Finished Scarf, Plus Something Delectable

I confess, I'm not entirely sure where the last week went. I thought I would have tons of free time -- time to just roll around and revel in the leisureness of it... but that's not quite what happened. The good news is that the semester ended and I kept my sanity intact.

Instead, I've been spending a lot of time with friends; the people in my life became the biggest casualty of the work + grad-school equation. One of them taught me how to make yarn - thanks Carolina! Also accomplished in the last week: seeing Juno - HIGHLY RECOMMEND, baking copious amounts of cookies, shopping, drinking, knitting, and general relaxing. So, no complaints.

I did manage to finish up the Sideways Seed Stitch Scarf. I'm really happy with it!

It's a very basic pattern but I'm writing it up for my own memory or in case someone else wants it.

Sideways Seed Stitch Scarf
Finished size: 10" x 70"
Gauge: 3.5 stitches per inch
Needle: US10, at least 32" long (I used Denise needles and hooked a couple of cords together)
Yarn: Nashua Creative Focus Chunky.
2 Balls A: color 2380 Oatmeal
1 Ball B: color 1355 Pine
1 Ball C: color 0410 Espresso
1 Ball D: color 2055 Carmine

Seed Stitch: Every row: *k1, p1, repeat until end.

With color A, cast on 240 Stitches.
Knit 10 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color B, knit 8 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color A, knit 3 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color C, knit 3 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color D, knit 2 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color C, knit 3 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color A, knit 3 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color B, knit 8 rows in seed stitch.
Switch to color A, knit 10 rows in seed stitch.
Bind off loosely - may want to go up a needle size if you tend to bind off tightly.

Using a crochet hook, apply fringe. Use 2 strands of yarn per each fringe addition. (Method is explained here with pictures.) Match fringe to align with stripe colors. Finished fringe should be about the same length as the scarf is wide.

Notes: Yarn will soften when blocked, but the fabric should have slight drape as you knit it. I went up a needle size from the one recommended.

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In other news, I'm doing just a tiny bit of gift knitting: Roza's socks for my mother-in-law. They're going along quickly so far, in Socks That Rock colorway "Mustang Sally." It's a screaming red that confuses the camera.

But you get the idea.

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Finally, I will leave you with a link to the most delightful crafty thing I've seen in a while. Let's just say that the Japanese really have a way with needlefelting. (Sara, can you translate any of this?)

Behold: The delectableness. (Be patient, delectableness takes a bit to load.)
And if you must have it, there's an etsy listing for the pattern book.