FO: New Year Flame

Ok, here's something I did not expect to have, an FO on the first day of the year (yes, I know it's the second, but I finished it last night).  Anyway, remember that beautiful Brooks Farm Four Play that my mom bought for me?  It has finally been turned in to this!

Unique Melody by Rose Beck.  I stayed up all night when I got the yarn to pick out the perfect pattern and fell in love with this scarf.  The construction is playful and interesting but very logical.  I loved the way flame motifs (they look like leaves to me but she calls them flames) are added and taken away to maintain the number of motifs.  One of my favorite items in my winter wardrobe is giant scarves that are both wide and long.  They are also one of the most aggravating to knit.  But they're always totally worth it.  I stopped knitting when I ran out of yarn and though it was longish I was not quite happy with it.  Blocking, as always, made all the difference.  I'm still learning a lot about yarn, but I'm pretty sure that the silk content is what made it gain an extra third in length.

Perfect!

This yarn also brought one of my most exciting Christmas presents. A swift!

I hand wound the yarn for this scarf over Thanksgiving, using my dad's football-watching as the perfect opportunity to have someone hold the skein for me.  That hour and a half was enough to make him decide that I need a swift.  I think the whole family got a kick out of how excited I was to open the Knit Picks box to find this beauty.