cast on 37 stitches (doing 4 repeats instead of 3).
used the provisional cast on linked from the pattern itself

I had a few false starts while I learned the chevron pattern. It took writing out the pattern for myself and actually changing the “punctuation” on the repeating sections (I’m using stitch markers, and was very much confusing myself). I hand wrote it into my journal and it is working great so far!

I cast off using the traditional cast off on size 11 needles.

When I went to pick up the stitches on the provisional cast off for the second half of the scarf, the stitches seemed tight. Next time I’d cast on with a larger needle.

The yarn is beautiful, but I don’t think I’d knit a lace pattern again with such a dark yarn, it kind of absorbs the light and makes the pattern impossible to see. Perhaps I’ll feel better about it once I’ve finished and blocked the scarf.

Finished the scarf tonight and wove in the ends 5/12/2010. Won’t let myself call it done until it is blocked, though I am enjoying wearing it around my neck right now!

Blocking begins - 5/22/2010. I used cotton thread sewn through the edge stitches (still not sure I did this right, but we’ll see). It’s now soaking and soon….it will be ready to pin out.

Pinning out was tough. Tried 3 surfaces - the guest bed (pillow top mattress), our bed (tempurpedic surface), and the carpet in my yoga room. None was suitable. Pins would pull out of the carpet, and the amount of tension I needed to get the yarn straight for the edges….broke the cotton yarn I’d used, pulled out the pins, and frayed my nerves. I finally ended up back on the first surface I’d used, guest bed.

I finally rigged it by tying the yarn to the bedframe. Next time I’d use 2 strands of yarn for each side (one for each half of the length), leave lots of extra to really crank it to the bedframe, and buy steel tipped gloves (only partly kidding) to save my poor fingertips from being mashed by trying to force the pins into the surfaces I tried….Ugh. Has to be a better way. Maybe the Yarn Harlot method works on shorter lengths than my gigantically long rectangle?

I see that atlee used blocking wires for her Laura’s Eagle Feathers Scarf, which looks like it worked well. Maybe I’ll try them next time…!

New skills learned - lifeline and blocking lace.