Why this journey?

I've been retired now for over a year. Husband has been sick but is now doing quite well with new pacemaker. I continue to knit and knit and crochet. Recently I became friends again with my sewing machine so you will see some of those projects, too. Thanks for reading.

Monday, February 6, 2012

No right side

One side or the other, it doesn't matter.  Think reversible.

I went back and reviewed Whit's requirements for a scarf, from the Purl Bee Rick Rack Scarf.    In the designer's words we read:  
After all, the criteria for a scarf pattern are rather stringent: something that lies flat, that looks good on both sides and that has a soft and beautiful drape.
Working on the cream shawl, an easy and satisfying pattern, gave me a chance to really think about the design.  Hint:  It's a 3 row pattern.  Conclusion:  It's reversible, as in no right side (and no wrong side, for that matter.)

While this revelation may not be astonishing -- or even interesting -- to some readers, this very idea launched me onto a whole new knitting space.  I've decided to do a couple of things to see if the exploration of this new space is both fun and rewarding.

Here's the white shawl -- no right side.
Folded the long shawl over onto itself so you could see the
'other' side.

Now, this pattern is both easy and satisfying (and didn't I already say that?)  The pattern itself is 28 stitches, and repeats itself just two times across the shawl.  It's got no right side, so how would that work in a scarf?

I took the leftovers from the Bernat Mosaic Cowl and cast on 28 stitches on a US 10 1/2 needle.  Here's what I've got so far.
On top of the cream shawl, the scarf pattern shows up clearly
and I already know it has no right side.
The Purl Bee Rick Rack scarf has no right side.  I've used a pattern from 101 One Skein Wonders that also has no right side.  And the Universal Scarf from Interweave has no right side.

So I am on a search for patterns that create no right side, maybe have 3 or 5 rows, or maybe a 4 row pattern  that will work if I eliminate the last row.  This is called a knitting adventure.  Please note that I do not need special shoes or boots, no special climbing gear, nothing to protect me from the elements.  And please also note that the sun is shining today so I will perhaps sit IN the elements on my back deck and search for other knitting discoveries that have no right side.

1 comment:

  1. I always find it fascinating with crochet when they talk about a "right" and "wrong" side when there is a 1, (sometimes 2) or 3 row repeat. I have a hard time discerning "right" from "wrong" sides in most of the things I work, unless it's shells that point a certain direction or front/back post stitches... maybe that's just me being a lefty again...

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