3.06.2008

Pattern: Phiaro Scarf
From: Knitscene, Winter 2007/Spring 2008
For: Me
Yarn: 1.88 skeins South West Trading Company Bamboo in 24 Karat
Needles: US size 7 Knit Picks Harmony interchangeables (I used this project to practice my continental knitting, since it was just stockinette in the round.)
Timeline: started 01.09.2008; finished 02.17.2008

I think I already stated my love for this pattern, so I won't go there again. I think the scarf came out really well, even though it isn't really what I was looking for. It's more of a decorative scarf, something silky to wrap around my neck with a dress.

Please excuse the old baggy jeans. I'm just hanging around the house today.

The biggest problem was with my yarn choice. It did result in a fabulously drapey and silky FO, but oh, the knots! Each skein had 5 knots. After writing to SWTC about the first skein, they assured me that 5 knots is way more than usual and that I should try the Russian join. I hadn't heard of it before, but it did seem to help a bit, until I got to the end. They also said my second skein should be fine. Wrong-o. They offered some free yarn after I wrote again, but I'll probably wind it (and any other SWTC yarns I buy in the future) into balls to check for knots once I get it.

Folded in half-ish.

The kinks in the yarn disappeared as soon as I soaked this and hung it up on a towel rack. However, I did have a nightmare of a time weaving in all the ends. I had to undo most (if not all) of the Russian joins, since they were in the dropped sections.

The other thing that was a bit of a pain was braiding all of the ends. Luckily, I was able to draft Nadine into the Braiding Corps, so that helped immensely. Thanks, Nadine! All in all, I think the braids definitely add a lot to the look of the scarf, so I'm glad I did it. I probably wouldn't make this again, just because it's really, really boring and a bit of a pain to finish, but I'm glad I have this one and I'm sure I'll be using it.