A bit late with my post this week, but here’s what I’ve been working on:
I have several new cast-ons. I was in the mood for a bit of colorwork, so I have started Tin Can Knits’ Compass Cowl. I received 4 skeins of Marie Wallin’s British Breeds yarn (her own custom spun yarn) in a “taster box” from The Woolly Thistle last year and had been struggling a bit with how to use them as I wanted to use most of the yardage up, but I didn’t want to buy more colors. I think this small motif cowl is just the thing. I’m loving how these four colors are working together (Raw, Evergreen, Lime Flower and Woad).
I also cast on a Musselburgh hat. This design, by Ysolda Teague, is really versatile as it’s more of a recipe of sorts, so you can use any yarn weight with needles to give you a fabric you like, and you can cast on with abandon and check your gauge once you’ve gotten started on it. I opted to use a skein from McMullin Fiber Co, their Posh Sock, which is a delicious blend of merino, cashmere and nylon, in the colorway “Gentle Anne” from their Bronte Hallow’s Eve box. Admittedly, the pinhole start is a bit fiddly, but worth it for a smooth, gauge-less start.
I’ve also cast on a new pair of socks using Helen Stewart’s Vintage Fairy Lights pattern and a skein of Spun Right Round’s Classic Sock in the “Hocus Pocus” colorway. I have knit this pattern in the past and loved the socks so much, I wore them out, so I am enjoying recreating the pair for my sock drawer.
And while I will be doing a more in-depth finished object post, I am over-the-moon delighted to say that I have completed the Desert Mandala. This has been a multi-year project (although if I’m honest, if I had focused on it and no other stitching, I could have finished it in under a year, based on my monogamous focus on it through most of 2022). I am thrilled with how it turned out and I’ll have detail shots and some other discussion about it on my FO Friday post this week!
Have a great week YOP’ers!
Knit One, Spin Too 
Just WOW!! What a beautiful piece of art! The colors are gorgeous. The pictures a joy. What a treasure. Love the cowl. The yarn colors are great. That’s an interesting sock pattern and I love the yarn colors that go with it. I should try knitting hats for my northern family members. Good way to use up some of my yarns too. 🙂
Thank you! I am thrilled with how well it turned out. I do love hats for some major stashbusting!
IT IS COMPLETED!!!!!Just beautiful. Words can not describe how much I admire this xstitch. Now, the fairy light socks pattern is great. I just put it on my list of future socks.
There I was thinking I must comment on how pretty these yarns are and then 💥 you give us a flash of your finished cross-stitch. It looks amazing. I’ll have a look later on my PC too so I can see it on a bigger screen.
Thanks! I’m planning on doing a longer most with more details/photos on Friday. 🙂
Your mandala is GORGEOUS! I love how it turned out! It was hard for me to get a feel for how it would look finished based on the small sections that you were working on at once. That is really a work of art. (And now I’m even more excited to—eventually—work on the piece I bought from Châtelaine Design after I first started seeing you post about your mandala. I want to have some time to focus on it, though, so I’m not starting it yet. Maybe that will be my stitching focus for 2023.
I also must admit that I’m more than a little bit in love with that sock yarn! They’re going to be a great addition to your sock drawer. And the motif cowl is a great way to use that taster set!
Thank you! It was pretty hard to see the scope of it whilst rolled up on the scroll rods. There are so many layered parts to it – it was a very fun and entertaining stitch to be sure! I hope you’ll enjoy working on yours next year (or whenever!)
I’m in yarn heaven right now with all the current projects 😀
There are so many great yarns out there! Yarn heaven is a good place to be.
Beautiful projects! The colorwork is gorgeous. How do you like Marie Wallin’s yarn?
It’s a bit different than other jumperweight yarns I’ve worked with as it has a long-staple component so it has more luster than the typical Shetland-ish types of yarns. The colors are brilliant and I do really like those, as well as the slight heathering that’s in the yarn. I think the price point is a bit steep compared to some other colorwork-type yarns; I’d put it more in the Alice Starmore/Virtual Yarns category. I enjoyed working with it but not sure I’d spend the money for an entire garment in it.
Good to know. Thank you!
Stunning stitching, I can’t imagine the amount of hours and dedication! That cowl looks beautifully warm and snuggly.
It definitely has been a very long-term project. I think I started it in 2019? (Although granted I didn’t work on it exclusively in the intervening time….)
Your Desert Mandala is gorgeous! It’s a work of art. You must be so excited to have completed it. The fairy lights socks are beautiful. The yarn looks great with that pattern.
I am THRILLED with it, and thank you! I’m enjoying those socks as well. I love how the pattern works with the yarn 🙂
Okay, the cowl is beautiful but WOW that Desert Mandala is just stunning!!
Thank you so much – on both counts 🙂