Busy weekend pt 2: Husby's New York Scarf

This has been a long time coming, this scarf, but I love it and am so glad I made it. I started it not long after we decided we would go to New York in winter (ie next week!). Weeeeeeeeeee!
Details:
Pattern: Interlocking Balloons, from Scarf Style - I cannot recommend this book and this pattern highly enough - this is such a clever pattern and I really love it, especially how the back side is still quite attractive! It was my first experience following a knitting chart and I found it really good - particularly as the scarf was symmetrical and there was no shaping on the wrong side, so you could quite easily "read" your knitting and didn't have to follow the chart at all for every second row (well, once I got used to it, anyway!!)
Yarn: 4.5 x 50g balls Filatura di Crosa Zara - one of my favourite yarns! Colour 1490 lot 240.
Sticks: 4mm metal. I think I probably should have used 4.5mm as I do usually go up a size to get gauge but I figure gauge isn't that vital with a scarf, as long as the scarf is long enough (which this is).
Time: Started 5 September 2006, finished 11 January 2007 - right on schedule!
What I learnt: My first cable experience! Yay! I think they came out quite well! And blocking really opened up the pattern (see pre-blocked pic at left). I'm not sure if I should have blocked the sides out wavy, I figure they'll moosh in when Husby is wearing it. It stretched out to 163cm (about 62") after blocking, which is a good length for him. And it is wide enough for him to wrap round up to his ears if he wants to or it will smoosh down nicely for when it is a little warmer but still cold enough for a scarf!