#56 - STASH ENHANCEMENT

Yeah, it happened.

I didn't mean to do it. Really, I swear.

I've been on point for the last three months - no new yarn. (Well, aside from the 2 skeins of Lorna's Laces I won from Karin's blog, but that doesn't really count... right?) Plus, I've been knitting lots of big projects to help bust some of the stash that has grown so large I truly, honestly have no where else to keep it. I'd even go online and ogle sale yarns, filling my virtual shopping cart with armfuls of merino alpaca blends and Malabrigo and sock yarns, but never acting on those impulses. One day, I even spent several hours at a coffee shop directly across the street from Lovelyarns, but I didn't walk in. I've been surprised by my self control.

Then, my mom said, "Can you knit me a lacy spring scarf?" Damn her. We paid a visit to Black Sheep Yarn Shop, an LYS I had never visited before, and I was screwed from the start. The store is huge. They have a wall of Noro. Beautiful samples hanging all over. And a major selection of pattern booklets, books, and magazines. So long, yarn diet. It was fun while it lasted.

It wasn't all that bad, though. I ended up getting several skeins of Claudia's Hand Paints fingering weight yarn in a peach and yellow variegated colorway for mom's lace shawlette. I'm making another Springtime Bandit by Kate Gagnon Osbourne, which I'm really excited to get on the needles. I was a novice knitter when I made my first one, and while it looks so pretty, I can see a few beginner's issues: I think the yarn I used, Fibre Company's Road to China, was too bulky for the piece. It also didn't help that I bought far too little yarn and had to omit the last lace repeat. I wear it only occasionally, as compare to my other handknits. Nonetheless, it's super pretty hanging from a hook in the hallway.

I also bought several balls of Ella Rae Worsted Merino in an oatmeal shade for a future sweater project, completely ignoring the THREE sweaters I have on the needles at this moment. Planning ahead, that's all. I glimpsed the Hollyhock sweater from Cecily Glowik Macdonald and fell in love. It has all sorts of qualities I love - an oversized cowl neck with lace edging, short sleeves perfect for layering, mindless stocking stitch body with nice waist shaping, and knit in one piece. You had me at hello. In the meantime, I've avoided startitis and finished the sleeves on my Effortless Cardi, so now I'm onto the trim and collar. I'll share some more updates on my WIPs later in the week.

Happy knitting!!
xx