In the Cards

My sister-in-law had a birthday at the end of September, and as I did for all her children, I gave her the choice of what she wanted me to make her. 

She chose an entrelac scarf. 

I've never knit anything in entrelac before, but I'm familiar with the technique. I've done some modular knitting in the past (which is entrelac-adjacent). . .

(I still use this purse.) 

One thing I learned when making that purse (and a couple other purses in a similar vein) was to use cards. 

This kind of technique is made by knitting up blocks. Each set of blocks has a slightly different pattern. Once you're doing the knitting, it's pretty easy to see what needs to be done. But when you set down the work, it takes a bit of time to recall where you are in the pattern the next day (or next knitting session).

This is when I hit upon making cards. 

Each card contains the instructions for one specific block. I keep them clipped together. The card on top is the next block in the sequence. 

(I usually keep the pattern next to me as I'm working. Why would you memorize a pattern you're making once?) 

As I finish one set of blocks, I flip that card to the back to move onto the next set of blocks in the sequence. It makes it much easier to keep track of where I am. And I don't have to wade through a page of instructions (or the pages in a book or magazine) to find the set of instructions I need. 

I haven't gotten very far on the scarf yet. 

And it doesn't look like much. But now that it's set up, it's just a matter of working it until I finish. I'll keep you updated.