Stunning (mistake)

At long last I have finished the beautiful scarf for my very good friend Jill, who deserves to be royally spoiled. She is one of those special people who does so much for everyone else. She has a strong faith in God and it shows in how she treats those around her. She and her family have given up a lot to serve God, but she doesn't complain much. Not that it's always easy for her, or that she's always happy, but she is always striving to find peace and to be satisfied with what she does have. So I wanted to knit for her something special - something that was crafted just for her. I chose the Tahki Charles Stacey sampler lace scarf in Superior because it looked so cool on the model and the yarn is a luxerious blend of cashmere and silk.

If this is an intermediate pattern, then I want to know what it takes to be an expert pattern! It kicked my butt! One row took me 2.5 hours with all the frogging it took to get it right. Thankfully, they didn't all take that long. Overall, I like the scarf - it certainly kept me interested switching from pattern to pattern. The closeups are of my scarf. The picture is from the company and shows the true color of the yarn. My yos don't look quite as neat as those in the picture.

I discovered -- after I'd grafted the two sides together, after I'd blocked it -- that I made the second pattern on one side too long -- by about 1.5 inches! First I went into shock. Then I made my way through the five stages of mourning - denial, anger, bargaining - I hit them all. I contemplated whether there was anything to be done about it, but concluded that there wasn't. Doing it over was out of the question given the time already invested and my urge to get this to my friend before she needs a beach towel more than a scarf. The pattern is too complicated for grafting.

Finally, I took a deep breath and decided this is the way it's supposed to be. The longer side is the "front" and shorter side is the "back," like a tie. (DH was quick to point out the short coming to the comparison, but he's not a knitter so I don't take him seriously). In reality, it won't be noticeable when she wears it and she probably won't notice it at all.

Here is what I've learned:

When making two haves of a scarf - compare them frequently to ensure they match or knit them both at the same time.

Regardless, the yarn is awesome. It's so soft, it's likeholding a bundle of downy feathers. There is a subtle sheen from the silk underneath the halo of cashmere.

Although, this pattern was extremely challenging, I would like to try it again. It's a great "think piece" for knitters looking for a challenge. It is not the best project to work on while watching a gripping episode of Lost but it's fine for Sponge Bob Square Pants.