Even if I'm not teaching reversible techniques, that doesn't mean I'm not thinking about them. I've moved from the original versa lace ideas where I could only translate stockinette-based fabrics upward to being able to work some purl stitches reversibly, such as in illusion knitting. I thought it might be fun to have a go at working Fox Paws reversibly.
Fox Paws is the popular stunt knit written by Xandy Peters. The pattern is garter-stitch based, but uses stacked increases and stacked decreases to wildly deform the rows of knitting. The resulting patterns can be fantastic as well as being patterns not easily achieved with other methods. Fox Paws is written in five colors. While the color changes are eye-catching, the result is the garter stitch is not reversible. The back side is a visual muddle of colorful blips.
As you can see, not entirely satisfying.
Innovation tends to build on itself. I'm not sure I would have been able to figure out the solution without having solved the reversible illusion knitting challenge first. Here's what I got:
The method is very similar to reversible illusion knitting. The first pass is 1×1 ribbing. The second row requires two passes, each with slip stitches. The fabric is thick. If you wanted a scarf or wrap, you'd want to use thin yarn and small needles. On the other hand, a wool blanket worked in worsted weight would be a powerful force against cold winter nights.
Below are the YouTube videos. I've set them up as a playlist. YouTube ought to roll you from one to the next. The first video is the overview. The remaining videos give you more detail, including how to work a one becomes eleven stacked increase and an eleven becomes one stacked decrease. The final video gives you three options for how to work the double-increase at the top of the plain stripe.
This technique is definitely a stunt knit and not fast, even for a fast knitter. Then again, many wonderful things require patience. Enjoy!
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