More In than Out

Given that I'm participating in Stash Dash, you would think that my focus would be on using up the yarn I already have. Yes, you would think that, but I apparently did not. Despite the fact that I'm "supposed" to be knitting from my stash as much as possible, I did a bit of stash enhancement this weekend. In my defense, these were not impulse purchases but rather acquisitions for specific projects.

First, I picked out three skeins of Cascade 220 Superwash in a bright pink to make Rainbow a Berry Season Cardigan.

I was originally going to use stash yarn (an old, now discontinued Knit Picks yarn), but then I realized it was not superwash. Knowing my kid, it's very likely I'm going to need to machine wash the sweater at some point, so I thought this was the better option. I will likely swatch at some point this week, but I won't be casting on for this sweater until June 1, as I'll be knitting it as part of the 90% Knitting podcast Alphabet Knitalong.

Those skeins weren't the only ones that came home with me, though. I also bought these two skeins of Yarn Hollow Tango, a super luscious blend of Polwarth and silk. I picked up two colors (Green Metal Roof and Eggplant) to be used in a design -- so it's a totally justifiable business expense, right?

The Ravelry page for this yarn says it comes in a put-up of 662 yards, but the labels on the skeins I bought say 330 yards. That's still pretty generous yardage.

Lest you think all I've been doing is buying yarn, let me give you some proof that some knitting has been happening. For starters, I finished the Madelinetosh hat. It was washed and blocked over the weekend, and I managed to get the Mister to take a quick photo of it yesterday (toward the end of the day, when I was a bit worn out).

I'm really happy with how this ended up. I have one more skein of Tosh DK left in my stash, so I might knit up a smaller size for Rainbow, perhaps substituting beads for the bobbles.

I also finished the short rows on one side of my sweater and hope to start the short rows on the other side this evening. I'll spare you a photo because it looks pretty much the same as the last time you saw it, but I can show you a photo of a new project I cast on yesterday:

If this looks a bit familiar, it's because it's adapted from my Ravessa Scarf pattern. I've decided take part of the stitch pattern and turn it into a shawl. The edging (which is what you see here) is knit first, and then stitches will be picked up along the side and knit using short rows to shape the body. The yarn is Jill Draper Makes Stuff Esopus that I picked up at MDSW last year, and I just love how it's knitting up. The tight ply makes for such amazing stitch definition.

Speaking of shawls, I did want to mention a knitalong that will be happening in my Ravelry group this summer. I'm hosting what I'm calling the Shawl-for-All from June 1 through August 31. All of my shawl patterns are eligible for the KAL, and I'm offering a discount on all my shawl patterns (including my e-book of shawls) from June 1 to 15. You can find more details and the discount code here. I do hope you'll join us!