I finally worked up the energy to weave in all of the ends (SO MANY ENDS) on my finished Elska hat this past weekend so that I could block it and start wearing it. For context, there were 2 ends (at the beginning and end) of each color change, because I didn’t want to mess with carrying yarn up the inside of the work; it seemed too likely to create tension issues. So yeah…it was a lot. But it’s so great now that it’s finished!
Pattern: Elska, by Ysolda Teague
Yarn: Jamieson & Smith Shetland Heritage yarn; “Indigo” kit colors
Needles: Size 2.5 circulars (I used magic loop)
Time to knit: a little over a month, on and off.
I’m really pleased with how it turned out, but I still feel a little weird accepting compliments on it, because after all, Ysolda wrote the pattern and I literally used the exact same yarn and colors as she did, so to my mind, she’s the one responsible for its beauty – I just did the work of recreating it. (I’ve written about the complicated feelings I have when I follow patterns exactly before, in relation to Skógafjall.)
One reason I’m glad I went with the kit is that I was really curious to try this Jamieson & Smith Shetland Heritage yarn; it’s finer gauge than any yarn I’ve worked with, and though it’s 100% shetland wool just like the Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift I used for Bressay (another one where I used a kit and followed the pattern almost exactly), it’s spun differently, and has a smoothness to it post-blocking that’s just different from the almost felted feeling that I get from Spindrift. They’re both great yarns, and I’m glad I had the chance to try to the J&S Shetland Heritage yarn for this hat.
The top uses fairly abrupt decreasing to achieve a kind of “gathered” effect, and it looks really neat with those light colored “trees” all pointing to the center. And now I have a LOT of each color left over, so I’m plotting using it to make some of little creatures of From Cinthia Designs – I think the browns and creams would be lovely for bears and bunnies.
Next week, we return to teaching on campus, so I’d best get started on some portable projects this weekend! My current project is decidedly not portable, which has been fine during these weeks of Zoom meetings. But I am running into a problem…
I’m getting close to the end of the knitting on my third Farmhouse Cardigan, but I’m getting even closer to the end of the yarn. I knew it would be a close call, because while I had one full skein of this color (Silver Grey, 8018) of Cascade Eco Wool, the rest was leftovers from the Mitered Crosses Blanket I made years ago. I thought I had close to a full ball in leftovers, but given how little I have left at this point in the yoke, I think I’m going to run out. I’m not sure what to do – I think it would be silly to rip it out, but I also am really resistant to the idea of ordering another skein, since the ENTIRE point of this knit was to use up stash yarn! And because Eco Wool comes in 478yd skeins, I’ll end up with a TON leftover if I order another skein (and of course there is the issue of dyelot, but I could alternate with what’s left of this skein and it would probably be fine). So I’d only want to get another skein if I can be certain the leftovers will get used for something. Or, just spitballing here, if any of you lovely readers would want ~400yds worth of Eco Wool (what I’m estimating will be left over, if I start a new skein), maybe I could send the leftovers on to you? I’m open to suggestions!
whit::knits 
Hi Whitney! I really enjoy reading your posts as my mind quite often works similarly to yours. With always having my own (frequently complicated!) adaptation of knitting patterns, with feeling overwhelmed and frustrated by situations in the hands of others. With the size of my stash and trying to match future projects with number of balls on my shelves. With balancing work life and mothering. Oh, life can be so complicated at times. Not all the time, thank goodness.
Now, a suggestion for this Farmhouse cardigan. Do you have any other Eco yarn (or something similar) in another shade? Because you’re just at the sleeve-joining point, building in a stripe or simple pattern could be a good solution. Otherwise you could be very close to losing at ‘yarn chicken’. A little bit of insurance can be a good thing! And much better than buying one more ball in a different dyelot.
Thank you, Lynne! Nice to find a “kindred spirit” here :)
I haven’t had a chance to update the blog this week, but over the weekend I went digging through my stash closet and found a REALLY old attempt at crocheting a “granny rectangle” that hadn’t worked out and had been shoved in a bag. I’d remembered that before I used this Eco Wool for my daughter’s Mitered Crosses blanket, that’s what I’d been trying to do, and sure enough, ripping out the old old crochet-in-progress yielded enough yarn to finish Farmhouse! Hopefully I’ll have it blocked by this weekend.