I have clearly lost my mind

Just got my order in of more Skacel Contrasto for a birthday gift for a friend. And because I can't simply order ONE yarn, like ever, I added in some yarn for a sweater for the little dude. This yarn. In black and orange. As I said, I have completely lost my mind.

Yes, I keep knitting absolutely garish things for my son. Because that is what he asks for and I'm a softie for the little guy. The latest thing he asked for was a head-to-foot T!gger costume, knit or otherwise made by moi. I figure a pullover with kangaroo pocket in this yarn is the closest I'm willing to come, and that's a lot farther than most.

In other news, I finished the tam for my sister, and it is mostly OK. The top is a little, eh, peaky, so I'm going to rip back just a few rows and do k2togs all the way around and see if that makes it flatter. It is really very nice, I think. I still think the cast-on edge is a bit tight. The wool is so soft and warm. And now I have one full ball and part of another left over. Enough for another ribbed hat for me? For someone else? I adore this yarn. Why doesn't everyone stock it?

Oh, and I finished the 3.5" part of the Viva top. Came across a challenge: the pattern has you knit the back & front separately. Now that I'm done with the two "separate" parts of the front, the yarn is at the middle. But in "real life," the yarn would be at the edge. So I think I have to cut it and rejoin it at the right side (not the left, right? Doesn't knitting go from right to left?). Weird, huh? I do still like it, even though the yarn does sometimes catch on the tip of the needles (which are plenty dull, being Clovers).

I've put aside Odessa for the time being. I kept making mistakes.

Mistake-Rib scarf in Contrasto

I finished the Skacel Contrasto scarf last night, while waiting for delicous burgers. My son put it on immediately and I haven't been able to get it back from him so I can weave in the ends. (I told him I'd be cutting the remaining ends off and he's terrified it'll unravel. I shall reassure him. Those ends are mine.)

It turned out just great. The pattern is really charming and easy to remember. A friend admired it while I was doing it. She may get something nice for her birthday....

I bought this yarn because of its price and high silk content and, when I got it, was unenthused. Couldn't decide on a pattern for it--there aren't a lot of raw-silk knitted tube yarns out there. I found some patterns for full sweaters, but no ideas for just 3 balls.

It is not the softest, but it does have lovely depth of color and a pretty neat scrunchy feel. It doesn't get stabbed by the needles easily (its version of splittiness). The mistake-rib stitch suited it well; I did it over 23 stitches (multiple of 4 plus 3).

This is a UFO that was ripped out (a very stuff reversible cable scarf) and now done. That feels great!

UFO update

I frogged Pasha. That acrylic is going back to the frog pond. No regrets there.

I also frogged a laceweight mohair hat I started for one of my son's aftercare teachers--fool that I am, I actually thought I'd finish a laceweight hat on size 8s in a moment's time! Don't know what I'll make out of it now, as it has no label so I have no idea of the yardage. It does have a lovely sheen (it's black).

Finally, I frogged a scarf I'd started last fall. It's in Skacel Contrasto (in olive), which I bought from Herrschner's because it contains silk. This was before I realized that the kind of silk yarn I like is the kind with a nice sheen. I had started the scarf in L!on Brand's Reversible Cable Scarf, because I love the idea of cables that reverse. But the pattern made it incredibly stiff and awful. So I frogged it entirely, cast on fewer stitches, and am doing a Mistake Rib scarf. It really looks super. Not sure who I was doing it for--my son asked, and after he felt it, he asked for it. I have 3 balls, so that should make a nice length of scarf.

Maybe I'll also frog the purple sweater tonight. Whee!