Tuesday, 17 June 2014

It's a Mark(er)!

What’s the difference between a footy player and a crocheter?

Brodie Smith of the Crows flies over Andrew Swallow of the Kangaroos to take a mark.
Brodie Smith of the Crows flies over
Andrew Swallow of the Kangaroos to take a mark.
(Source: AFL Media)

Footballers take marks*
at the game. 
Crocheters take markers
to the game.

Stitch markers that is … well I do anyway! As outlined in my post “A Tool to Covet”, stitch markers are indispensable tools for crocheters and wherever my crochet goes, so do my stitch markers. 

 They accompany me on car journeys, picnics and to the football; in waiting rooms and to hospital which is where I found myself on Saturday morning. (More details about that in “Blip”) 

I barely contained my excitement to be discharged from hospital in time to see my favourite AFL* team—Adelaide Crows—play at Adelaide Oval.

 The nurse looked doubtful as he questioned my intention to attend the football in the evening instead of resting quietly at home. I was determined the make the most of my Crows season ticket because, who knows, I could end up in hospital any day.

“You need to grab every moment” I explained to him, “to get out and live life to the best of one’s ability.” If I stayed home and rested every time I felt unwell, I would never go anywhere!

Sometimes the need to nurture the spirit outweighs the need for rest.
It’s a delicate balance.
A pair of fingerless mitts in Adelaide Crows' colours. They have horizontal stripes, alternating navy and red. Each stripe has a row of yellow dots centred horizontally on the stripe. For example, starting at the cuff the colours are solid navy, yellow dots against the navy, solid navy; solid red, yellow dots against the red, solid red; and so forth ending with a row of solid navy at the fingers.
Crows Dotty Mitts (July 2011)

I just love going to the footy! Adelaide Oval does a great job of catering for wheelchair users and the Adelaide Football Club’s Member Services Officers do an excellent job in listening to members and catering for their needs.
Legs covered from mid thigh to ankle with horizontally striped leg warmers. The stripes vary in width and colour, using navy, red and yellow.
Crows Thigh High Leg Warmers (July 2011)


I love to pull on my Crows-coloured crocheted leg warmers and mitts, my Crows hat and Premiers scarf (Crows were proud Premiers two seasons in a row 1997 & ’98).

 It’s fun to see the players, meet friends and wave my flag while enjoying the banter of the crowd. The atmosphere was electric because it was Brent Reilly’s (#3) 200th game.


 The Adelaide Crows versus North Melbourne Kangaroos match was so spectacular that, for the first time all season, my crochet remained in its basket because my undivided attention was on the action.

A Crows scarf showing both ends with a yellow peaked cap resting on top. The cap has a Crows logo on the front. The scarf has horizontal stripes in navy, red and yellow with red fringing at each end. One end of the scarf has an Adelaide Crows patch stitched onto it with membership badges pinned along the bottom edge. The other end of the double-sided scarf has the words "Premiers back to back 1997–1998" knitted in fair isle.
“Mu-um!” My concentration was broken by my youngest child’s exasperated chiding. “We can’t take you anywhere!” she scolded as she waved a white stitch marker in front of my face.  

 She had found it on the ground behind the row in front of us, tucked against the base of a fence railing. It was still there from a previous Crows game that we attended!

I plainly remember that Crows versus Gold Coast game —I had misplaced a stitch marker but, at the time, I dismissed it thinking it had probably fallen into my chair or basket and it would probably turn up later.

It certainly did turn up, 2 weeks, 2 games and thousands of visitors later!  I couldn’t believe my luck. Stitch markers surely must be my ‘calling card’ and I wonder whether any other footy fans saw it and realised that ‘Jodie was here’.

For the record, the Crows defeated the Kangaroos 16.13 (109) to 10.13 (73). Read reports of the game here and here. 
Brent Reilly of the Crows is chaired off after his 200th game by Ben Rutten & Scott Thompson.(Source: AFL Media)
Brent Reilly of the Crows is chaired off after his 200th game
by Ben Rutten & Scott Thompson.
(Source: AFL Media)

Brent Reilly was chaired off the ground after contributing 15 kicks, 4 handballs,
3 tackles and taking 7 marks. View his statistics here.

One of my children receiving a hug from the Crows' mascot "Claude"
Club Mascot Claude Crow

We had great family fun and my youngest celebrated by sharing ‘high-fives’ with some of the players after the final siren.



 *AFL is the national Australian Rules Football league. For newcomers to the sport, a ‘mark’ is defined below. Read the Official Rules online.

A Mark is taken if, in the opinion of the field Umpire, a Player catches or takes control of the football: 
(a) within the Playing Surface; and 
(b) after it has been Kicked by another Player a distance of at least 15 metres; and 
(c) which has not touched the ground or been touched by another Player during the period when the football was Kicked until it was caught or controlled by the Player.






Pattern Details


 Crows Dotty Mitts
Pattern:  Dotty Hand-warmers by Tara Murray
Source: Inside Crochet Issue 14, magazine, February 2011, <http://www.insidecrochet.co.uk/>
Ravelry pattern page: <http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/dotty-hand-warmers>
Tara Murray's website: <www.mamachee.etsy.com>
Tara Murray's Facebook page: <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mamachee-Crochet-makes-me-happy/117836556463>

Yarn: Carnival DK 100% acrylic
100 grams /  metres per skein
Colour A:  Navy #089 Lot: #758484 x 1 skein (19 g / 59 m used)
Colour B:  Red #1095 Lot: #757370 x 1 skein (9 g / 28 m used)
Colour C:  Yellow #036 Lot: #760362 x 1 skein (2 g / 6 m used)

 Hook:  4.5 mm 

 Thigh High Leg Warmers

Pattern: Thigh High Leg Warmers by Erika & Monika Simmons, <http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/thigh-high-leg-warmers>
Source: Double Stitch Twins, Red Heart free pattern #LW2526, <www.redheart.com>

Yarn: Moda Vera Marvel Plain 8 ply 100% acrylic
100 grams / 284 metres per skein
Colour A:  Blue #1016 Lot: #770670 x 1 skein (185 m used)
Colour B:  Yellow #1009 Lot: #768671 x 1 skein (125 m used)
Colour C:  Red #1003 Lot: #768316 x 1 skein (160 m used)

Hook:  4.5 mm 

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6 comments:

  1. RedSetter17/06/2014, 22:39

    Well done to you and great that your team won as well.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jodiebodie18/06/2014, 09:47

      Yes a happy ending to a day that started off poorly.
      I am paying the price physically now but it was worth it. I now have happy memories and thoughts to buoy my spirits while I deal with the consequences - a subject for different post.
      Thanks for the good cheer!

      Delete
  2. yarn and pencil19/06/2014, 04:05

    Sounds like a lovely family time :-) I hope you recover quickly.
    Tracey xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jodiebodie22/06/2014, 20:28

      Thank you Tracey, it is lovely and there is a great family atmosphere. Unless there is a special reason against it, the children are usually allowed on the oval after the game for a 'kick-to-kick'. The children get a buzz about being able to experience a kick of the footy on the same surface as the professional players.
      Eight days later, I am still not well. I will post an update soon.

      Delete
  3. Cami08/07/2014, 08:07

    woo woo woo woo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jodiebodie08/07/2014, 12:38

      Are you woo-ing the finding of the stitch marker or something else - perhaps those bulging biceps? ;-)

      Delete

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