Finished.

Finally done. I like it - it's not inspired knitting, but it makes a pretty scarf. Now, according to my Ravelry page, I started this about 6 months ago. Technically, I finished knitting this back in June. Braiding the fringe took forever and a day, and weaving in all the leftover ends took me about an hour this afternoon. The pattern instructions call for ironing this to flatten things out after dropping all the stitches, but my scarf sat around so long that this wasn't necessary. (Which leads further credence to my theory that things that need ironing just need to sit around long enough for the problem to take care of itself.)

Would I make it again? Maybe. I would definitely knit twisted stitches before the dropped stitch sections. I think this would actually be a fun way to use yarn with sequins or beads, show off a ribbon yarn or a variegated silk. I didn't have a problem with the cast on row, and I can't remember how I did it at this point.

Will I wear it? Yes. It's striking, and I'll probably wear it to dress up a white button-down shirt and slacks or jeans when I go out in the evening for post-conference events this fall. It won't add much warmth, but it's a good accessory. Plus, it does feel nice. The bamboo yarn has a pleasant heft and silkiness to it. I wouldn't knit a garment out of it - it would be too heavy, but I think this makes good use of the yarn. Even if braiding and weaving in those ends was dull beyond words.