Stash Dash 2014 ::

I have quite a few finished objects this week.

I finally finished up my Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman.  I'm not sure if this really counts towards my stash dash total as I haven't really done any actual knitting on it.  I'm going to count it unofficially just because it seems unlikely I'll make that 5,000 total anyways!
I love this cardigan, I loved knitting it and really like the way it turned out.  I did 10 rows of white for every 4 rows of colour, I did this without doing any sums to see if it would work, but fortunately it's almost perfect in terms of colour spacing.  I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino DK for the main colour and some scraps I had left over from my Mystery Blanket for the stripes, which was Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran. Buttons are from my etsy shop (don't forget I have 30% off until I go on maternity leave and there's a chance to win £15 to spend in store, see this blog post)
Yardage is 240

Next up is the Milo vest I knit for the baby.  Looks super tiny, which is a bit worrying, but hopefully I've just forgotten how tiny babies really are, it also has quite a lot of stretch.  I enjoyed this pattern and I love the yarn (Cascade 220 Aran).
Yardage is 132

I also managed to finish up the baby granny blanket.  I just kept going until I ran out of yarn.  I'm not sure I'm all that impressed with this piece, I don't think it helps that after soaking it I decided I couldn't be bothered to block it so just laid out to dry.  I'm sure it will serve it's purpose well though.  I used Rowan Felted Tweed, which in retrospect is probably a bit tickly for baby skin, but I figure it will be over sleepsuits and sheets so probably won't be too much of a problem and will certainly be lovely and warm.
Yardage is 764

Lastly I have something entirely different for me, some spinning!  I bought myself a spindle last year from Hill Top Cloud and taught myself from the kit I got.  Then at the Knitting and Stitching Show I purchased some fleece to try and have a bit more of a practice.  That was back in October and I literally just finished spinning that measly 50 grams a couple of nights ago.  I was thinking spinning just wasn't really for me, as much as I'd like it to be, but when I came to ply the yarn I changed my mind a little. As I saw the yarn really come together, I thought maybe I could enjoy this after all.  This is very much a beginners skien of handspun, but everyone has to start somewhere right?! I have no idea what I can/will actually knit from it either, it's really quite ugly in many many ways.  For now I'll just admire all my hard work.
Obviously now I can't stop looking at all the beautiful roving on etsy I'm especially in love with the gorgeous colours over at Spin City Yarns, plus her spindles are works of arts in themselves.
Yardage is 236.

So my total yardage so far is:
Brickless - 315
Hitchiker/Brickless for me - 275
Baby socks and hat - 70
Milo's Hitchiker - 215
Baby Surprise Jacket - 240
Milo Vest - 132
Granny Square Baby Blanket - 764
Ugly Skein - 236
Total - 2,247 (nearly halfway!)

Stash Dash 2014 ::

I've recently started watching the Knit Girllls video podcast, which I can highly recommend, and these clever ladies are hosting Stash Dash 2014.  The simple goal of which is to use as much of your stashed yarn/fibre as possible over the summer, with the target of 5000 yards.  Officially starting 23rd May and ending 7th August.  You can knit, crochet or spin, anything from your stash, only finished projects count, though if you finish an old work in progress from before the starting date the entire yardage of that project counts towards your total.  As I'm trying not to spend any money on yarn at all at the moment, this really appeals to me.

I was a bit late joining in and I've cast on 2 new projects over the past couple of weeks, so I'm not entirely sure I'll make the 5k, but I'm certainly going to give it a go.  I have a ton of works in progress I could finish up and this may just give me the will power to do so.

So far I've completed Martina Behm's Brickless, using Debbie Bliss Rialto Bella from my stash (ravelry notes here).  I used exactly 3 balls (I had to do a couple of k2tog's in the cast off to achieve that feat!) which comes in at 315 yards. That's all I have finished so I still have a long way to go yet.

I cast on a new shawl this week, it's sort of a Hitchiker, Brickless, mash up.  Using a skein of gorgeous, merino, alpaca, yarn I bought in the bargain bin at Wonderwool last year, which I dyed myself with Kool Aid, last week.  I'm basically doing 4 repeats of the Hitchiker's main pattern then a section of the lace repeat from the Brickless (though only doing 8 rows), and adding beads into this lace section.  I'm not sure what the yardage is for this yarn as it wasn't on the label, which is why I'm aiming to make it fairly thin, in the hope I'll have enough yarn to make it long enough.  I know it's only 50gs in a laceweight, so I don't think it will go very far, but it's already long enough to reach around my neck and I think I'm about half way through the ball.  I will need to calculate the yardage somehow though in order to work it out to add to my stash dash total.

In my wips I have the gorgeous Dahlia cardigan I started 2 years ago, I think all that stocking stitch after the lace and the fact I'm not entirely convinced I have enough of the (discontinued) yarn to finish it, has meant it's been lingering on the needles so long (ravelry notes here).  But it does look beautiful and the yarn is gorgeously soft, so I really hope I get this completed (probably with short sleeves mind!).  I think that would add around 800-1000 yards.

I also have the blankets I've been making for the baby, the chevron knit blanket, granny square blanket and the heart granny square blanket.  If I can get those finished I think combined they'll be about 1400 yards.

I'm not sure I'll be finishing any of the other wips, but you never know.  So if I do manage to complete all of the above I'll be at around 2800 yards, a long way off the 5000, but hey if I do decide to finish the chevron crochet blanket I started many years ago for a wedding that has long long since passed, I should think that would push me right over!

If you fancy taking part, you can watch the Knit Girlls over here, join their ravelry group over here and read up on the rules etc... over here.