There’s been a lot of consideration going into what project – or projects – to start next, here at knitting and chocolate. You see, I’ll be heading off to a writing retreat soon, and choosing what knitting and crochet to pack is always a Serious Business.

I’ve chosen one cardigan pattern to start, which will provide lots of stocking stitch as well as fun cables. Then there’s the cashmere gloves from my Sockless Summer list, as something small and transportable yet requiring some attention. For easy knitting in the car I have the beau’s socks to finish. And if it gets too hot to knit wool and cashmere, I’ve thrown in some cotton to crochet sunhats out of.

Finishing the Glamour Vest left me with nothing to knit before the retreat, however. I don’t want to start any of the projects yet and I’m saving the socks for car knitting. So last night I started something else…

My first foray into mitre squares, based on the Miter Sweater wendy of wendyknits knit April last year. I’ve had a vest in mind since then, that uses the same colourway rather than different ones – and I’ve had the yarn put aside for a while too.

After doing a few experimental squares I settled on a 24 stitch mitres on 2.5 mm needles, with no stitches between the decreases. I measured up an existing vest that fits well and sketched out a shape made up of squares (and triangles for shaping) of roughly the same size.

The yarn is The Knittery 4ply merino in ‘choc cherry’ colourway. I have two cakes of it. Here’s the thing. They weigh just over 200 grams together. I’ve worked out that each square weighs about a gram. How many mitres in the vest? 206.

Even if it lasts to the 206th mitre, I’ll have no yarn to knit edges with. But it just happens that there’s a burgundy shade of Patonyle that matches very well… if I can find a ball. It’s been discontinued, but people have reported on Ravelry that there are still stocks here and there.

Don’t you love how knitting stash leads to buying more yarn?