Just for Me - A Mystery KAL

Every holiday season for the last four years, one of my favourite designers, Laura Aylor of Fogbound Knits hosts a mystery knit along.  I've only had the opportunity to participate in two of them so far, but both times have thoroughly enjoyed it and this year's was exceptionally good!

I had finished my gift knitting - I'd really scaled back this year because I knew that with working full time now I likely wouldn't have the same time or energy for crafting as I used too.  In previous years it was nothing to be up late Christmas eve frantically trying to finish knitting a gift.  Last year in fact I remember finally going to bed at 4am and setting my alarm for 6am so I could get up and finish G's cowl.  I cast off and snuck it into her stocking as she pulled in the driveway at 7am.  It was madness and I knew that I didn't want that kind of last minute panic this year, so I made a point of finishing up before the Christmas season got under way.

So it left me with plenty of time to work on Laura's mystery KAL that she always dubs "Just for You" until after the whole pattern has been released at which point it gets it's own name.  This holiday's pattern is now named Retrospective.

When Laura sent out the planning sheet early in December I went down to my sewing room and started digging through my bins of yarn for two skeins of DK weight yarn.  I wasn't  happy with any of the choices.  They were ok, but nothing was jumping out at me.  Well nothing except the couple of
couple of skeins of Madeline Tosh yarn in the Composition Book and Lolita colour ways that I've been hoarding for the past several years since winning it in a gift knitting KAL for knitting the most gifts during it.  I kept by-passing the Tosh because it was too precious to use.  It's way beyond my normal budget.  It was special.  I needed the perfect pattern.

And then I said a big ol' TO HECK WITH THAT!  After all, if the whole point of Just for You was to treat yourself then why not use the special, precious yarn?  The worst that could happen was that I'd hate what I knit (not likely with a Fogbound Knits pattern, but one never knows), and then I could rip it out and still have my special yarn.  What good was hoarding it doing?  Sure it was pretty to look at every now and again, but really shouldn't the joy be in actually using it?

So I wound it up and when the first clue was sent out I started knitting.  I LOVED it.  I was so enamoured with the pattern, with the yarn, with the fact I could have a deliciously relaxing time knitting with no deadline.  It was perfect.

I have been desperate to show it off since casting off, but Laura had asked that we keep it somewhat on the down low until all participants had their chance at the mystery.  (She was doing two rounds.  The initial one before Christmas and one starting right afterwards for those who didn't get the chance to knit before hand).  So the pattern has now been released in it's entirety on Ravelry and here I am, finally able to show it off!

I adore this pattern and it was so much fun to knit up - getting a little section to work on each night for twelve days leading up to Christmas was perfect for me!  And I'm so glad I chose to use my precious Mad Tosh.  (except now I'm really coveting more...  those colours.  They're so amazing!!!)  I do have one more full skein of the grey, plus a smidge of both the skeins I used for the cowl left.  Maybe a pair of mitts or gloves would be in order...

 PS: don't judge the Christmas tree.  It's been down since Sunday afternoon - I took these pictures on Boxing day and New Year's Eve day. So well within the acceptable time frame for a Christmas tree! ;) LOL

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