There WAS An End

An end to the scarf-formerly-known-as-the-scarf-that-never-ends, that is! Yay! Now I can consider a new project out of the gazillions in The Queue. I sweated my fingers off yesterday in an attempt to finish the darn thing because it was just hanging on too long. Thanks to Lime & Violet’s podcasts, I managed to stick with it. Here’s the scoop:

Fern Leaf Scarf

Begun: May 22, 2007
Completed: July 25, 2007

Yarn: Cashmerino from Birkeland Bros Wool, dye-painted by me, leftovers from the Cherry Leaf Shawl. I would have had a better idea of how much if I had weighed the scarf before I put beads on it!
Needles: Skacel Addi Lace circular, 3.5mm, 24”.
Beads: 4 different leaves in spring green, 2 with AB coating on one side and 2 without. Little drops in muted orange.
Thread: Nymo nylon beading thread in grayed green.
Beading needle.

Pattern: Modified from the Frost Flowers chart in Lavish Lace by Carol Rasmussen Noble and Cheryl Potter and scaled down to one repeat with herringbone edging. Note there is an errata for the chart in the book at Martingale’s webpage.


CO 28 sts. Row 1: sl1 wyif, yb, k1, yo, k2tog, k2, k3tog, k1, yo, k1, yo, k3, yo, k1, yo, k4, sl1 k2tog psso, k3, yo, k2tog, k1. Row 2: sl1 wyif, yb, k1, yo, k2tog, k21, yo, k2tog, k1. Continue following chart. Repeat until scarf is long enough or you run out of yarn. I managed to end on Row 2 which made a nice balance. Last row: bind off.

Comments: Yes I realize I could have made this scarf more symmetrical if I knit 2 pieces and grafted in the middle or better yet, begun in the middle and knit to the ends. But I like the asymmetry, the results of just starting at one end and knitting to the other better. I had some issues with following the pattern. Because the yarnovers were separated from their corresponding decreases and the whole thing is asymmetrical, it made it more difficult to keep track of where I was even after I had the pattern memorized. I particularly had trouble remembering whether I was on a forward (lace) row or a return (almost-plain) row. Until I got the bright idea to add a stitch marker at the beginning between the slipped and second stitch. Doh!


I probably could have squeezed in another repeat of the pattern since I had several yards left but I think it is quite long enough at over 2 metres! It wraps several times around my neck just the way I like a narrow scarf to hang. I had trouble finding enough foam insulation bits to block it on. It was like a jigsaw puzzle when I was done. I blocked it to 5” wide but it came down to 4-1/2” when dry. Do you like it better on the pink?


Or the blue insulation?


I don’t think it goes well with either but it does look neat all stretched out.


No, I didn’t have blocking wires nor did I hunt down some weed-whacker line to thread through the edges. I just used a gazillion pins. Note my furry assistant, Ms. Polly Manytoes, inspecting the progress. And the glass of wine — that helped too. It dried really quickly now that the Big Light In The Sky is back for a return engagement of summer.

Later I decided to add beads at the ends because the thing just craved them. I found 4 different leaves and the muted orange drops that looked just right on the curvy ends. I stitched them on with Nymo bead thread so hopefully they will stay on. I hope they aren’t too heavy for the lightweight lace yarn. So far so good.

The Finished Object:

Now to wait until it gets cool enough to wear it.