Once More, With Photos

Now that I've corralled the camera, let's just say that today's entry is a do-over from yesterday's. So, to start, the package from my wonderful SP:

Oh and, I *did* neglect to include a mention of the sheepy tape measure in yesterday's entry. Yes it came to me, SP, and no I didn't already have one! I realized this morning that it didn't make the photos because it's already gone to play with all my projects. Put it straight to use, yes I did! Thanks again for a great parcel.

Okay and next up is the Rebecca cardi back. Now I know that Becky suggests photographing reds and oranges against white so that the contrast shows up better... would you believe I have NO white background in my apartment? We're all browns and beiges. Hopefully you get the idea. This photo is actually fairly true to color, though. I'll be casting on for one of the fronts this week at late night.

And I have an actual finished object to report! Ye Olde So-Called Scarf, she is done:

Here are the details:

Yarn: Brooks Farm Fiber Duet, color unknown, 55% kid mohair/45% wool
Purchased: Md. Sheep and Wool 2004
Needle: US8 Denise
Finished size: 7" x 60"
Pattern: My So-Called Scarf

Comments: For starters, THANK YOU to Stacey for sharing such a fun little pattern with the blogworld! It was really easy to memorize and made for excellent subway knitting. [Except for the day when I forgot how exactly the pattern went. And knit it wrong, and had to rip. We're just not going to talk about that.] I will say this, the yarn was a real pain to rip out. All of the slipping and the extra stitches make the pattern really cling to itself, so it's important that you know what you're doing. But it's pretty easy to get the hang of. I love how luminous this yarn is, and how soft it is. It makes a great scarf. [And there's a good bit left over. Did someone say matching hat? We shall see.]

In case you missed it before, click here for a close-up of the stitch pattern.

Technical note: Reader Anne Marie asked me which cast-on I'd used. Apparently the long-tail cast-on and standard bind-off make the edges of the scarf flare somewhat, since the pattern pulls in a good bit. I used a cable cast-on to start, and it seemed to keep things nice and tight. Then when I went to cast off, I used a standard bind-off and saw the flare she'd warned me about. I ripped out the bind off and ended up basically doing a pre-bind-off row to guard against the flare. I finished row 2 of the pattern, then on the right side: *k3, k2tog,* repeat. Then I was able to do a standard bind-off, sans flare. Hope that helps others. Here's my cast-off row:

It still flares slightly, but I think if I felt like blocking the scarf, it would disappear. But you know what? I wanted to wear the scarf TODAY, so no blocking for me!