As promised, an actual photo of something done!
This is the finished Japanese Sampler Scarf MKAL (pattern here) that I participated in this year. A new section of the pattern was released every other month. It was a challenging pleasure to knit. The yarn is Swan’s Island natural dyed fingering weight merino. The stitch definition of this yarn was perfect for this pattern. But the color differences between skeins of the same dye lot were very disappointing. I didn’t notice it until way too late in the project. On the advice of my friend Debbie, the magician behind the Purple Fleece, I over-dyed the finished project, aiming for a nice light blue. While it didn’t completely eradicate the difference between the two ends, it certainly reduced it to almost nothing.
I gifted this to my new SIL, and the look on her face when she opened it made it all worthwhile.
If you think this sounds like an interesting project, I encourage you to pick up the pattern, and check out all the FO’s on Ravelry. And they are doing another scarf this year, this one using Estonian lace designs. You can check this one out here. Join the fun!
whatimuptotoday 
SO special! I hope your SIL truly appreciates what an exquisite gift this was! It was fun knitting along with you on this one, and I echo your sentiments about others joining the fun on the Estonian this year!
Thanks, Kendra! It was fun, thank you so much for introducing me to it!
Absolutely gorgeous!! What a fantastic gift. You’re so lucky to have a knitworthy SIL:)
I am! I actually have two now, I can’t keep up!
What a neat project and your SIL is very lucky:)
Thank you!
What an amazing gift! Your SIL must feel so special to have received such a wonderful gift. It really turned out beautiful. It just might be one I may want to tackle in the future.
Hoping your Christmas was a wonderful one.
Thanks! I think she was pleased. It is definitely complex, but not ever impossible.
WOW! That was some project. How many were working on it? It is beautiful.
I am not sure how many did it – quite a few, I think. And thank you!
It’s beautiful! Lucky recipient!
Thanks!
That is just UNREAL. Love it. You are so so talented. THANK YOU
Lol, no, thank YOU!
what a gorgeous variety of stitch patterns!
Thanks! It was lots of fun to knit.
This is beautiful! I know that I bought myself this Japanese Knitting Stitch dictionary, was the scarf designed from these knitting patterns? It looks so great, no wonder your SiL loved it!! I hope you had a wonderful few days with the family. 🙂
Thank you! Yes, I think the designer used stitches from both of the Japanese stitch dictionaries. I have one book, and was hoping that this project would inspire me. They are amazing patterns!
whole-heartedly agree!! I have one of the books, too (I didn’t know there were two!) and I really want to knit something from them. Maybe next year! 🙂 I hope you have a great New Year’s!! (hugs)
Gorgeous! Lucky SIL. Such a pretty scarf – both colour and pattern – and what a brilliant idea to over-dye it when the skeins colours were adrift.
Thanks! I was so glad that Debbie suggested that, it made a world of difference.
Absolutely beautiful.
Thank you! By the way, I want to let you know that our niece’s surgery went well. She is home and healing as expected. Get biopsy results next week, but today they removed one drain.
Does she have someone around her who has gone through a mastectomy before? I’ve been thinking about her and want to help her if I can by sharing what I know if there is no else with experience nearby. I am going to send you my email address via Rave;lry message so we can talk in a more private space. Drain removal is good. They left mine in for two weeks. What an annoyance.
Thank you! Her aunt and grandmother had cancer, and a mastectomy. Her mother also had cancer, but just a lumpectomy and radiation. So she has people who understand. We had lunch there today, she said her way of coping until she gets all of her results is to try not to have people who are worried around her. I don’t know those people! But we played with the cat and didn’t talk about cancer.
She still has one drain in until Monday 😝(2weeks, as you had) and will be glad to see it go. She is starting to have little spurts of energy, but she says they don’t last very long.