Meh.

Last week.... Well, the less said the better. I won't go into detail, because no one really wants the dirty details, do they?, but suffice to say bad things happened, and I was unable (thanks to pinched nerves) to type. Bad enough to have bad things happen, but to be kept from my consolation? Just made it worse.

Anyway, we're moving on now. My hands only ache when I type for over an hour (I'm only at 15 minutes and counting at present), the tingles from my migraine meds are fading rapidly (did you know that if you take an Imitrex when you don't really need one, the side effects are vastly more disturbing than if you'd needed it? I didn't. I do now) and I've had some raw cookie dough today. All is (mostly) right with the world, or at least as right as it can be.

I finally decided not to bother with charting my scarf pattern--I don't have the proper software, and it's too confusing when I try to do it in Excel--so I'm going to try and type it long hand. Let's see how this goes, shall we?

Walled Garden

The scarf features a garden of knitted flowers on a reverse stockinette background, surrounded by seed stitch walls. Knit slightly looser than the gauge called for on the ball band, the scarf flows while still letting the buds pop from the background.

Yarn: Blue Sky Alpacas, Worsted Hand Dyes, 2 skeins Petunia (200 yards of what I'll call a heavy worsted weight)
Needles: It's been a while, but I'm pretty sure I used a US 8 for this.
Gauge: As you like it. Mine came out something close to 3.75 stitches per inch. I'd recommend a looser knit rather than tighter (particularly with the Blue Sky Alpaca), so adjust your needle accordingly.

Notions: stitch markers, needle to weave in ends.

Abbreviations:
B=border (K 1, P 1, K 1 or K 1, P 1, slip 1 if it's the last stitch of the row)
K=knit
P=purl
M3=in the next stitch: K1 back, K1 front, K1 back before dropping stitch from left needle
K3Tog=knit three stitches together (closes the flowers)
pm=place marker. I used two different sets of colored markers so I knew which ones applied to which row. I have pictures, but they're on my other computer, so look for the pattern to be updated soon.

Cast on 23 stitches in your favorite cast on style.
Work five rows of seed stitch (K 1, [P 1, K 1] to end, slip last stitch purlwise
(The borders are seed stitch, K 1, P 1, K 1. Wherever it says B always K, P, K.)
Maintaining the 3 stitch seed stitch border (B) on each row, start 8 row pattern:

Row 1: B, K 17, B

Row 2: B, pm, P 4, pm, M3, P 3, M3, P 3, M3, P 4, B (you will have 6 extra stitches after this row)

Row 3:B, K 4, P 3, K 3, P 3, K 3, P 3, K 4, B

Row 4: B, P 4, K3Tog, P 3, K3Tog, P 3, K3Tog, P 4, B

Row 5: B, K 17, B

Row 6: B, P 2, pm, M3, P 3, pm, M3, P 3, pm, M3, P 3, pm, M3, P 2, B (you will have 8 extra
stitches after this row)

Row 7: B, K 2, P 3, K 3, P 3, K 3, P 3, K 3, P 3, K 2, B

Row 8: B, P 2, K3Tog, P 3, K3Tog, P 3, K3Tog, P 3, K3Tog, P 2

Repeat stitch pattern until you have just enough yarn for the final 5 row seed stitch border, ending on row 5 (if you like symmetry, like I do). Bind off, block and wear in good health!

Let me know if you find any errors in the pattern or if you have any questions.