I decided to whip this up for our vacation to Iceland and Scotland in case the weather is cool'ish. I deviated from the recommended yarn (Fishermen's Wool which I totally love BTW) and use the Lion Brand Touch of Alpaca for some fuzzy softness. I am certain the effect is totally different but I am in love with the scarf. It was very quick to crochet up given the double stranding and the large hook. I would put my time to completion at 1.75 hours. I will try this pattern again using a smaller yarn and a shorter chain (fewer inches worth) in order to have a dressy lacy collar type scarf. I would consider this an excellent option for an absolute beginner that has double crochet down. It will most likely take a newbie more time but will offer the pride factor in abundance. Made a cute little beret to coordinate. Highly recommend for other crochet artists of any skill level. It is so quick to stitch up, it would make great Christmas gifts for all the ladies at the office, teachers of your kids classes or the gals in your book club.