Hi.
I finished my Sunset Highway. I wear it everyday. I can’t believe how much I love this sweater.
Sunset Highway by Caitlin Hunter
Madeline Tosh BFL Light in: Fragile, Fate, Loch, and Merino Light in the color Spectrum.
I did it. I finally decided which colors I liked and I started my Sunset Highway for real. Feeling pretty good about it, I have separated for the sleeves and am working my way down the body of the sweater. My color choices don’t contrast as much as I would like them too, but I am dealing with it. After all, I bought this yarn, I need to use it. It might not be a flawless Sunset Highway, but it is going to have a lot of charm.
Yarn: Madeline Tosh various colorways
Pattern: Sunset Highway by Caitlin Hunter
Swatching and preparing to cast on my Sunset Highway sweater by Boyland Knits. Really excited to work on this piece, but I am struggling a bit with my colors. I guess that is what I get for just wildly tossing yarn in my cart at a Madeline Tosh black Friday sale. Still, I think it will turn out interesting.
Starting to clear out my craft room in preparation for the big move. Which means I need to wind up all these skeins of yarn. I enjoy winding a skeins or two, but my ball winder is very squeaky so after a while it gets obnoxious. I am trying to focus on the bright side though. As soon as it is all wound up, I can cast on my Sunset Highway sweater! Totally pumped to get started on it. It is going to be so colorful and crazy <3
Exciting news!
Today I would like to introduce my new website: www.makinguselessthings.com
as well as an awesome giveaway!
My goal for 2018 will be to blog for a whole year. My posts will be weekly, followed by bi-weekly WIP/Finished Object updates. I am looking forward to hosting more giveaways, sharing knitting patterns, tips and tricks, and getting to know some of you better :)
Ok. Lets move on to this whole Giveaway business.
What to do: It is easy, simply leave a comment below letting me know what you would make with the yarn.
What you will win: The yarn that is pictured. 2 skeins of Ranch Wool/Delain Merino by Madeline Tosh. Worsted weight, in colorways Surf and Antler.
What will happen: The giveaway will be open until February 18th. I will draw a winner (randomly) and announce them on February 19th. So be sure to check back then!
The giveaway is open to domestic and international. It is not sponsored, but just to say thank you.
Thank you for following me, or reading a post, liking a post, sharing a photo, leaving a kind comment. Anything! I appreciate it a lot. It has encouraged me in so many ways, and taught me more then I ever imagined.
Look at this YARN! My amazing mother sent it to me along with a giant box of lovely goodies. It is Tosh Merino Light in the color way Spectrum. I was so besotted with it, I ended up painting it into my sketch book. Painting skeins of yarn might become a regular thing now… it was so much fun!
Here it is: my no-so-faded So Faded Sweater by Andrea Mowry.
Because of terrible weather, work, and the holiday, it has taken me a while to share this. I finished this sweater about two weeks ago now. I have to say, this is going to be one of my favorite knit pieces. It is so comfortable, and wearable! I really, really love it.
Despite a few mistakes, and a small terrifying incident while blocking, it all came together to make a pretty unique sweater. Even with people all over the world knitting up this sweater, this one, with all its quirks, is mine.
Yarn is Madeline Tosh 80|10|10 Fingering in colorway Minimal Havana Optic.
Sweater Update:
Would you look at that lovely finished sleeve... I can’t believe it. Ugh, I am SO close to being finished with this sweater. I just wish I could spend a few days just knitting the last little bit, so I can freaking wear it! At least it is great motivation to finish that cross stitch ASAP so I can get back to my wonderful yarn.
Pattern is So Faded by Andrea Mowry. Yarn is Madeline Tosh 80|10|10 Fingering in colorway Minimal Havana Optic.
Still stitching away at this sweater. Cast off the bottom and moved onto the sleeves. Which I have torn out and restarted twice. I started by dropping a stitch :( I really wanted to do the sleeves in all garter stitch, but I was really struggling with laddering while working on DPNs. So I switched to a pair of 9″ circulars that my friend lent me. I still struggle with all those purl stitches. That led to the second frogging. But I am back to just the knit stitch, and things seems to be moving along so much faster.
Pattern is So Faded by Andrea Mowry. Yarn is Madeline Tosh 80|10|10 Fingering in colorway Minimal Havana Optic.
So the sweater won over the lace project. Which is good because I still need to get beads and needles for the shawl anyway... Currently swatching it up. Keep me in your swatch prayers that I make gauge! 🙏
I am back :) Ended up having a decently refreshing time away from the computer screen. I didn't achieve total social media independence... (stinking Instagram Stories are too enticing) But I did enjoy not feeling forced to post or share anything. I strongly suggest if you are struggling with anxiety or stress, avoid your phone and social media at all cost. I think I am going to start taking annual breaks more often. Possibly every month or every other month, with at least a weekend or a few days where I don't touch my phone. I feel refreshed and excited about new projects and not overwhelmed by them. Here is to a new fruitful month of knitting!
This yarn from Madeline Tosh is so beautiful. Most of the time I just want to hold it and squish it. It is knitting up in brioche so wonderfully! I am obsessed, I don't want to put it down because I like it so much. I am going to attempt a turban/wrapped looking hat I saw floating around Pinterest. Wish me luck!
Current Projects: Zinone: A linen shirt. Pretty excited about this. I have never made anything summer friendly before. So it will be awesome to get to wear a hand knit item while living in Okinawa :) Random Worsted Weight Yarn: On the flip side, I have some really squishy and lovely yarn (some of it is Madeline Tosh!) I think my plan is a winter hat and some mittens, sort of 1920's inspired, because I have been watching a lot of Downton Abbey 😅
They are complete! It took me an age to finish these socks, but as usual I hit a rut when working on the second sock. Second socks are just the worst, I always run out of steam when I get to them. Plus, these were super boring to knit since it was just stockinette stitch (I turned them inside out) Also, somehow, one of the socks is bigger than the other... despite my counting every row and measuring and trying to get things to match up. It is just my luck. I guess no two socks are alike... especially if I knit them. I don't really care though, because these socks are hella comfortable. I am wearing them right now and they are fantastic. Madeline Tosh knows what's up when it comes to spinning some sock yarn. If you have the spare cash and love knitting yourself socks, it is worth the investment.
A little look at my unfinished sock set: The Inside Outs. Knit in Madeline Tosh Euro Sock, colorway Light Bright. This yarn is awesome, but a real pain to find a project that compliments the colors and doesn't muddle them. Socks seemed like the best option. I am not obsessed with the design, but I really like the purl stitch and the colors. Plus the yarn makes for one super comfy sock. P.S. Yes those socks are socks with socks on them.
It is now time for a yarn haul! Here are a few of the things I picked up over the past few months. Over Thanksgiving week I purchased some majorly discounted Madeline Tosh yarn. I was super psyched about that because I have been dying to try out her yarn, just never willing to shell out the cash. I got 7 skeins in total for around a hundred bucks. 2 of Euro Sock, one in Light Bright and one in Comfort. 2 of of DK Twist in Comfort. 3 of 80/10 Fingering in Havana/Optic I currently have no idea what I am going to make, but whatever it is it will be pretty!
I also did a little bit of shopping at a local yarn store in my home town. I picked up three huge hanks of Cascades Eco Wool for a fisherman cabled sweater I plan on starting. It was also on sale at the time, and huge plus is I didn’t have to pay shipping for it since I forced my husband to carry it in his backpack on our return trip 😆
And that is all for now! I will hopefully have a current project update next week, and will let you know where all this yarn is going to go.
Day 13: Do you have yarn that you love but can’t find a project for? Well… I did just splurge on Black Friday over some Madeline Tosh yarn that was on sale. I really had no idea what I was ordering. I just added whatever I thought looked pretty to my cart, with no thought as to what sort of project it could be used for. But I know I am going to love it no matter what it is… because look at that yarn!