Kirkmichael knitting

I got back into the swing of the Stillwater last night, if it could be said to have a swing. I actually finished the pattern repeat -- 58 rows. I figure it will need another 30 rows or so before I start the armhole steeks. Can reader interest be sustained?

Here, with colours somewhat garishly enhanced is

Mungo's Koigu sweater


as I left it behind in Kirkmichael on Saturday morning. The first two inches are in a knit-and-purl diamond pattern. While I was doing it, I thought the beautiful Koigu was completely swallowing the stitch pattern, but now that I've left it behind, I think it looks rather well -- and much more legible than this photo suggests. Sort of like brocade.

The rest is a simple series of ten-row stripes from my ample Koigu stash. I think I'm about halfway to the armpits. The whole enterprise looks rather large, but, hey! he'll grow into it. I'll use ordinary ribbing for the start of the sleeves, not the diamond pattern -- a chap needs to be able to push his sleeves up.

Some energetic friends will be coming to stay with us this weekend here in Edinburgh -- it will be quite impossible to knit the Stillwater while talking to them. That project can only tolerate the company of a silent husband and uninteresting television. That was the great attraction of the idea of bringing Mungo's sweater back -- it's blissfully mindless knitting. But I didn't, so I'll either have to start something else (I know what) or just knit the current travel-sock after solving the problem that presented itself at the doctor's office last week.