Fair Isle February!

Cast this on Friday, I was attempting to cast it on Thursday evening but I was struggling with the Italian Tubular Cast-on.

I'd like to say I persevered and then got it, but what really happened was I struggled with it, gave up, tried the Cable Faux Tubular cast-on which I can do, messed that up a couple of times, threw my knitting around the room in frustration, actually that bit was just wishful thinking I just cursed a bit, and then I looked at the instructions and diagrams for the Italian Tubular cast-on again, now I hadn't bothered watching the video, I thought that if I didn't get it from the step by step photos, that the video wasn't going to help, and then.... I watched the video...hey presto
one Italian Tubular Cast-on, and one Endpaper Mitten in progress!


Topic of The Week #3 on the UK SWAP BLOG!

Q: What is your process when planning a project? Do you shop for yarn and then find a suitable pattern? Do you find your pattern and then go out to buy the yarn? Or are you stash-busting? If your stash is out of control, how did it get that way?

My process when planning a project?.... I don't shop for yarn and then find a pattern, ok maybe I have yarn in my stash that was bought just because I had to have it, but mostly, well at the moment I have a few projects earmarked which are looking for suitable yarns. Koolhaus is on that list, Karendipity Gloves, Thrummed Mittens, Anemoi Mittens or some of Hello Yarns Fair Isle designs, I may even have a go at designing my own.

I am stash busting, if I can match a yarn in my stash to a project, then I will, the Endpapers I am working on are just unknown stash freecycle 4ply, I think there is a small percentage of wool in them, but this is my first attempt at Fair Isle knitting and I didn't want to jump in with the good stuff. (Ok I hadn't really got any suitable good stuff for this particular project) Isn't it always the way though, that you never have just the 'right' yarn for the project you want to start.

I don't think my stash is out of control (ok maybe I'm in denial) it's just there aren't enough hours in the day. It didn't help that I started spinning, I can't keep up with the amount of yarn that I spin, and I do love to spin, which is why I am trying to sell some of it in my Etsy shop.