Remember this?

of course you do! Heck even I can remember it, it was only the last post and I was full of enthusiasm for the design that was in my head and the dyeing of the colours I had intended for the patterns. It was the sample swatch for a jumper I wanted to design and knit for myself.

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I dyed 4ply natural white wool in a range of the rusts and oranges, also a lovely green and a fresh yellow were added to the range of rusty through peachy colours shown here, ~ and I started. I cast on for the jumper and I knitted the ribbing as per sample and the first peerie pattern and was half way through the green heart stretch [knitting in the round] when I noticed that the round I was working was out of kilter, the stitches didn’t sync with the round below. So off the needles it came. I only intended to pull it back to the beginning of the pattern to have a rethink and check but thought that while it was off I would try it on for size ~ and wow it was way too big. Now I had checked the tension, worked out the maths, just simple multiplication after all, so where did it go wrong? Don’t ask me! I’m still wondering. So the lot came out and  rolled back into balls to go back to the drawing board [or pad]. My faith in the tension square has been badly shaken, I need to recover.

Meanwhile, we hit a cold, wet spot here in Hampshire [and I reckon probably everywhere else in the UK] and I hauled out my snuggly handknits from a couple of winters ago, one of which was the Harvest Moon pattern from Heidi Kirrmaer [her picture shown below]. I have lived in it. I also added myself to the family list of casualties succumbing to a horrible fluey cold virus,  so the cosy wrap around texture of the soft Aran type wool I had used was like a warm comfy blanky. [you never grow out of the need for one of these!]. I just wish I had a bigger photo to share, but realise I had only taken a photo of it in progress for my Ravelry, but find the original pattern there and have a look.Anyhoo a long story short, I decided to use the Womens’ Institute Aran yarn I recently bought at Hobbycraft in Basingstoke in a lovely steely dark grey and knit another! What can’t be seen from the tiny photo above is the lovely I-cord detailing and pockets. You start with just twenty stitches to knit the garter yoke/collar incorporating a clever I-cord edging for the neck edge and a faux I-cord at the other edge making it easy to pick up the stitches to knit down for the sleeves and body. It is a dream to knit, ~ really and soooo cosy. I originally bought the yarn, which although 100% Acrylic [ugh] is a lovely smooth yarn and knits up squidgy soft but firm, for a cable  fest Aran style jacket, but hey since when did I keep to plan?

I am still intent on knitting the fairisle, I have new ideas for the design, perhaps a cardi with perhaps an I-cord cast on – still not decided but definitely in the near future it will be cast on again. You need something to get your teeth into while knitting stocking stitch largish cardigan.

We had a bit more sunshine today, but there is no doubt that Autumn is here and these pictures [taken before the rains came] confirm it

. The girls are waiting for their morning scratch around the garden. This time of year they have free range to dig up all the bare patches. They are let out most days into the garden throughout the year, although they have quite a big run [this is the small inner one] they like a good scratch around. They are useful now as opposed to being a pain when young plants are first in, they dig up and clean up, making my life a bit easier.

I have been sewing, perhaps next time I’ll have photos to show. We’ll see.