Fernfrost

Lately I've been trying very hard to concentrate my knitting time on a single project instead of trying to ration it out to the several that I have on the needles.  I've been working towards trying to finish up projects that have been sitting around for too long in an effort I am calling "Project Free-The-Needles!"  You see, I was beginning to get overwhelmed with the numerous unfinished projects I have strewn around these parts.

And so, putting aside my desire to cast on new projects, I have been diligently working on older ones to finally get them finished.

Fernfrost, for example, was started back in September.  Yes, I did knit two sweaters, a pair of socks, two scarves, and two hats in between the time I cast on and bound off for this scarf, but that's just my point.  I need to pay attention to what I already have on the needles and stop starting new projects.

I was very excited to get this one finished up.  The yarn was sent to me by the unbelievably generous and wonderful Joan.  I really can't thank her enough.  Knitting with cashmere is so wonderful, and the finished scarf is incredibly soft, light, and fluffy with a bit of halo to make it extra wonderful.  I steam blocked it (after wet blocking it) so that the stitches would bloom as much as possible.

I wasn't convinced I would have enough yarn to knit the specified number of repeats (or that the repeats would stretch out to the proper dimensions), but once again, blocking has worked its magic.  I managed to knit all the repeats called for (with a bit of yarn to spare) and it blocked out to 48"x10.5" like the pattern said it should.  Don't you love it when things work out?

This scarf really knit up pretty quickly once I sat down and worked on it.  I knit 7 of the 11 repeats while flying between Wisconsin and California.  It really shouldn't have taken me five months to knit, but that's what happens when I keep starting new projects.  I'm trying to be better about that.

I'll be sending this scarf down to a wonderful friend of mine in Atlanta who definitely deserves to be wrapped in cashmere.  I hope she finds it to be functional as well as beautiful.  That's always the best mix, isn't it?

I'm off to Pittsburgh tomorrow for my last grad school audition, wish me luck!  Oh, and I cast on a new project...