Progress!
Discover more from Backstory Serial
Progress!
Anastasia's favorite old scarf is coming along . . .
Thanks to everybody who joined us for the very first Italian Lesson Knitting Group! We had a blast. Due to technical difficulties, one session got cut short and some people never got the link to join, so there will be another group soon now that we’ve gotten everything sorted out. We’ll keep you posted.
In the meantime, some of you sent us some photos of your knitting projects and we wanted to share them here.
Catherine Roth: I am loving the mistake rib scarf, which is perfect to be able to knit while also watching my daughter's gymnastics practice.
Sue Larson: I’m knitting on beautiful Lake Lucerne in Wisconsin. Being on the lake helps me stay focused. It’s a little hazy due to Canada fire smoke.
This is my first ever knitting project. It’s been a challenge but I think I have it after restarting at least 15 times.
Lorette: Mine is knit from deep stash. The yarn is 70% alpaca 30% silk from Black Wolf Fiber.
Sue Brown: This is my scarf so far . I plan to make this a charity knit for
https://www.fc2success.org/programsmentoring-and-support/red-scarf-project/
Keeping with the Italian theme, I found my yarn online - Cariaggi Piuma - 100% cashmere sport weight. Also I altered the size, casting on 43 stitches and moved to a size 5 needle.
I loved the way it knits, and the pattern is just perfect.
Susan Cleaves: I did do a swatch of the mistake rib scarf and because it is so pretty, I just kept knitting because I have lots of yarn in the those colors. I'm attaching a pic. I haven't started the large scarf, but will share it later.
Lorraine Evanoff: Perfect timing, my supplies arrived yesterday from Purl Sohot!
Although I had wanted to do the two colored version, after hearing all the questions on the Zoom call and reading the pattern myself, I opted for the Mistake Rib Scarf.
It was still a little challenging, triple checking all the instructions, purling into the back of a knit slipped stitch was weird, but it seems to be going well.
Last night after casting on I knit about two inches just to get it started, so I'm on my way!
I love the cashmere merino bloom yarn in dove gray heather! Très élégant!
Also, just a little background, having learned from my Norwegian-American roommate in Paris, I knit continental style.
And although I'm a neat freak, I am too lazy to wind each skein into a ball.
So, I find convenient ways to keep the yarn from getting tangled, photo attached of it hanging on the back of a chair.
Laurie Hammons: Hello from Houston! (blue dot in a red state)
What a great project! I looked at my local JoAnn’s for some unusual yarn to try out the pattern (before I bought some expensive yarn) and I tried bamboo yarn for the first time. It’s a great yarn for summer knitting. It’s kind of silky, which I think will make this a nice scarf, not too hot for in-between weather (or Houston “winters”). I stepped down to size 5 bamboo circular needles due to my looser knitting style.
I think I didn’t pick colors far enough apart to really show a two-tone effect (I thought I was being subtle!), but if you look closely, you’ll see I’m not really getting the two-color vertical stripes pictured in the photos of the two-tone mistake rib scarf. It’s pretty obvious on mine that the yarn colors alternate within the vertical rib, so even if I had picked more contrasting colors, I don’t think I’d get the same vertical stripe as the sample. (I feel like I’m following the pattern very closely!) Maybe the designer’s photo got that effect from shadows in the photos? Or from fuzzier yarn or smaller needles?) Whatever! I’m loving it! I’m having fun, and that’s all that matters!
Vicky: This is my meager start of the Mistake Rib Scarf. Up until 2 months ago, I was not a knitter. My mom has been a knitter but stopped last winter as her dementia increased. She threw out all her supplies. With the inspiration of Joyce and the Backstory Serial, I purchased needles and yarn and had my mom teach the basics. She began knitting and has knitted one and a half panels for a baby blanket.
Kim Brown: How’s it going? Dropped stitches, mysteriously-acquired bonus stitches, and tangled yarn notwithstanding, I can safely say I haven’t had this much success creating a merino-blend clusterf*ck since I “helped” my mom with the afghan she was knitting when I was four. Twice.
I’m committed to revisiting, unraveling, detangling, and restarting (again) this weekend, and I eagerly and optimistically anticipate a completion date in early 2025.
Feel free to mark your calendars.
Ronda Cress: As you can see, I didn’t make it very far - but I am proud of myself for casting on after redoing several times! I have to redo again because I only cast on 57 stitches and the pattern calls for 67. I also had trouble figuring out the slip stitch thing to start knitting, even though it’s supposed to be simple. I gave up prior to the zoom call and haven’t had a chance to revisit - hopefully this weekend with the assistance of YouTube. I am determined!
Question - what is the trick to getting the perfect stitch? Some of mine are too loose, some too tight, some just right. How to get consistent Goldilocks stitches (and I assume the same thing for the knitting rows)?
Kathy Phillips: I didn’t take the picture in a bright room and I’m not sure this picture does justice to my yarn. I am using two yarns on a size 5 needle. The solid is Machette Shop; hand dyed in the Poconos not too far from where I live. The variegated yarn is a Manos del Uruguay. The variegated is for a smaller needle, so I went down a size and it has a nice drape so far.
Nancy Thompson: I enjoyed the knitting group session. The Mistake Rib Scarf is a perfect project for me as someone who used to knit, but has not knitted anything for many years. I had to review how to knit again and it came back and I was knitting away -- and making lots of mistakes and somehow gaining extra stitches, so I tore it all out and started over and made some more mistakes and tore that out and realized that I needed to knit very slowly for now to make sure I'm getting it right, or mostly right. I might be the slowest knitter in the group for now, but I think I will eventually regain my normal speed, and I am happy to be knitting again.
Kathleen Raubacher: Well I unraveled mine twice, two different starts using different color combinations. I'm making the two-tone scarf and I tried contrasting colors but did not like either outcome. . So I am going to buy a different color combo to achieve the tonal look the pattern suggested.
I was so happy to learn of this knitting circle, it was just what I needed to get back into a few projects waiting patiently for me to complete. It's a long story but suffice to say I needed a kick.
Vivian Fulgencio: So I started early and try to work on it every day. I have taken skeins out of my stash that are the same weight and work well together to knit my scarf. The stripes will be different lengths but I think it will make an interesting finished product.
Chris Opp: I did a ribbed crochet scarf instead, using hand-dyed yarn (bought, not dyed by me) that I'd been saving for something special. It's nice and soft, I love the colours, and I'll for sure use it in the winters.
Kate McDermott: Resting a whacked-out back and knitting. Not sure if I’m following the actual pattern but having a good time and that’s what matters.
Deborah Martin Shorter: So far, so good! I'm loving the gentle rhythm of the pattern, and the wonderful dimensionality it produces.
Cindy Bowker: Mine is mistake mistake mistake scarf. Tried the two color version but didn't like the circular needles, but kept it to make end more interesting. The black alpaca makes it a bit harder to see what you have just done and this is what I do watching baseball on TV. I do like doing it, thanks for the pattern.
The mistakes show more in the photo it seems.
Shellie Anderson: I’ve kind-of gone off script here - slightly different stitch pattern, I-cord edgings and I’m making the scarf wider than the pattern calls for. I’m using my line of hand-dyed yarn, holding an extra fine merino fingering with a mohair/silk lace.
Thanks again, and stay tuned for the next knitting group!
Progress!
I would love to host here in Auburn, Ca some afternoon when it works well for everyone. Knitting with you is so fun! 🤗
I love seeing all the variations in color and even patterns - that’s one I’d the things that’s so cool about knitting: give everyone the same pattern and look at all the unique masterpieces. I used to knit quite a bit - many years ago - and this is the project and the group that’s getting me back into it. Thanks everyone, now that I have my yarn I can’t wait for the next zoom for further inspiration and news about Joyce’s young chicks!