How does your garter scarf grow?

Sorry, no pics today. Both Blogger and Photobucket are being uncooperative. Blogger won't upload any pictures while Photobucket seems to only want to publish in Jolly Green Giant size, no matter how I edit the pic. Grrr

I measured the Dr Who scarf last night and it is just over one metre in length.

In terms of knitting I am well over half-way through the pattern which makes me wonder just how long (or short) this scarf is going to turn out. According to the pattern it is supposed to be 270 cm in length. I am beginning to suspect that this length includes the fringe, which will add an extra 25-30 cm at each end. So the real length of the scarf should be about 215 cm which I'm still not going to get near.

Unless...

Unless I hang the scarf from one end so the bulk of the 400 grams weight of wool stretches the scarf.

According to the knitting goddess Elizabeth Zimmermann, if one knits a skirt the best way to get the length right is to knit it to about 3 inches (or 7.5 cm) shorter than you want the final length to be, then hang it up for 2 weeks and remeasure the skirt again when it will have miraculously grown to the right length.

Now no-one in their right mind would knit a skirt in garter stitch; they'd do it in stocking-stitch or maybe a rib (OK, no-one in their right mind would knit a skirt in the first place but I have seen pictures of stocking-stitch and rib skirts). And garter stitch is notoriously stretchier than other stitch patterns. So presumably it would grow by a lot more than just 7.5 cm; maybe 15-20 cm.

Which means that I would only have to knit about two metres, maybe even less to get a scarf that will end up approximately the same length as the pattern.

Which means that maybe I am not so far off track as I thought I was.

Jeff at least seems to be very happy with how the scarf is growing. The scarf is very heavy and will be able to be used as armour or a weapon, as well as a cult item and means of keeping one's self warm.