Hello Internet Friends!
Well, it’s official, the rainy fall season has started here in Vancouver! And with the chilly winds, rain, and occasionally sunny days come all the hand knits that i’ve been quietly making over the last few months of summer/quarantine. Like a lot of other knitters I know my knitting production seemed to increase due to the extra time indoors and, at least for me, the increase in video meetings for work. I honestly find that knitting while in a meeting helps me focus more because my hands are busy meaning that my brain can focus in on what is being discussed. This is especially so for long video calls probably because I’m so used to knitting while watching TV that my brain associates videos with knitting time 😅. I’m hoping that as things very, very, VERY slowly go back to a modified pre-pandemic life I can continue to bring my knitting with me to long meetings without everyone giving me weird looks 😂.
Anyways, on to this amazing cloud of a project! I don’t remember how I stumbled upon Tara-Lynn Morrison’s Good Night and Day Instagram but when i did I instantly fell in love with the colour blocked version of her Tofino Cardigan. Since i’ve been on such a mohair kick in the last year or so it was probably the intense fuzziness of the Loopy Mango Mohair So Soft yarn in combination with the colour combo that drew me in! I had also never heard of a bulky weight mohair yarn before so I was instantly intrigued! In a semi-impusle/treat-yo-self moment I decided to splurge on this yarn and after considering all the colour options decided that I loved the colour combo that Tara-Lynn originally made and went with that!
On her saved instagram stories Tara-Lynn had directions for how to make her colour blocked version with some yarn estimates. Unlike her version I wanted to have both sleeves colour blocked and landed on ordering 4 skeins of Autumn Leaves (the orange colour), 3 of the Milk Tea (the palest colour, love how it’s named after bubble tea!), and 1 of the Tiramisu from The Knitting Loft. So for my colour blocked version I ended up using the Autumn Leaves until a row past the arm/body divide, then the Milk Tea for the rest of the body until the ribbing which was knit in Tiramisu. For the sleeves I picked up and knit with the Milk Tea and then again used the Tiramisu for the ribbing at the cuffs.
I knit the smaller of the two sizes and by the end was left with one full skein of Autumn Leaves and about half-3 quarters of a skein of Milk Tea. In retrospect I probably could have made the sleeves a row or two longer since when I lift my arms my wrists are exposed due to the very oversized, drop sleeve drafting but at the same time, due to the slight ballooning effect of the sleeve (which I love!), it’s probably best that the sleeve is a tad short as helps to prevent the balloon part from getting into things. Since I have some left over two colours I can also now think about making a semi matching accessory, I’m thinking of making a Tamitik Hat either for myself or as a gift for someone special 😉.
This sweater is honestly like wearing a warm cloud if such a thing was to exist! it’s so so so so soft, the mohair/merino mix is so light while being just warm enough to wear on a quick walk or around the house as the season change. It’s sometimes hard with bulky weight sweaters and cardigans, I love making them but sometimes they can end up being way too warm for Vancouver weather. Not so with this airy and light yarn, it’s really a great mix of getting to knit with bulky yarn without over heating later on when you’re wearing it!
Can we talk for a min about the halo (it’s it just me or can you also not say ‘halo’ without then singing part of the chorus of Beyonce’s Halo?) of this yarn/cardigan? Just look at that fuzzy, halo goodness in these pictures! It’s amazing! Yes this does mean that it does shed a bit, but I honestly don’t find too many shedded fibers on my clothes post blocking of this cardigan, when I was knitting it it for sure shed a ton but after a good block it’s not a problem!
I’m very much tempted by both this yarn and some of Tara-Lynn Morrison’s other sweater patterns to indulge in a bulky mohair pull over sweater, buuuutt that will have to wait for my knitting queue to decrease and my wallet to increase lol maybe an early self Christmas present??? Hope you enjoyed this post! Let me know in the comments of any of your pandemic knitting splurges!