Sweater vest update...

I am loving knitting the sweater vest... :)

But as this is a first for Fair Isle I have discovered that you really have to pay attention to what you are doing. I have had to frog several rows once I get to the end and realise that the pattern is out by one stitch. And it is so noticeable, not the kind of mistake you can get away with.

I have just started decreasing for the arm-holes, which means I have to pay even more attention. Decreasing and different coloured stitches eek!

Dresses and yarn

Pay day has been and I needed a pick me up as the last week was a little manic and fraught at work.

So here they are:

M&Co Bird print dress.

I was looking for a mustard blazer that I had seen in a magazine, which upon seeing it in person did not like at all. Then I clocked this dress and loved the print :)

It reminds me of Orla Keily prints.

Apricot floral print dress.

Apricot chunky knit. I have always wanted an oversized snuggly cable knit (I am not that great at knitting cable!)

I first spotted this gorgeous Fawn Poncho or Fawn-cho over on One Sheepish Girl's blog and I fell in love! I ordered the pattern from Tiny Owl Knits and today I got the yarn. I couldn't get the Debbie Bliss Chunky Tweed so am going to try the Rowan Felted Tweed Aran instead.

My yarn

My circular needles (circulars are new to me, so we'll have to see how I get on!)

I am, as always, always looking at the next project but will have to pack these away in the yarn box until I finish the Rowan Fyne vest.

What finds have you recently bought?

My knitting is 'Fyne'

After finishing the Big Needle Knitted Throw I wanted a new knitting challenge. I was trawling through my folder where I store all patterns and things of prettiness that I swear blind I'll make one day, umming and ahhing and it jumped out at me. A tank top by Rowan called 'Fyne' and made using Rowan Felted Tweed yarn...

Great... I have my pattern! On a high, as Fair Isle is definately a new challenge for me, off to my knitting box I went and found the right sets of needles - fantastic! now I just needed the yarn :/

So, a few weekends back I poottled off to the nearest Hobbycraft which have quite a large yarn / wool selection. After walking up and down the aisles several times and to my dismay I realised that they didn't have this highly sought after Felted Tweed. I quickly whipped out the Blackberry and searched for the elusive yarn only to discover that over half of the shades I needed are no longer available! (turns out that I had pulled the pattern from Simply Knitting magazine in 2008) I made a snap decision to buy the closest matched Rowan yarn that Hobbycraft had and be on my way. It was a hard decision as the colours were all different and I wanted what was in the picture.

The same day I started knitting. I did the waistband which was now in a mottled dark grey colour and then changed to the main body colour... la la la

The following day, I wasn't 100% happy with my substitute yarn so went on a trip to John Lewis in Southampton. Yayyyyy!!! They sell the Felted Tweed!! :) and lots of it. Although half the shades are no longer available, the range of colours in this yarn created a kid in a sweet shop scenario and I matched the missing colours as near as I could with the above picture.

I then frogged everything that I had previously done and this is where I am up to so far...

Luckily the colours that they still had in production were the blue for the waistband, the fawn for the main body and the striking ginger

I love it and cannot wait until I am finished :) I'm tempted to go and get an extra of the blue and fawn though... just incase I run short and then find that they have changed their stock :s

What are you working on at the moment?