Me and Madelintosh

It has been hot as hell here (see Monday's post) and yet I have had a lot of yarn in my hands. The central air does help, but I think I may have continued to work on my new sweater without it. Yes I said MY! I am knitting for myself...yeah! Mine, mine, mine.

It started as a twinkle in my eye.

The yarn I bought on a recent trip to Chicago is fast becoming a Tea Leaves Cardigan. Well, pretty fast. I have knit the yoke (this is a top-down sweater) and am currently wading through 13 inches of stockinette. Ugh. What is getting me through this mindless knitting is the amazing fabric the Madelinetosh is creating. It drapes, has a medium weight, and a soft texture...the finished garment is going to be incredibly versatile.

On each row I am alternating between two balls to avoid pooling.

 The Madelinetosh knits up like butta. I will be straight with you, when I bought this yarn I had some sticker-shock. I wondered if it was worth it. (I mean really, I've made some beautiful stuff with $7/skein Cascade 220. ) Oh my, I've learned that you get what you pay for with this yarn. It has it all, stitch definition, rich color, a firm twist...I repeat, butta. I don't want to love something so pricey, but I'm afraid it's too late.

Love!

And so far, I am really digging the Tea Leaves cardigan pattern. It has been very easy to read and fun to knit. If this sweater fits well when finished, I will be one happy girl. I will even go so far as to say that it would be a great "first-sweater" project for those who have never tackled one before. (You know who you are.)

Between the yarn and the "friendly" pattern, I am having a great time with this project. It is one of those that I get obsessed about finishing. With so many other projects on my plate, I keep picking up the needles and soldiering through the stockinette. Now, I need everyone to pray for some cool weather so I can wear the sucker when it's done!

Have a great weekend!

–Cassandra