Daddy or Chips?

Many people in Great Britain will know what I mean when I ask ‘Daddy or chips?  It was a charming television commercial.  I have no idea what the product being marketed was but we saw two young sisters sitting at a table eating chips (real chips – not French fries or crisps but wonderful crispy on the outside, soggy on the inside chips, made from real potatoes ….).  Daddy rushes in from work, kisses wife and daughters ‘hello’ and steals a chip from the little sisters plate before rushing off screen.  She looks on in puzzled acceptance of his behavior and big sister whispers ‘who do you like best, Daddy or chips’?  Little sister ponders the question, whispering softly to herself ‘Daddy or chips, Daddy or chips’.

Consequently it has become a family ‘joke’ with us; whenever we have to make a difficult choice between two things, we whisper ‘Daddy or chips, Daddy or chips’.  Yes, I know, we Brits have a strange sense of humour ….

Anyhow, what has that to do with this post?

I was trying to control my impulses to knit to my heart’s content;  I have workshops to organize and prepare for so I had limited myself to working on mittens or socks and I would chant ‘mittens or socks, mittens or socks’.  I thought I had the urge under control, until I met Michelle (Ravelry KnitteWitteShelle).   Not content to turn up for the creative spinning workshop wearing a very cleverly twisted cowl which she had designed, Michelle arrived at the Mega Knitting class wearing a different cowl which she had knitted from Susan Chang’s pattern.  True to form Michelle had added her own artistic touch – a big button, offset which absolutely put it in a class of its own.  Hmph.

I have never understood the desire to knit scarves and have never knitted or crocheted one in my life, but I do have a longstanding and passionate liking for colliers, twisting them out of anything lying around.  Scarves were never a contender for taking my time, but Michelle has given me a huge dilemma.  I now have to say, mittens, socks or cowls and my beloved ‘Daddy or chips’ rhyme is temporarily redundant.  I have made a couple of cowls and will post photos of them – as soon as the inclement weather enables outdoor photography ……