Scarfing Again

I've started to knit a scarf. I merrily chose wool in the habberdashery department of a local store on Saturday, and with a few false starts with casting on (I can never quite remember how to do it), I managed to get going. The wool is kinda tricky, it has all these little bits sticking out which require continue rescuing from the stitches, but I was determined. I spent two concentrated hours on the train to London clattering grey needles together, and having completed about six inches I was getting a bit smug. Ah, I thought, I'll be an expert! I'll knit everyone a hat for Christmas! I'll impress them with cables and pom poms! I'll get labels made and sew them onto the plethora of finished products... That was until I realised that I'd managed to get from 25 stiches to 52 in the space of about 20 rows. I think I have more practise to do. I've ripped it all out and am going to start again. Hmm.