I was intrigued when I realized that flat panels could also be knitted on round looms – making an infinity scarf made sense, but a “regular” scarf? While it’s not exactly rocket science, it did take a bit of research to figure out just how it’s done. And even if you think you’re doing ok, sometimes you discover that there’s still ample room for improvement.
Lessons were learned in making version 1.0: not only was it necessary to only use some of the pegs to create a flat panel, but the right stitch pattern is key. Use the wrong stitch, like the twisted knit stitch, and the scarf will naturally curl…becoming a tube, instead of a flat scarf. Why do I hear frogs?
After unraveling the entirety of scarf #1, I decided to (1) use a different yarn weight and (2) do more research on a stitch pattern that wouldn’t curl. I decided to do what, in needle knitting, would be called a stockinette stitch (but, apparently, when knitting in the round, stockinette means knitting all rows, no purl..?).
I began with a row of purl and followed by knit, and just repeated the pattern. For a long time. Early on, I tried to also watch some Netflix while working on the piece. That was a mistake. There were some wonky stitches where I lost the loop while purling and clearly didn’t reattach it correctly, loose stitches…the poor thing looked like it had holes in it in some places. It reminded me of Bob Cratchit’s tattered scarf in “A Christmas Carol” (Patrick Stewart version), except mine hadn’t been well-used, just poorly made.
Figuring that I could use the practice, I resolved to knit only when I could do so without distraction, and continued on. At this point, I can’t knit or purl by feel, so looking elsewhere is just asking for trouble. I finished the scarf earlier today. The last two-thirds had nicer stitches, but there were still a couple of less-noticeable weird spots. What to do? Yep, undo it. All of it.
Version 3.0 is underway. Ironically, when I had finished v2.0, I realized that I had inadvertently been doing a flat stitch instead of a proper knit stitch, so I rectified that in the current project. It’s all about continuous improvement – and I’m already better at this than I was when I made the earlier iterations!
The adage “practice makes perfect” rings true here, so I’ll keep practicing until I have a finished item of which I can be proud, even if that means more versions. Hopefully, not too many more…but I guess each is a lesson in patience, too.
While it’s disappointing to have to redo a project, I think it’s better than just deciding something is “good enough”. What do you think?
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