I’m happy to say I’ve had a positive start to 2023 on the knitting front. I cast on a pair of socks with one of my Christmas yarns just before New Year and finished them this week. This was the perfect little palate-cleanser project after the long haul of my pink cardigan and the completion of the 2-yarn socks which had been lingering a while. By the way, I’ve decided on the term “mash-up socks” to describe the pairs I make to use up left-over sock yarns.

I’ve written up the technical specification of the Hollyberry socks in my fresh new knitting journal.

There’s not so much to relate about this project, other than to say the wool was a really nice one from West Yorkshire Spinners. I have occasionally found their sock wools to be on the thinner side, but this was a nice robust one. I’ve yet to decide what colour wool to choose to complete the second pair of socks from this wool and I’m wondering whether some mini skeins might fit the bill for the mash-up projects. That will act as a prompt for some fun internet exploration after I’ve done a stash dive to see if I already own something appropriate.

It was almost bedtime when I finished writing up the information about the socks, but my mind was already fermenting some ideas about my next project. I was ready to embark upon the first garment of 2023 and found myself drawn to the Rowan Baby Merino Silk DK I’d ordered last year in a nice mid-lilac. Remembering that I had been taken with the way it looked beside the multi-coloured Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Queguay colour, I hit upon the idea of another cardigan, this time with a plain body and a multi-coloured yoke. I was so happy with this idea that I sat that same night and cast on for the back of the cardigan.

I’m making decent progress with the knitting. The Rowan Baby Merino Silk is lovely to work with and reminds me of Louisa Harding’s Grace yarn which was also a silk and wool blend. I used that for a jumper many years ago which turned out to be a particular favourite. That yarn, alas, has long-since fallen out of production. The Baby Merino Silk isn’t available on Rowan’s website at the present time, so maybe that is heading in the same direction. I did buy my bundle in a sale. This tendency for yarns to come and go is rather an irritation. It can lead to fruitless searches for defunct yarns, or, more worryingly, to stock-piling yarns that we feel are going to become scarce. It’s not a phenomonen limited to the knitting world, of course.

I hope I can keep up the impetus with this cardigan as I can see it being a good addition to my wardrobe for the spring when I need something warm, but crave some flowery colours.