Forest Path Stole re-beginnings

If all knitting is a combination of knit stitches and purl stitches, I should be able to knit any pattern, right? I started Faina Letoutchaia’s Forest Path Stole a year ago and got confused by the entrelac. I found instructions online and mastered entrelac by making a couple scarves.

Entrelac looks like this

I was still stymied by the p5tog (for my non-knitter friends, that means make FIVE stitches into one stitch, getting one thread through five loops, and you thought just getting the thread through one loop without a hook was a challenge…).

p5tog looks like this

I practiced for a while then put it aside.  I just got it out again, prepared to spend big bucks for ebony needles which one friend said did the trick. However, I had previously bought Addi lace needles, but not yet tried them. I felt obligated to at least try them before using this wonderful reason–um, excuse–to buy ebony. And alas, they worked.

It also may have helped that I reread the instructions.  The previous row where the five stitches are made from one stitch was to be worked in the back loop. I had missed that detail and done it the routine way in the front loop.  Between the two, the needles and the correction, I am ready to move beyond practice soon. The left side of the sample is closer to what it should look like than the right, but a little more practice should have my knitting in shape.

To see others that have been finished you can search on Ravelry (link to right) or click here for a Flickr site. (Well I am having trouble making the link work, but use the link then search “forest path stole” and you will get there.) The target photo shows the three lace patterns in great detail.

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