Okay, so it’s not really magic. I mean, I don’t believe in magic. But I don’t know how else to explain the Ruffle Scarf Pattern, and I’m . . . actually, I’m enchanted by it.
I’ve always been, like addicted to patterns. When I get upset or stressed out, I count things in my mind. People don’t know it or see it; but I’m counting things – tiles, the number of people in the room, etc. Or I’ll repeat the serenity prayer a certain number of times in my head, then just the acceptance part. Over and over. I think maybe I have a touch of OCD. hehe
At least with knitting, that obsessive nature has a productive end to it. But the Ruffle Scarf – it’s such a simple pattern: Cast on 20 stitches, knit 20 stitches, knit 8, turn, knit 8 into the back of the 8 you just knitted, knit 6, turn, knit 6 into the 6 you just knitted, knit 4, turn, knit 4 into the 4 you just knitted. That’s it! Then you start again and continue until the end of the skein of yarn or your fingers fall off, whichever comes first. ;).
But the beauty of it is when the scarf begins to ruffle. It doesn’t happen for a while. You have to be patient, which I’m not good at. I’ve made a few of them, given them out as gifts, and made one for myself. I knit them at meetings, because they don’t take a lot of concentration, and I can still listen to the other members at the Al-Anon tables and watch as what looks like nothing starts to turn into a magical spiral before my very eyes and fingers!
It’s magic! I know, I said I didn’t believe in it, but how else can you explain it? lol
Same thing happens to us, doesn’t it? We start out pretty rough . . . ahem, some of us still are . . . and over time we become something God can use.
Recovery Along Route 66 
Hi, I have a question. You say cast on 20 stiches, knit 20 stiches – knit 8 stiches – which 8 stiches, do you turn the 20 you just did and knit 8 on them or do you cast on 8 new stiches? Also at the end you said thats it, start all over again, do you then cast on 20 new stiches? Thanks, love the scarf!
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It sounds confusing, I know! But once you have it down, it’s so simple! 😀
Once you cast on the 20 stitches, and knit 20 stitches, you start a new row, that’s right, and knit 8 stitches. Then you turn the whole thing around and knit 8 again into the 8 you just knitted. Then knit 6, turn it all around, knit 6 into the 6 you just knitted; knit a row of 4, turn it all around, knit 4 into the 4 you just knitted. NOW. You’re going to have 20 on the row again. So. Knit 20. Then do it all again. Knit 8, 6 4, etc… okay? 😀 Let me know if you have any more questions, and have fun!
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For whatever reason, I get a placeholder box instead of an image with this post. I thought it was just my iPod, but it’s that way on my computer, too. Any chance of another picture? I’m having trouble visualizing the directions.
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I’ll try to post another image and see if that works!
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I told my therapist once that knitting is the ideal activity for those of us with OCD. You get to do something overandoverandoverandoverandover– and it’s productive!!! 🙂
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