On the Needles for March. . .

I've been nursing the inevitable cold I seem to get each March.  It attacks each of my colleagues in turn and just when I think I've become immune to all the workplace germs, I wake up with that tell-tale tickle in the back of my throat.

So I spent most of the weekend taking naps and lying on the sofa accompanied by lots of cups of tea with honey. At any rate, it has allowed me to get a lot of knitting done.

I had such fun last year with Kate Davies' Seven Skeins club that I decided to join another yarn club for 2016.  I chose Ysolda Teague's club as she uses all British yarns and hand-dyers. I received my first package last month - a gorgeous skein of deep emerald Blue-faced Leicester lace-weight, dyed by Triskelion Yarns.  The accompanying pattern is called Banyan which can be knitted either as a shawl or a wrap.  It's tricky combination of lace and cables, but the end result when blocked should be wonderful.  It's a LOT of knitting though; six 80 row pattern repeats plus some extra rows at the end.  I'm on the fifth repeat and really hoping to have this finished in time for the Edinburgh Yarn Festival.  It will go perfectly with the dress I plan to wear at the ceilidh.

It's all squishy now, but should block out to a very beautiful lace pattern.

The other project in the works is Solja, designed by Anna Maltz.  I've admired this sweater ever since I saw it in Pom Pom magazine.  Many of the versions that have been knitted are in bright, bold colours but I'm going for a more muted palette.  I'm using Baa Ram Ewe's new DK yarn, Dovestone. The body is knitted in the natural shade of Yorkstone with Bramley Baths as the first contrast colour.  I love how the pale blue looks against the soft grey, even though I'm not usually that keen on pastels.  I haven't yet decided on the rest of the colours.  One part of me is toying with the idea of using the Bramley Baths for all of the colourwork; another idea is to use varying shades of blue from my stash.

I've just completed the body up to where it gets joined with the sleeves. Two sleeves to go before I need to think about the yoke.  This yarn is wonderful to knit with - so soft, but rustic at the same time,with less of a halo than Titus.  It's interesting to see how the two yarns take the same dye colours differently.  The Dovestone has taken out the alpaca of Titus and added in 25% dark brown Masham to the Wensleydale and Blue-faced Leicester blend and it gives it a bit more of a heathery look. I'm looking forward to creating a really cozy sweater - perfect for future sick days on the couch.