka is a kerchief of scarf worn on the head.  The dictionary credits this word as from the Russian language and is designated for a grandmother. Maybe you have seen pictures of old women with scarves on their heads.

When I was in college I wore a scarf on my head when I rode in a convertible. I folded a silk scarf in half and tied it around my neck with the knot in the back. It really held everything in place. I thought that it looked rather cool as well.

I have a long history with scarves. They have been part of my wardrobe since I was small. When I first wore scarves they were designed to keep you warm. Most of my scarves were handmade.Grandma loved to knit so she frequently made scarves.

I remember the first scarf I ever had. I remember it because there are photographs with me wearing it. It was knit for me by my grandmother. The scarf had what looked like hearts on the ends of it. One of them had a small opening for the end to put the other end through. Since the pictures are black and white I have no idea what color that was scarf was. Among my things I have the pattern for that scarf, but I have never made it.

Today scarves are in. They are a fashion accessory. You can find scarves in all sorts of materials. They even sell special hangers for your scarves.

First we went through the scarves with the fun fur. I made a lot of those in many different colors. I even turned one of those into an infinity scarf by sewing together  the ends. I liked to wear those under my winter jackets because they were warm.

Next came the scarves that were made out of a frilly material that was not really yarn at all. One of the ladies that I volunteered with made a lot of those. She was always looking for the yarn. She made them and sold them. They were really pretty but I never made any of them. A lady at church brought a whole lot of those scarves and we took our pick so I have several of them.

My favorite scarf is a small one that came with instructions on how to use it. There is a small hole to pull the end through. I saw one in a catalog and sent for it but by the time I ordered it it was no longer available.

I have many scarves that my mother knit for me. I use them especially when I am going to be outdoors for a while. I remember that she was knitting while she was at my house and our son pulled out her needles. She just picked the needles up and picked up the stitches and kept right on going. I can only imagine if i had done that when i was growing up.  I would never have heard the end of it.

Scarves are a big business today. When we were in Europe there were scarves for sale everywhere. I looked for a long time before I bought any. I finally ended up with a long soft scarf forand my daughter and a dressy scarf for myself.

Thinking about some of the scarves that we used to have made me remember those times when we bundled up and went out in the back forty. My husband had some old skis from his childhood that we used. They no longer fastened to your boots, but they stayed on anyway. The family took turns riding on them.  Sometimes we took our toboggan to ride. I have trouble with one of my knees so I am very careful. One time Dick carried me home when the darn thing twisted. I never went skiing because of that knee.

Now I have a whole rack of scarves to choose from. I have dressy scarves as well as casual scarves so I match them with my outfit.

There is an organization called “Knitting 4 Peace.” I often make scarves for that. All they ask is the scarf be made with the idea of three.  The stitches should be divisible by three or there should be three colors. Scarves are not the only items that are collected by this organization. There is a pattern for a bib, mittens, dolls, and baby washcloths. If you are interested in knitting for this organization you can go online and look up the patterns. I hope to take a bag of things to Chautauqua with me this summer to donate. They also ask that as you knit these items you pray for the person who will receive it.

The power of three is explained this way. 1) 3 symbolizes the person who creates the item, the person who receives it, and the Spirit of Life that creates and unites all of Creation. 2) 3 also symbolizes the importance of Abrahamic faith traditions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam) to global peace. These three traditions represent ª of the world’s population. 3) Our work of creating and delivering Hope, Healing, and Peace constitutes the element of 3.

If you would be interested in creating a Peace Pod in this area please contact me. We could meet monthly.