Spicy dicey.

This scarf is actually rather pretty, in a feisty, Mardi Gras kind of way. It was a gift for my (wicked)* stepmother's birthday. I used the same gorgeous-yet-horrific rayon bouclé from Fiesta Yarns' La Bohéme collection that I used for my mom's shawl, except in Jamaican Spice. Anyway, here's a dreadful picture of it. I tried to color-correct, but I'm still learning about white-balance.†


I won't include the mortifying details of the creation of this project, as the yarn became more snarled and tangled than the relationships in the 2nd season of LOST, and as I realized that I know more curse words than any decent English teacher should. "Blast" and "darnit" don't count, by the way. All I will say is that it is only advisable in the most extreme circumstances to ever, EVER cut the knots out of a skein of yarn. I wove in something like . . . oh, I dunno, eight or nine dangling ends. Not counting the bind off length. For a single-skein scarf.

The great news is that the drape of the fabric is just about that which I'd hoped. I worked on size 10 circulars, knitting flat, and the guage made the scarf lightweight, but not overly flimsy. It's 26 stitches wide, so that when it hangs around the neck, it folds and twists in a suprisingly flattering way (are you noticing all of the "f" adjectives? no idea where that comes from . . .) I had considered fringes, but the nature of the yarn made that an unnattractive option, since it was so splitty that the fringes just looked messy. The edges don't seem very "neat," but with the drape and the width, they almost seem purposefully ruffle-y. Folded in a drawer or elsewhere, the scarf may appear less-than finished, but I think it will be perfect on a black suit, even for a more formal occasion. I'm sure that Peggy will have a great place to wear it.

And now! I have five whole rounds done on the Honeymoon Cami. I am no longer afraid! The pattern is emerging from the needles, and I wish I could express how thrilling that is! Now I have something to fully occupy my poor anxious brain while I wait for . . . The Phone Call. From those people (about the job).

Seriously. It's got to be soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~
* Peggy is not really "wicked." She is the rare breed of stepmother that doesn't usually appear in fairy tales. She's actually a cool lady. (do I get my favored child status back now?)

† What did I learn from this project, you ask? Since my goal is to learn something each project, here's my response. Do not ever, ever, ever, EVER buy rayon bouclé again. Ever. And don't cut knots in frustration. And use a white piece of paper for white balance in photographs. I am now enlightened. The end.