I find that I have to hold the Mecha pretty loosely because the singles yarn will kink up if I use as much tension as I’m used to in my Continental-style knitting. I swatched the 1x1 rib with US 9s, 8s, 7s, and 6s. The fabric looks the neatest with the 7s and 6s. I got 20 sts over 4 inches, or 5 sts/inch in both needles.

I’m knitting a standard 1x1 rib with slipped stitch edging. I wrote up how to do this in my Vertical Keyhole Scarf pattern, so link to that pattern here, although I’m not planning to include the keyhole. Here are the basic instructions:

• Cast on an even number of stitches
• Set up row: k2, p1, k1 to end (end with k)
• All other rows: sl 1st st as if to p, k1, p1 to end (end with k)
• Bind off in pattern

Cast on 34 sts on 2/4/2016. I used the Alternating Long-Tail Cast on using US size 8 needles to keep it stretchy, and then switched to US 7 needles for the first row of the scarf. I’ve cast on/swatched with this yarn seven times now! This has got to be the right combination, finally.

I knit most of this over a three-day weekend retreat - perfect, mindless knitting - and finished on 2/12/2016. The merino so soft. The color of this yarn is GORGEOUS and so luminous. It did leave a little ink on my hands, so I’ll have to give it a good soaking before passing on to my friend.

Also, it appears I finished it just in time for his birthday!