Weekend WIP

I've been working on my Lopi this weekend, which I cast on in November but which remained at 2 rows until the start of January.

You may applaud me for my progress since the start of the year but I wouldn't really deserve it, since this was my progress as of last weekend -

The body knitted up super-quick, mainly because for the first week of term I was pig headed about school work in the evenings (ie, not doing any - I'm not 100% well so I am trying to look after myself to see off this nasty cough that's been hanging around, though it's still with me) and because knitting st-st on bulky yarn is never going to take a long time.

Then when I got to the colourwork I sort of lost heart and didn't touch it all week. It's terribly bulky because I foolishly used 4 colours on some rows, which is a lot to carry around. I manned up yesterday at knitting group and carried on, untangling every half a row or so, and then realised it was going to come out much too tall and had to adjust my chart. Originally I had charted it for a double wave but I'm going to have to be satisfied with a single, at least for this garment - heaven knows I've enough yarn left over for another. I'm only just into the fourth skein of navy.

I am very pleased with the shaping, at least - I added vertical bust darts for the first time and they've come out really well. I had hoped to get it finished today but, alas, work had to take precedence. I can't dodge it all the time, sadly.

Ski Trip FO

I am returned from Chamonix. Unfortunately I brought back a nasty cough but, since I always seem to get a cold over the Christmas break, that is not too much of a shocker I suppose.

I did use my time productively, managing a bit of cafe marking and also knitting this entire hat for Tutt.

Pattern: Cafe au Lait tam
Yarn: Artesano...I think it is their Alpaca Heather, though it's good and sproingy. About 1.2 skeins.
Needle: 4mm and4.5mm
Mods: None - this went really nicely just as written. I love how it looks cabled when it is really just YOs and k-togethers.

The other thing I liked about it was that it knitted up as though it was going to be just a regular beanie - I was a bit disappointed, because I really think Tutt would suit something slouchy. But then, I blocked it over a plate and the shape was transformed. Genius.

(took me a week to get a natural light picture...damn winter.)