Backyard Leaves Scarf

Yarn: Galway Irish Worsted Knitting Wool, 2 balls

While the scarf came out just fine, I think this wool was a bit too stiff (and a bit too scratchy for my liking). If knit again, I'd use merino wool as the pattern calls for.

Starting the scarf was tricky, but after the first repeat you'll be sailing.

I finished it by steam blocking it with a damp towel. You can see a comparison of the blocked and unblocked halves here.

I'm planning on doing Forbes Forest for my next Scarf Style project.

Backyard Leaves dilemma

Hi all! So I can't believe I've actually conquered Backyard Leaves. Kind of. I am at the end of the first half, the points, and I'm confused as to how I'm supposed to go on from row 41. This is where it splits into two points. It just stops for a few stitches and then continues. How do I do that?

Please excuse my newbie question, I'm a very green knitter and I'm shocked I've even figured this out so far.

Thanks, Briana

Backyard Leaves Success!

Seeing the photos of completed scarves inspired me to stick with the pattern, and I finally managed to write out the directions for the main part of the scarf and I am loving making it! I'll write out the rest soon, since it works up so quickly! Maybe the "next" time I try a chart I'll do it with a lot of colored markers around me. Thanks for all of the help, and Happy New Year! Marcie

Backyard Leaves for Carey

Hi! I made a Backyard Leaves scarf for my sister for Christmas. I made it out of Alpaca with a Twist, 100% alpaca. It is nice and soft, and I was pleased that it turned out so nicely, especially after blocking.

My only "complaint" is that the chart set up row never actually says it is a wrong side row, you have to use your detective skills to figure it out. I banged my head against a wall a few times until I figured that out. After that, it was a pretty straightforward knit, challenging enough to keep me entertained but not so much I would forget where I was.

This was the first time I had knit from a chart, and I was happy with the results. More photos on my blog.

Another (green) Backyard Leaves!

I've just finished my second project from Scarf Style, the Backyard Leaves scarf. Everyone and their mother/sister/aunt has made this scarf, and the reason is clear. It's an easy to follow pattern and produces a lovely scarf. This one is for my mother for Christmas. It was supposed to be for Christmas last year, but I only got about halfway through it and was frustrated because I wasn't doing my yarnovers properly. So, almost a year later I ripped out what I had and began again, and this time around I ended up with proper holes in my knitting. The scarf flew off the needles - I used almost exactly 4 skeins of Knit Picks Andean Silk (in leaf). In fact, I had to cut out one repeat of the second half of the scarf so I wouldn't run out of yarn. As others have noted, this scarf turns out quite long. It's deceptive in fact, because as you're knitting it doesn't seem that long at all, and then when you sew the pieces together and block it becomes enormous! I love it, and can't wait to make another one for myself, probably in deep red. I'm not sure what my next Scarf Style project will be...maybe Midwest Moonlight, but whatever it is it'll have to wait until after the holiday gift knitting is finished! Come say hello at my blog if you wish!

Backyard Leaves Question!/here and there question

Okay, I have my copies of Backyard Leaves for toting around instead of the book...fits much better in purse this way. Now then, I know I read the pattern r-l, l-r, etc. And I know that the first row is a ws row. Is all of this correct. I'd really like to know BEFORE I try to work on it and screw the proverbial pooch.

Okay, my other question relates to my here and there scarf. Seems to me that it's a little dense. I am using wool-ease and sz 7 needles. I think I have almost 36 inches of it finished, tho I haven't measured it except to hold it against my arm...maybe that was a bad idea...lol? So is it supposed to be dense, or will that work itself out when I block it later, or what? Help!

Thanks!

Falling Leaves...er, Backyard Leaves... One of those leaves scarves!

Hello! I finished my Backyard Leaves!

A few notes: Blocking makes a world of difference! When you knit this scarf, it's just going to look weird, until you block it. I actually think it could use a bit more blocking, too. It has a tendency to roll up on itself. Also, it's pretty dang long. You might not want to do all 11 repeats on both sides unless you like really long scarves.

More details at this here blog: ChefMessy

Backyard Leaves gone awry

I've been working on Backyard Leaves (in Karabella Aurora 8), since last winter. It's been a great experience as I progressed from my start as a fairly novice lace knitter who didn't have the foggiest idea what the hell the chart meant to a fairly confident knitter, zipping through those springy leaves. Finally, it was done, and I laid it out in the back patio with pet quail Fiver for scale before blocking it and sewing the two halves together.

This is where the major bummer comes in, because when I went to sew the two halves together, one cast-on had been quite tight, and the other was quite loose, so the seam came out very funky. Then, I tried the thing on and it is LONG! At this point, the thing seems more likely to choke me to death with its long heaviness than to cradle my neck in leafy softness, which is what I was hoping for.

I've had knitted objects come out unsatisfactorily before, but this one really bums me out because it's the ultimate pattern and the ultimate yarn, the FO that I couldn't wait to lay my eyes on. Once I get over my disappointment, I'm just going to rip it a little from both ends and redo the couple of rows around that join and take out a repeat or two at each and, then then maybe Backyard Leaves and I can fall in love like we were meant to.

Greetings - Backyard Leaves and More!

Hello! I'm a new member of this knitalong, although I've had the book Scarf Style for a while and have knit one scarf already. I made the Backyard Leaves Scarf at the beginning of the year, but have yet to block it (I live in Texas, so I don't really urgently need a wool scarf to wear). I did it in Karabella Aurora 8 but used a darker green. Here is how it looks now:

I really like it, but I found like many others did that it needs to be blocked to flatten it a bit and show the pattern. I've been lazy about getting it done, but plan to try and steam block it in the near future.

The next project I'm going to do is Midwest Moonlight, in Debbie Bliss Cathay - I really like the blend of cotton and silk. It has a nice sheen, and I think it would make a nice, cool scarf to wear in Texas. It is going to be a X-mas gift for my (future) Sis-in-law. I can't wait to start!

Backyard Leaves

Yarn: Aurora 8 by Karabella Col:276 - a muted light green.

I loved knitting this scarf so much the first time around, that I just had to do it again.

This time I opted for a shorter scarf using only 2 balls of Aurora 8 (14 pattern repeats and 41" in length) - perfect for winter in Sydney!

More pics here

Backyard Leaves

Thanks for the feedback friends!
You can view my pink BYLs scarf in the May archives and the green BYLs and Misty Garden are in the June section at http://black-dog-knits.blogspot.com

Backyard Leaves

Hi everyone. Here's my contribution to the KAL - in pictures. Come on over to my blog and read the details... http://black-dog-knits.blogspot.com

Misty Garden

Backyard Leaves - Karabella Aurora 8

Pattern: Backyard Leaves by Annie Modesitt
Book: Scarf Style

Yarn Brand: Karabella
Yarn Name: Aurora 8
Yarn Colorway: 10
Yarn Content: 100% Extra Fine Merino Wool
Amount of yarn used: 4 balls exactly (1 ball = 98 yards)

Needle: Size 9 US 24" (Inox)

Gauge: 18 stitches = 4 inches

Dimensions: Approximately 68" long and 5" wide - depending on where you measure. The scarf's edges are scalloped and the end of the scarf is forked.

Project Duration: 03/04/2006 - 04/19/2006 (47 days) Yeesh!!! Too long!

Project Notes:
This scarf is worked in 2 halves and then seamed together. I only had enough yarn for 10 repeats instead of the suggested 11. I had to up my needle size to get gauge. All in all, it was a pretty fun pattern to knit. You can read more of my musings here.

By the way, how do you all like the Photoshop effects? I'm not sure if I plan to keep doing this, but it's sorta cool.

Happy Knitting.

Backyard leaves continues to progress slowly. I've been looking at finished examples, and decided I like the unblocked ones the best, with their springly leaves. My only problem is that I cast on too tightly and was hoping to work that out in the blocking process. Has anyone ever unraveled a cast-on edge and reworked it more loosely? Would that be feasible with this pattern?

Onward!

-Frasera

Backyard Leaves - Malabrigo Yarn?

I love malabrigo/handpainted yarn as it is SO soft and I just placed an order for some in a beautiful green color. I'd love to make Backyard Leaves with it but would like some opinions from you fiber experts about whether that is a good substitution for Karabella Aurora 8 or not. Does anyone foresee any difficulties for using a soft merino wool instead of a merino blend?

Thanks!

Backyard Leaves Karabella

Just a quick question here. Those knitting Backyard Leaves with the original yarn, are you all short on yarn? The pattern calls for 11 repeats for the first half, and I'm almost out of yarn. I find with 2 balls of Karabella Aurora 8, I can barely make it to 10 repeats. Anyone?

Backyard Leaves progress; a Misty Garden snarl

Hi -- I'm new to this knitalong but figured I'd join now that I have Wrap Style too and the list of scarves/wraps I want to knit from these books grows... as well as the stash that I have earmarked for these projects...

It's taken me months, literally, to get in a groove with Backyard Leaves. The only lace knitting I'd done before was Branching Out from Knitty, a simple pattern. I've found that with Backyard Leaves, my most common mistake is to have the yarn on the wrong side when slipping stitches, but I seem to have gotten that under control.

I am using Karabella aurora 8 in color 716, and I love it! It is soft and gorgeous, and the yarn has very subtle streaks in the separate plies that are darker or lighter green. The yarn does look quite chlorophylly, and I think this is going to be my favorite scarf so far...

My problem child is Misty Garden, which I have frogged at least 6 times, not an easy task with mohair. I am using the Jo Sharp Rare Comfort Infusion Kid Mohair in color 618.

The problem I'm having is that one of the two lovely lines amid the lace holes keeps heading off in weird directions. Not sure how this has happened, but it seems to happen less frequently now that I'm using straight needles rather than circular -- I think it's just easier to look at your progress with the straight needles. Also, I bought some needles with somewhat sharper points, to facilitate the K2tog, which seem difficult with this yarn. Any suggestions?

More on my knitting adventures at my blog, Knitting in the Great Basin.

Backyard Leaves Done

It's been over a year since my last post here. Wow! So many beautiful scarves! I thought I'd share the Backyard Leaves scarf I recently completed. It was really enjoyable to knit, although it took concentration! Not a movie-watching project. This was made with Rowan's Cashsoft, which is a really nice yarn to knit with and makes a great feeling scarf. I knit this for a little scarf exchange that we're doing for the Twin Cities Stitch and Bitch.

Question for Backyard Leaves knitters

Hello all! I just finished the first 1/2 of Backyard Leaves, and I'm wondering: is there any reason why I couldn't just pick up the stitches for the second 1/2 from the first? That way I won't have to seam later and when I'm done-I'm done! Let me know if you think this would cause some problem.
Thanks!

Backyard Leaves

An only slightly-late Christmas present -- Backyard Leaves, done in a wonderfully soft Filatura di Amigo cashmere/silk blend.

I could never let my mind wander while knitting this, as I would almost always lose my place, but in the end it was worth it!

Thoughts on the "Backyard Leaves" Scarf