A bit of digging

I did a bit of digging yesterday.  In the stash of course.  It is routinely delightful but this time I was also on a mission.

I have to fix this sweater.

It is my version of Ysolda Teague's Threipmuir.  I knit the first part of the colourwork too firmly and it just does not want to rest and relax after several blockings the same way as the rest of the sweater.  It feels like it pulls up at the neck and I feel chokey.  I don't wear it because of that. But I love the fabric the yarn has made.  Seriously love and would shout to the moon for the beauty of Brigg's and Little Sport till the cows all come home and beyond into the darkest night. I had the best part of two balls left after finishing the sweater so my mission was to find them.  

Mission accomplished.

I also took the opportunity to pull out some yarns to make more of what I call my work sweaters.  In long ago prairie parlance you would have called them your everyday sweaters, versus those that are just a bit fancier which we would have called our school sweaters or going to town things and then of course our Sunday clothes.  Those were the various levels of clothes in my childhood.  In my working days, I had painting clothes and work clothes.  I shamefully wore the painting clothes much much on lazy weekends.  PJs are a much nicer thing to wear, and the best of all is the summer dress class of clothes, trust me.

First thing I came up with was some deep rich green heathered Cascade Eco +.  That was the first thing I cast on.  

  

In the daylight here, it doesn't look rich or very green, but it is.  I cast on for a simple raglan sweater, 3/4 sleeves and a hand pouch to warm chilly winter fingers after the knitting is done for the day.  I have three skeins for it and because I am planning for a fairly wide pouch, may have to pull out an emergency skein in a deep rust from long ago to do the inside of the pocket.  Time will tell, but a workhorse type sweater is always a good thing.

I also pulled out some yarn for a wee treat for me.  I love watching the Cozy Up Knits podcast.  They make me laugh and they have the best coffee cups.  Really, just the best.  But mostly they just make me laugh at the silly sister hijinks.

They have a pattern that came out late spring for a Broiche Hug and I loved it from the moment I first saw it.  A very long time ago.  Not that I am bitter but I waited for them to make it a pattern for a good long while, and here it is.  I knew exactly what yarns I wanted for it for a two colour version.  

They are different yarns, one being pure alpaca and the other being a very soft drapey wool, rayon and silk blend but both are so soft that I hope it works.  If not, no biggie and I will have enjoyed trying with these.  The pattern is such a nice shape that I can see me knitting more than one of these.

And then there is that whole looming winter thing.  It isn't here yet.  The last two weeks have been hot, very dry and just about as perfect fall harvesting weather as any farmer could have ever dreamed of having, but the kids are back in school, I bought a new pack of pens and some paper.  It is also dark at 5 a.m. and that means cool days are coming.  As hot as it has been, I felt chilly.  I needed winter sweater wool.

I bought a bunch of Atlantic on my Epic Journey a few years ago  from the Brigg's and Little factory store.  I have 8 skeins of white and seven skeins of various shades of grey, basically two sweaters worth.  My original thoughts were to knit a heavy over sweater with colourwork with the darkest grey at the bottom and the lightest at the top and white as the main colour, but I don't know.  Layers works too and Muna and Broad has a seriously great patterns for coats and jackets.  I could sew one if I really feel the need and find a fabric that I fall in love with.  I am not sure what sweater or sweaters this yarn will become, but it, they, are going to be lovely and warm.

Maybe with deep pockets and shawl collars and a double breasted style front.  Extra layers for extra warmth.  I must be feeling chilly right now.  

Anyway, I have frittered away my morning.  I have a few chores today, generally involving the washing machine, but am otherwise just going to knit my heart out.