Koto - a new sweater

Koto is a pattern by Brooklyn Tweed that has been long on my list of sweaters to knit. I love it's architectural construction and unusual shape. I ordered the wool over a year ago but only knitted it a few months back and have been wearing it plenty this winter with the unusual cold weather we had.




This is not a difficult sweater to knit but you should be comfortable to knit short rows which is how the longer bell curved shape around the back is constructed.




I have become devoted to top-down knitting but Brooklyn Tweed patterns are often knit from the bottom up but at least front and back are knitted as one and the sleeves in the round resulting in relatively few seems to close.




I knitted the hem not quite as deep as suggested in the pattern as I did not want the back too long. A small alteration which I am very happy with.



The hem and collar are knit with a beatuiful facing and the collar is faced with stockinette stitch to give it shape and structure.



I used Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Snowbound just as the original pattern as I fancied a lighter coloured sweater for the winter. But I do think that it would look stunning in a dark blue or even black and I am tempted to knit another one just like that.





The yarn is ideal for this knit as it has structure in itself but is very light and lofty. It also is incredibly warm. It's not the softest yarn as it is Wool instead of Merino but it feels still very good on my skin. It is quite a remarkable yarn indeed. I don't often use the same yarn as recommended in the pattern but in this case would recommend it as this pattern relies on a structural yarn.

Been knitting...

Just a little note to start the weekend. I bought some gorgeous wool in New York at Purl Soho. This shop did take me a little by surprise. I love their Purl Bee blog because it is so inspirational and the shop in Soho is fantastic for wool. I really saw wool there I have never seen elsewhere and that does mean something as I have been knitting since I was little. Not quite as manically as some years ago but I still have something to knit or crochet on all the time.

They also stock fabric but their selection didn't blow me away I must admit. But for wool - they are fantastic.

So bought Tosh Merino from Madeline Tosh to knit a baby blanket for my best friend Leigh's first baby that will arrive in July. The wool is hand dyed and comes in the most sumptuous colours. Here I went for four different greens and turquoise that blend together well. I am simply knitting it purl and blend in slowly each new colour. 

Happy crafty weekend.
PS. I don't forget one more day to enter my spectacular giveaway !!!

Judith

Holiday preparations

I am going in holiday in 3 weeks time. In fact today in three weeks time I will probably just have parked my derrière in the hammock at my favourite beach. The beach in Zanzibar is called Pongwe beach (just in case you would like to know). And yes it really is that lovely, just perfect in my books. This will be third time in 6 years that I am going to my home from home and what really is very funny is that if somebody would have told me that about seven, eight years ago I would have snickered derisively. Travel always involved not visiting the same place twice and more importantly not sitting vegetable style at a beach. I am happy to report none of this seems that important any more when you get beyond 40 (am currently a proud 42).  What a relieve. Does anybody else feel that way ?


But of course I won't be just sitting there for days on end doing nothing. I am compiling a list of books to read. A mixture of ambitious and easy. So far I am taking the latest Ian Mc Ewan 'Solar', Tess Gerritsen latest Crime offering 'The Killing Place' and maybe the latest one from Franzen called 'Freedom'. But I am not sure about it as it is fairly large and I am still reading 'Corrections' from him, which by the way is really good. There is also Maggie O'Farrell's 'The Hand that first held mine'. Does anybody have anymore suggestions ? I am going to be there for a whopping 6 nights which means lots of reading can be done.

But I also need to take some handicraft with me. Now, even I know that I can and should not take a quilt with me. That really would look weird. But I need something to do with my hands in between holding books and letting the sand run through my fingers (yes I am rubbing it in). So I was thinking either crochet or embroidery. For some time now I wanted to try my hand on Japanese Sashiko embroidery here or here.  My idea is to make something along the lines of a redwork project but with Sashiko and than work these squares into a quilt with alternate fabric squares. Similar to Nova's fantastic project she just finished at the end of last year. I am not so good at drawing so Sashiko would suit me fine and I am thinking to do it in navy blue or so. But I am not sure that his is the best for the beach to be honest.


Second option is to start an Afghan. So I bought lovely Rowan cotton/wool mix yarn yesterday at John Lewis (got most of them in sale too).  Something along the line of this or this. The great thing with granny squares is that they are so easily done and one doesn't have to drag a big piece around.

But I am open to other suggestion. So in case any of my wonderful readers has a better idea please let me know.