Finished and Gifted Backyard Leaves Scarf

Did I ever mention how badly I suck at giving (and receiving) gifts? It makes me so uncomfortable that I practically squirm. On the giving end the issue is exactly what you might expect. I worry to an unreasonable degree that the recipient won't like it. Mot sure what my issue is on the receiving side - general weirdness I guess.

Anyway, I gave this scarf to my hairdresser yesterday and I can't tell you how relieved I was that he didn't open it right then and there. Whew! As it was I told him that I hoped that he likes it but I understand if he doesn't. Oh yes I did. I told myself a zillion times on my way over not to apologize for the gift but clearly it didn't help much. Can you imagine what would've happened if he'd opened it while I was there? Oy! Thankfully he's been doing my hair for a decade or so and is very familiar with my weirdness by now.


He really doesn't have to say anything though because I'll know if he likes it soon enough. I see him on his way to work many mornings crossing the park or in St*rb*cks. If he's wearing a snazzy new scarf the next time I see him then it's all good.


So, about the scarf itself. The pattern is Backyard Leaves by Annie Modesitt in KP Andean Silk in a color called slate. I read on Ravelry that other people using this yarn for this pattern felt it was ill-behaved. I disagree. It worked just fine for me. No complaints at all.


The pattern was also good. It wasn't the yarn-hog that Forbes Forest is so I finished a full 10 repeats on each side using about 3.5 balls of yarn. That makes this a pretty economical gift.

Thanks to the clever edge treatment in this pattern, this is also a very neat looking scarf... except for the join. To call it wonky is a bit of an understatement. I took a picture but, trust me, you don't want to see it. I'm sure the giftee won't notice but knitters like us would. Actually, even my daughter noticed but that's because it was blocking and she's often called upon to critique the severity of errors in my knitting. I suspect that, when tossed jauntily about one's neck. the untrained eye won't detect any issue at all.


I would've fixed it but the truth is that, although I've done plenty of successful grafting in the past, this was not an easy edge to graft (for me) and I doubt that a second try would've gone any better. If there is anything that would've made this pattern better for me it would be a better explanation of how to graft this particular scarves halves together.


Let's hope I see my hardresser - with his scarf - when I stop for coffee tomorrow.