I bought this yarn initially intending it to make a hat for myself, but when I was planning my holiday knitting I realized that the color was perfect for my mother. I’d always wanted to try the Branching Out pattern, and it was just elegant-yet-simple enough for my mom. Two skeins made a nice long scarf without it being so long that it risked injury.

While I do love a nice piece of tiny intricate lace, there was something very classy about this larger guage version. The designer remarked that she intended it to be a good project for beginning lace knitters, and the pattern she chose was lovely and yet simple. Even as a relatively experienced lace knitter, I found it quite satisfying.

I made sure to take some pictures mid-pinning, just to illustrate the huge difference that blocking makes to lace. Even on this relatively large scale, the contrast between the blocked and un-blocked parts of the scarf is quite dramatic. I also liked the effect that resulted from putting the blocking wires under the garter stitch bumps at the edges. It meant that I had to slip the wires through every single tedious bump, but it was worth it.