I started knitting this beloved scarf two years ago. This is one of the few things I have knit for myself. So, the yarn is really nice dk weight-- “Tonal” from KnitPicks. I love this red color, “Gypsy.” Lots of great shades, very subtle, and a dream to knit. I was determined to knit through the entire skein of yarn, and make this scarf long enough to wrap around my neck and everyone else’s neck in the family.
But...the pattern, which was free....did not call for a slip stitch at the beginning of the rows. You who are further along in your knit knowledge know where this tale is heading. No matter how much I have blocked this baby, stretched it, pleaded with it, did dances around it asking it to please play nice and stay flat...it planted its stitches firmly in the roll position and stubbornly stayed there. I cried to my local yarn shop owner, who rocks by the way, and she broke the bad news to me. “This will continue to roll in unless you go back around the sides of the scarf and do some kind of crochet edging.” I think she was a nurse in another life, because Rachel delivered that news rather calmly, looking all sympathetic like we nurses do before we stick something foreign into your chest cavity. Actually she isn’t a nurse, but she could play one on TV.
So....here’s what it looks like done....
And here’s what it looks like wrapped around my head a few times, like a red rubber hose. Dang. Not the lacey goodness I was hoping for. I was doggedly determined to knit through that entire skein, of course, so I have enough left to tie my shoe with and that is IT. I will be ordering a new skein, I suppose, because two years to finish a blasted scarf is too long to let it be all curled up like a red snake in my drawer.
The only reason I smiled is because Peter was distressed by my melancholy over a scarf.
As far as reading, I’ve been reading lots and lots of sites on Pinterest trying to come up with the Thanksgiving recipes...it is tomorrow, guess I should step it up a bit. I have read more of my book from last week’s Yarn Along, “The End of the Present World,” by Fr. Arminjon. I read some out loud to my two boys at home, and had some great conversations afterwards with them.
Happy Thanksgiving, Friends! Many blessings on you and don’t you DARE go shopping tomorrow.
I just went through that same lesson with a friend of mine. I had her do a garter stitch edging so the "roll" wouldn't happen. It will look lovely with a crochet border though!
ReplyDeleteI think this is like a rite of passage for every knitter. We all have to do it at least once before we learn this difficult-to-accept lesson. Some of us (*cough* me *cough) have done it more than once before we've realized the importance of slipping those stitches. Sigh.
ReplyDeleteI hope the crochet edging works!
I know it doesn't help now, but I think we've all had the same thing happen during our knitting careers. Here's hoping you can fix it easily because you've chosen a lovely color and done a really wonderful job with the knitting. You deserve lacey goodness!
ReplyDeleteHi Diana, I'm just stopping by to say 2 things. I can't knit a blessed thing and think that anyone who can is amazing. And, I love, love, love this pic of you! :)
ReplyDelete