I’ve started a new project – a patchwork afghan using the stitch pattern that I call the “forgiving scarf” pattern. This is the beginning of the first square. This project will give me endless opportunities for mindless knitting when I need to do something simple, though I do think the final product will be nice looking when it’s done. It will give me a great opportunity to use up the scraps in my stash.
For those who are interested, the forgiving scarf pattern is no secret. I adapted it from a sock pattern a long time ago and don’t remember the publisher of the original pattern; if I did, I would credit it. Here’s the pattern:
Row 1: (K2tog, YO, P2) – repeat to end of row
Row 2: (K2, P2) – repeat to end of row
Row 3: (YO, K2tog, P2) – repeat to end of row
Row 4: (K2, P2) – repeat to end of row
And that’s it! I put a four-stitch garter stitch boundary on either end and a four-row garter stitch boundary on the top and bottom of each square (or scarf). I started calling this pattern “Forgiving Scarf” when I found that it is possible to make almost any mistake without it looking too conspicuous. If you mess up the adding and subtracting of stitches on the odd rows, there is sort of a built-in error correction mechanism on the odd rows, so you can easily get the pattern back on track. If you know to look for it, you’ll see a little “wiggle” in the pattern in the spot where you made the mistake. I once told a Silicon Valley business type about this pattern, and she said, “But you’re not going to CALL it that, right? You’re not going to TELL people that the scarf is full of mistakes, are you?” I replied with something along the lines of “Ummm…” There is a reason that some of us are Silicon Valley business types and some of us are yarn bloggers.
I’m reading many books, including James Romm’s Dying Every Day: Seneca at the Court of Nero. I like the way Romm focuses in on the relationship between Seneca and Nero while also giving a sweeping sense of the world they lived in. I also feel as if I’m re-reading the first two volumes of the Game of Thrones series, with all the incest and murder and evil mothers and teenaged psychopaths.
Yarn Along is hosted by Ginny on her blog, Small Things.
Postcards From Purgatory 
That looks like a good kind of project.
We’ll see. I’m sure it will be boring at times, but I’m excited to have the final product done and hope that excitement will keep me motivated.
Oh, I like the pattern! Funny to see that book pop up on the Yarn Along — I haven’t read it yet, but I edited a book review of it a while back.
That’s a coincidence — I finished the book this morning and will be writing my review of it soon. I liked it, though the focus was not on Seneca as much as I had hope. Thanks for commenting!
How many stitch cast on?
48 per square or per scarf. Any number is fine as long as it’s divisible by 4.
thanks! i was going to ask the same! i am a newbie knitter. i found you thru the yarnalong
Oh, that’s great — welcome! What have you knitted so far?
oops! me again. is that a dk weight? and did you use size 6 needle??
It’s worsted weight and I’m using size sevens, though the squares are tight enough that I could probably have used eights.