Knit This: Cratchit Loom Scarf Update

Work it! Always helps to have a model who will take treats as pay.

Remember the Cratchit scarf? Yeah, it was so bad that I unraveled it in its entirety. All that time – the scarf was probably about 2/3 complete – to make, but undone so quickly (sigh). After taking stock of the situation, I set about remaking it.

I’m happy to say that I finished it. Is it perfect? Um, no. Is it better than the previous incarnation (and wearable)? Yes! And perhaps most importantly, I learned a lot from making this scarf thrice. Yes, there was a short (shall we say “transitional”?) version that was probably only about 4″ long that I decided to do in stockinette stitch. The result just didn’t have the right look, so I unraveled it and began again. Such lessons in patience!

For v3.0, I returned to the alternating rows of purl and flat stitches that I used in v1.0. It creates a nice, nubby texture that I really like. I also got in so much practice with this lengthy scarf that I can purl like nobody’s business! And it’s purportedly more difficult to purl on a loom than with needles, so when I (eventually) move on to needle-based knitting, I should be in good shape!

There are a few visible missed stitches, and I know why they occurred. These were all purl stitches where the loop came off and was tightened before I realized the loop wasn’t on the peg…which then required that I try to (1) figure out where the errant loop was and (2) replace it properly in the stitch pattern. That’s way easier to type than to do, successfully, and I was clearly unsuccessful with some of those attempts.

Garter stitch, in retrospect, would have been better for preventing curl

Nonetheless, I think the final result looks pretty respectable, overall – certainly an improvement over v1.0, anyway. I also got in some good practice in the flat removal bind off method, and learned that the last row (I did purl for the last row) needs to be loose so that the bind off can be executed. My stitches were too tight to move the loops over the pegs, so I had to loosen them all up.

I laugh to myself remembering how Mr. fMf asked me why I unraveled v1.0…he actually wanted to wear that holey, moth-bitten-looking thing! 🧣😬 Or maybe he was just being kind, and was actually relieved when I unraveled it. In any case, this scarf really is better and I’m going to wear it with my burgundy hat. Onward and upward!

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