The Art of Giving the Unfinished Gift

Good news: the gas-powered patio heater arrived; the friendly local plumber figured out how to get it working, 2 days before Xmas; the husband liked it; it hasn't exploded--yet.

Bad news: the husband's Xmas scarf could not possibly be finished in time. What to do? Utilize the Art of Giving the Unfinished Gift! Pictured is what I presented to him, nicely wrapped, while scrupulously avoiding any comments like "If you weren't so damned picky, I wouldn't have agonized endlessly over what yarn and what color and what pattern to use!" Left to right: Noro "Hana" silk ribbon in a 3X3 rib; (top) Classic Elite "Inca Print", alpaca; (bottom) Alchemy "Synchronicity" silk/wool; both in "Moss Diamond and Lozenge," a reversible pattern from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns; Filatura di Crosa "Elen" wool/viscose/cashmere/silk in "Seaweed" pattern, also from BW's Second Treasury; Trendsetter Yarns "Kashmir" cashmere/silk in "Pinnacle Chevron," a reversible pattern from BW's Treasury of Knitting Patterns.

What I did say was, "I really wanted you to love this scarf, so I ended up making a bunch of samples, some of which I like better than others--but I thought I would let you pick your favorite." Of course, he didn't really give a s*%& about the whys, so I didn't bother boring him with them (okay, I tried, but he'd already had a Bloody Mary, and in all fairness, one could barely hear a thing over the din of the overexcited children)--but here they are, along with a photo which more clearly shows the stitches. Noro silk: liked it a lot, actually--very lightweight and lustrous--but maybe too funky for him, plus it's a bit slow to knit up compared to a normal plied yarn. Alpaca: too itchy! Plus the stitch pattern is wasted with this colorway. Alchemy silk/wool: soft, pretty, great stitch definition, interesting pattern; color somewhat bright for him. F di C blend: appealing pattern (thought not reversible, the wrong side is also attractive); yarn is just okay. And finally...(drum roll)...The Winner: the appropriately named "Pinnacle Chevron", far right--reversible, simple, quietly offbeat; and that Trendsetter yarn is yummy.