magic y'all, magic! - and my invite arrived!

So, I have been invited! Finally! and if you're asking to what....well, where have you been? I've finally received my invite to Ravelry! I am very excited. I have spent numerous hours looking and adding (and more looking and more adding). The Ravelry site is so awesome.
Reasons why it is awesome:
(a) I wanted to make a hat and found a pattern, but couldn't find a picture of said hat on a head. It has cables and I had no idea what it would look like on. And said hat is for a boy and it couldn't look too frilly. There are 50 pictures of this hat on Ravelry! and google search turned up one pic on a head! Awesome!
(b) Wanted to make hat for my sister for Christmas, but I have no idea what. Found one! (and I thought I would have to design something when I have never made a hat before.) Now I know she will have a cool hat. (and I am making one for myself too. can't wait!)
(c) Resources, resources. Forums, pictures of FOs, ideas, stash organization, people's notes.

So, to sum up: Awesome! I've only been playing for a day, but man, if you haven't yet, get on that waiting list! I'm kristiknits on Ravelry. Go check it out. http://www.ravelry.com/

Now for my UFO story....
My second knit item ever that I started was Backyard Leaves from Scarf Style. (great book, by the way. I want to make most of what is in there.) Second item and I'm doing a chart. I started it in New Zealand and finished one half of the scarf. Set it aside because I started driving into work and didn't have all that knit time on the subway. Fast forward several months.....
Get scarf out and realize I don't have enough yarn to finish another half! eep! Could have been that I didn't buy enough (but I bought an extra ball for my first project, so I think I would have bought an extra) or (probably) I lost a ball. Oh noes!

Hello, I am half of a scarf. Don't you want to finish me?

So, I set out on a quest for another ball. Call, call, call. Drive, drive, drive. No one seems to have any in the color I need. (don't even care about dye lot anymore, I just want enough to finish!)

I'm telling my problem to these nice ladies at Cast-on Cottage (Hello! Y'all are awesome!) and they take pity on me and my dilemma. They are pulling alternate yarns to add on to the ends, calling other stores and have a sheet out to order a whole bag of the color I need just so I can have another ball. (awesome, right?)

One lady, Susan, suggests to use a shawl pin. Genius! Half a scarf pinned stays cozy round my neck, I still have the leaves in front, and *POOF* UFO to FO. Magic!

Here is my pin (which I will be able to use with other future FOs)

Cute shawl/scarf pin. Kitty and yarn.

So, my scarf still needs to be blocked, but it is finished! And I can wear it! Yay for magic!

Close up of the leaves. Pretty!