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.

The Universe is expanding.

I am honored that so many of you take the time to tell me you are 'following' me.  Your comments come to me via the blog, from Twitter, from Facebook, from email.  Your comments come as gifts when I see you at the grocery, at church, at Crossfit, at the library.

I am humbled by your attention and grateful that now and then you take a minute or two to enter my knitting world and then take another minute to share a word or two.

The free stats from blogspot tell me you are from Australia, the UK, all over the US and some from other lands distant from my home in Lakewood.  This blogging thang has expanded my universe exponentially.

Readers are the reason.  I thank you.

The scarf is heading east later this week to a friend whose photography and video work inspire me.

Great texture and nice dense fabric.  Very warm.
Rowan Wool

It's the Purl Bee Rick Rack Scarf.  Read the designer's requirements for a scarf and you'll see why this wonderfully simple idea meets all the stated expectations.  Purl Bee Rick Rack Scarf.

Thanks again for knocking at my door, for sharing my interest in knitting, and for giving back in comments.

Moving along -- shawl, cowl, and scarf

Good news on several fronts, tho the weather is quite unsettled, wet, and gray.  Good weather for knitting.

The white shawl is growing.  I've up-sized the needle to the final size, a US 9.  I've confirmed that the pattern stitches are building upon one another in the correct fashion.  Pattern is from Victorian Lace by Jane Sowerby.

The cowl using Bernat Mosaic is almost complete.  The long side needs to be 28"; it's now 26.5".  After I reach the required length for the 'long side' I'll reduce the finishing end to a triangle, similar to the one that began the cowl.

The Rick Rack scarf from Purl Bee is just wonderful.  Despite the somewhat intricate nature of the stitches on both right and wrong sides, it is possible to develop some rhythm.  Rhythm makes the knitting satisfying and relaxing, IMHO.

Here are the update pix.

The handy fix-it tool is lying across the first row of the
challenging pattern.  The black cord, thru the stitches,
now has a US 9 on each end.  No more up-sizing....
. . . just lots of knitting (and keeping the pattern on track.)

Wonderful colors in this yarn from Bernat.  The little pink
pin tells me this is the right side (helps for keeping the
pattern on track.)  The book is a favorite:
Knitter's Handbook.  It's concise and quite portable.
Running between the book and the cowl is a tape measure.
It reads 26.5" as you will see in next picture.

The gray point is the beginning 3 stitches where the
cowl began.  I've measured the long side and it's at 26.5"

And finally, that wonderful Rick Rack scarf.  The yarn is Rowan wool and the needles are 6.00mm, Aeros.

The first time I showed this one it was a wider scarf.
I decided I didn't like it quite so wide so using Whit's
directions for the "multiple plus" number of stitches,
I reduced the size by casting on fewer stitches.

Each project offers something wonderful for a knitter.  

• The white lace shawl is good for total concentration, blocking out everything while I focus on the 6-stitch repeat with its add and take-away stitches.
• The cowl is an easy and relaxing 2-row pattern.  The yarn and needle size combo make for fast progress.  I can work on this while I watch football or listen to a book.
• The Rick Rack scarf is so portable because of the size.  The pattern is only 2 rows, repeated over and over. The yarn is wool so it's wonderful to work with.  I can see progress, though not as quickly as with the cowl.

Knitting projects and their relative demands are selected so as to match both my mood and my place on the concentration spectrum.  Today I've worked mostly on the lace shawl, needing to get the pattern established as well as seeing progress when I shift to the final up-sized needle.

Today has been a heavy concentration knitting day.  Leftovers for dinner -- they take no concentration.  And meanwhile, I've left laundry in the washer.  Get it?  Some knitting concentration takes the knitter totally into a quiet world with only a lovely lace shawl sharing space with the knitter.

NAS! Not Another Scarf!

Officially speaking I now have at least 4 scarves on needles or hooks -- with me on 'pins and needles' hoping to finish each one in time for Christmas gift-giving.  Every year a vow not to do this -- it's not that I don't love knitting for others; it's that I always get the "just right for this person" idea with too few days left to knit.

I'm not the only knitter that does this.  If you are a knitter or read about other knitters, you will have heard or read the story of "up til 3 am to finish that one."

Inventory --

This one is crochet.  The pencil is added to give you a sense of the size of the hook.  It's a B US, for those who also crochet.  The yarn is lace weight, meaning tiny and fine.  It's also variegated.

Crochet.  Lace weight yarn.  Hook size B.  Pattern from
Interweave

This one is heavier yarn, called worsted weight.  The needles are from my special set of Brittany wood needles; they are warm to the hands and smooth so the wool slides.

Needles about the size of the pencil, size 8US.
Wool yarn from Rowan.  Pattern from a new book
Textured Stitches.

Next is a progress shot of the mohair lace scarf.  When I first showed this one it was wider.  I knitted until it was about 5 inches long and decided two things:  1) not enough yarn; and 2) too wide for the type of scarf (as in, "it's not a shawl.")

This time the needles are actually a bit larger than
the pencil, in diameter.  10 1/2 US.
Pattern is from One Skein Wonders.

And finally (as a reminder to me that I really must go knit), another showing of the Checkerboard Lace scarf using the Darliss Yarn, with pattern from Purl Bee.  No pencil in this picture.  Needles are smaller than the pencil.

Just gorgeous, that pattern at  Purl Bee

Back to projects.  Each one offers something different and I like knowing that my mood and my projects can be coordinated.

• Checkerboard Lace -- when I'm feeling sassy and ready to take on the world; no pattern is too tough
• Burgundy Cables -- when I need a reminder that I know how to do cables and a project that's working up quickly
• Mohair Lace -- when I just need to knit.  There's only one pattern row and then three rows of just knit knit knit
• Crochet scarf -- when I want to rest the knitting brain and work on a delicate difference

How wonderful that I can review the inventory, pick up a project and put it down for another.  Oh, that life allowed us to do more matching mood with to-do's.  Not always easy to be enthused about some tasks, but even mundane 'chores' like unloading the dishwasher can be a reminder that we are blessed with abundance.  Lots of women have to haul water just to quench their children's thirst.

If you're looking for a place / way to help, check out World Vision.

Row 16 -- count the stitches

There are only 48 stitches on my needle.  It's a wonderful pattern, another one of Whit's Knits, the Checkerboard Lace Shawl.  This designer does a wonderful job showing and writing the pattern.  The stitches in this one are simple; it's a 20 row pattern repeat (with 10 'rest rows'); the result is delicately lacy.

Here's the work-in-progress.  Using the second ball of that magnificent yarn spun by friend, Darliss, a variegated wool/silk blend.

Darliss' spun wool/silk with size 6US needles.
Pattern by Whit's Knits.

Row 16 -- I spent at least 30 minutes knitting and un-knitting that row, counting the stitches to discover I had 46, or 47, but No!  Not the required 48.  Can you see the little safety-pin things near the needle?  These are markers to tell me that, after re-examining the results of Row 16 I have omitted two yarn-overs.  The YO (yarn-over) is the way to add stitches.  Next to the YO's are the get-rid-of-stitches-on-purpose technique.  In this pattern all the add-stitches are cancelled out by the get-rid-of-stitches, so at the end of every row -- yes, every row -- you should expect to have the same 48 you started with.

The big red "X" means I was sloppy in the translation
from words to code.  And the mistake was in Row 14, not Row 16

These lessons can be wearying, though valuable:  It's seldom this moment that's the difficulty; it's more likely the choice made earlier whose consequences are now appearing.  I think I'm on track now.  I'm counting more often and paying much closer attention to each right side row, hoping to minimize future consequences (knitting back, throwing the entire thing into the garbage, screaming uncontrollably, you get the idea.)

I'm afraid I may have discouraged you from trying this pattern.  Don't let my own sloppy approach keep you from a delightful and easy lace experience.  Here's the link again:   Checkerboard Lace Shawl.

One last picture to show the scope of the project.  There's the pattern (my coded version, Whit's Knits uses words), the trusty red pencil, the fixer thing with the two crochet hooks, markers to indicate missed stitches.  And the most essential of all -- a fine yarn and some comfortable needles.

Here's hoping you find your way back when you need to.  If you take up knitting you'll get lots of practice.

Accessories

Accessories are essential for all people who seriously pursue an art -- rebuilding an antique car; encasing a model ship in a tiny bottle; designing, cutting, assembling, and quilting a quilt; knitting a new something or other.

Best part about accessories is searching for the next new thing to add to the collection, some helpful item that inventors decide will make the stitches more even (like square needles), or measure your gauge more accurately, or mark your pattern progress (highlight tape.)

Here's a picture of some of my simplest accessories:  a small ruler, a retractable tape measure, a pair of very sharp scissors with nice points, and a coaster for my tea or coffee cup.

Yes, a good cuppa is almost as essential as the ruler and scissors.

You may be asking, "But what about the needles?"  Oh, they are everywhere, in project bags, attached to UFO's, in a needle case (the prize Brittany set), and in a drawer.  You really don't wanna know how many.

Though I do have the size 8 Boye needles I used for the first cable sweater, red wool, I knit when I was still in high school.

Here are some more accessories, each picture caption will tell you what's what.

Yarn Winder

The thing with sticks is a "swift" -- expands and contracts

 to hold the skein of yarn.

Sometimes you ask your child or husband to hold the yarn skein
 with two hands spread to  provide some tension on the skein.
But a Swift is more reliable and less trouble.

This is the whole party --
the winder, the swift and a nice, neat ball of yarn.

The fishing box from Cabela's that holds things like stitch markers and yarn needles.
The box opens
from the other side, too, so I have 'stuff' there.

And just so we can continue our profound discussion of UFO's, here's a pic of a new scarf pattern from Whit's Knits at Purl Bee, Soho NY.  Great stuff.  She tells stories about the project (this pattern was used in her first knitting project) and has great photos about techniques.  I'll add the link on the blog footer.

Hoping you can see the twisty-twirly effect from the RicRac stitch
The yarn is Rowan wool.  Needles are US 8 (5.00 mm)

It's a wonderful scarf and I can't get the picture to load.  Groan.  Gotta go put my brain and hands around something else.