Making this for my 9 year old daughter. So I picked a slightly lighter weight yarn (160 yards vs 160 to 100 grams) and a smaller needle (7 vs 9.)

This is not an example where you should do the provisional cast on with a larger needle; you will end up with a gap at the crown.

Changes to the pattern (besides the yarn change) --

I am slipping the first stitch of every row knitwise instead of purlwise. That forms an edge more consistent with garter stitch.

I knit the scarf 140 rows rather than 160. It still comes below my daughter’s waist.

Sorry my waste yarn is off-white; it’s what I had right at hand.

11/5: all done except the Pom poms. Discovering I’m terrible at them. Although I do think the yarn is some of it. Have to trim and see if I can get it sorta round.

11/23: all done! Cold weather is a great motivator. I decided I wouldn’t stress too much about round.

A last comment: I think it took just under two skeins to make the scarf. After making big, lush pom poms I have 60 grams, just over half a skein, left over.