Let me tell you something, I'm having a real problem with Madelinetosh yarn. They way an addict has a problem with drugs. It is so beautiful, and the Ravelry group turned me on to their new colorways and bases available on etsy. This site is terrible in the very best way -- during the weekdays it updates about every 10 minute with more and more beautiful yarn. Because of that, I've acquired two sweaters-worth of Tosh Sport, a beautiful, bouncy base similar to Vintage but in a sport weight. Here they are. Can you guess what my favorite part of the color wheel is?

On the left, Magnolia Leaf. On the right, Golden Hickory.
Picture is not great, these are warm, glowing gems in the reddish brown to olive green spectrum. They're very related, with Magnolia Leaf being a little lighter. I'm in a staring contest with these skeins right now... I really want to make a sport weight top with one of these, and then probably sell the other, if I can bear to let them go. BUT I have decided I am not allowed to start one of these. Why? Because I have SEVEN, count 'em, SEVEN projects in progress on the needles right now. That's just ridiculous. After the stockings in the last post, and my rigorous fidelity to them for a month, I went a bit craaazy with the knits. First, the projects I finished since then:
1. Another model garment for Garden Party (rav link). I don't have a picture of the FO, but it came out very cute with the white flowers and yellow button centers. This is to display at the store for a while, and then for me to own as a sample. After making this one true to gauge, I think the pattern is running a bit big -- this is the 12 month size but it looks more like a 2T to me. So I think I'm going to resize the pattern a bit.

2. I finally finished a sweater for me! This is So Inclined (rav link), a fun boxy top with short row patterning. So this was really an extravaganza of Berocco Touche, a fond farewell to a yarn now discontinued.
Classic mirror shot
3. A crocheted baby blanket (pattern link) in MadelineTosh Vintage. Impossibly yummy. The mom (a knitter) loved it, even though it's not in traditional baby or boy colors. It felt a bit "boardy" while knitting, with the very dye-saturated colors, but I washed and dried it in the machines, and it is amazingly soft now.


So hooray for Finished Objects!
And now, the pile of UFOs. First up, I picked up the cable sweater I'm making for our daycare lady, for 3 years now. After I committed to this sweater, I discovered I don't really like cabling. Bummer for me. Since this pic, I've done about 4 more inches on the back.

Next up, one of 3 more baby blankets due by the end of the summer. This one is crocheted, the Sunny Spread that I saw on Grumperina's blog. I'm doing mine in sock weight -- Dream In Color Smooshy in Butter Peeps. Very cute. The good news is that the squares go quickly. The bad news is that there are 1 million trillion of em. I work on em till I get tired of them and then give them a rest for a while.

OK, next is Baby Blanket #2. This is intended to replicate a quilt that the mom had as a baby:

I've selected a lovely assortment of Tosh Vintage, and I'm working garter blocks in strips. Really straightforward, but great for working on in meetings. As of now I'm most of the way through strip 3 of 5.

Next, a prototype for a new colorwork pullover design called Young Macdonald. It's got farm animals going round and round the body, E I E I O! Working in Cascade Ultra Pima cotton, which is like a very light DK. I'm working it at 6.5 stitches per inch. Here's a sketch:
Right now I've just finished the piggies!
One project has been officially put in snooze time-out -- it's Ormolu, in MadelineTosh Pashmina (I told you I had a bit of a problem), in Port and Oxblood, with Glazed Pecan accent. I wanted some very subtle low contrast for the body of it. Swatch below. It's lovely, it's just sort of a Fall garment, and I'm not allowed to work on it until some of these blankets get off the needles.

Next up, a Little Red Caboose (rav link) in size 3T for Aidan. I'm teaching this as a class at Loopy right now, so I thought I'd do it as a knitalong. No sweat. In good old Cascade 220, cranked down to 5 sts/inch using size 5 needles. I'm actually using my leftovers from the prototype sweater! Aidan is quite the Thomas fan, so this version will feature two trains, one with Thomas pulling Annie and Clarabel, and one with James pulling his tender and some freight cars (If you don't know what I am talking about, then you are not the owner of a train-crazy toddler). Here's a picture of the original one, with the original kid, just about 1 year ago. On the new one, I'm finished with the yoke and ready to divide for the sleeves, just in time for class tomorrow.

OK finally, here's where I really need to admit that I've got a problem. Under the guise of doing a good deed and donating to Japan, I bought the Mitered Crosses pattern from the Mason Dixon ladies. Those ladies are as bad as Madelinetosh yarn to inflame start-itis. And I conveniently have a bunch of Mochi Plus leftover in two colorways. So I bought a bunch of solid ecru to go with it. My plan is to make this as a blanket to donate to a silent auction for Alec's school. Maybe I'll finish it for the May 17 auction, and maybe it will be for next year. It doesn't count as a new project if it's for charity, does it? These miters are SUPER FUN!!
Here's the beginning of a square, in the Tapestry Rainbow colorway.
Hi everyone, my name is Jen, and I'm a start-aholic. The first step on the road to recovery is casting on. Wait that's not right! Admitting I have a problem. Too late!
I am having so much fun!
Maybe love's an accident, or destiny is true
But you and I were born beneath a star of dazzling blue