Off the Grid

As of tomorrow I'm at the Aged P's for Christmas, where there is no interwebs as it is the work of demons and Not Allowed. So, that will be all for a wee while. I can tell you're all just heartbroken.

In the Xmas Knitting Wars, I have won the last battle. Mum's wrap is complete, blocked and wrapped. It remains to be seen if the war has been won...when the recipients open their parcels. There will be photographs :-) good or bad...

As a response to the seemingly endless knitting-for-other-people and knitting-for-the-house I have cast on...

A Sweater All For Me. It's in Rowan Sheep Breeds, Black Welsh, and it's going to be a Seamless Yoke a la Elizabeth Zimmermann. I have some Jacob and Suffolk to do the colourwork. Thoughts so far - the yarn is delicious, sheepy and a wonderful black-brown colour. Warm too, like you'd expect as it grew up on the side of a Welsh mountain. Also, bonus! on 7mm needles it knits up FAST. I'm about 11" into a sleeve already and the body ribbing is done (one afternoon's work). I must admit, it looks TINY...but then I only have a 36" chest (poor me with my fried eggs) and I have come straight from a 48" ManSweater. So not surprising really. This will be going down South with me, if nothing else to freak out my mother with my two-handed Fair Isle technique.

I have also swatched the Noro Kureyon I have been patiently stashing, and that's going too for when I need a colour hit. I'm thinking a madly stripy Seamless Raglan with this, but I'm still debating. I must admit, everyone seems to go on about it being scratchy, but I found it quite ok so far. Maybe I dropped on a good ball.

I picked up a tip a few weeks ago, which I thought I'd share. Lilith recommended the use of a Lush conditioner (any of their non-vegan ones) to soften up knitwear. I used some American Cream in a final rinse, and it not only seemed to impart extra softness, but smells absolutely divine. So that's today's Tried and Tested Tip.

Right, that's me. Y'all have a great Christmas, and I'll catch you on the flipside. Who knows, I may even have a sweater to show you.

~*~