Nostalgic Knits

Well, a progress update I guess. My Mosaic Bag (which was the second easy peasy FO I was going to show from time off being ill) is mere inches and some seam sewing (yuck!) from completion, but once again it has been cast aside.

I happen to believe it is not just my monumental fickleness which is to blame for this. This time Knitty is partially at fault too. Why is this? Well they just had to go and put the pattern for Thermal in their winter surprise section. I could not resist, I love this pattern, it is completely nostalgic for me as (naturally, I suppose) it reminds me of a German Army surplus thermal vest which I used to wear absolutely to death as little top when I was a teenager. Except Thermal has a cuter neckline :)

Such was my burning desire to start this project, coupled with the extent of my financial troubles at the moment, that I knew there was only one way to go to get the yarn. I had to sacrifice my Union Square Market Sweater. I don't think I've ever posted about that project but I had actually done a whole sleeve and got up to splitting for the front and back of the body but I was never quite sure about it so it had sat there with no work being done on it for ages. I thought the body seemed a bit short and I wasn't overly enamoured with the colour combination I picked (a burgundy for the main colour and a mauve-ish shade for the accents) so I decided to go with my enthusiasm for Thermal and try and get something finished.

So there you have it, I've cast on for Thermal in a burgundy 4 ply merino from Texere. This does mean, however, that I have nothing more interesting to show you at this stage than 1 3/4 inches of twisted ribbing. Perhaps once I have got into the main stitch pattern a bit I will show some progress photos.

I don't think this is the end for Union Square Market yet either. Now that I am using the yarn I have already got for a noble purpose I will feel more able to buy more yarn in better colours to start over again - I am thinking maybe of the same merino yarn in 'bronze green' and 'olive'. Maybe the mauve-ish accent yarn from the original attempt will turn into a pair of socks at some stage. This is stash-busting out of necessity - waste not, want not.