Gradient

K's scarf is done! It was a nail-biter. I very carefully calculated how much yarn I would need to save for the ribbing and bind-off, so I could use as much of the yarn as possible . . . and forgot to account for the increases I would be making in the first ribbed row. /facepalm. I had more than enough yarn to finish the ribbing, but it came up short during the bind-off. I was forced to cannibalize from the cast-on and ended up binding off the last eight stitches or so without any added yarn. Fortunately, it was a small enough area that it didn't cause undo puckering. Still, a lesson for next time. At least I don't have to wonder what to do with the leftover yarn . . .

Anyway, I finished the scarf last week and washed it over the weekend. Having limited space and resources makes for somewhat . . . creative finishing. I handwash anything that needs it in a mixing bowl in my sink--works great for socks and scarves. Rather than expensive wool wash, I use a bit of my regular liquid laundry detergent in cold water. (I use whatever unscented brand's the cheapest, usually; I like All.) To dry, I covered part of my futon with clean towels and laid the scarf out flat on top. I didn't block it, but I did shape the ends with a bit of a flare so the ribbing wouldn't scrunch up.

I'm very pleased with how it turned out. The finished dimensions are about four feet by four and a half inches--it won't be overly long on K. (I personally find too-long scarves annoying, but to each her own.) I especially like how the wool starts dark at both ends, fades to the light pewter color, then darkens to near-black at the middle. Completely unintentional at my part, but it looks darn spiffy regardless. Despite my struggles with matching the colorway, I'd definitely knit with this yarn again. It's really soft and snuggly. All in all, a lecture-knitting success.

I've been playing a bit with my new camera. This knitting photography stuff is hard. It's impossible to get any detail in the scale shots--that first picture gives you a good idea of the scarf dimensions and the colors, but for my money, the beauty's in the close-ups. I will continue to experiment! (Although feedback would be nice, hint hint.)