bohus, back nearly done, nearly, nearly nearly

Ok, so knitting back and forth in stocking stitch for night after night is not any where as much fun as the colour work. Last night I put in a place marker and in a little over one hour, drank one cup of tea and knit just over 1 cm. Bohus blue shimmer goes sooo slow when the colour work is done. Any way progress shot, the one of the whole garment lying on the floor was not in focus, so here is a close up of where I am up to. The zero of the tape is sitting on the shoulder neck rib section. I plan to only do a few more centimetres. I wish now I had measured the row count of my swatch before I washed it, as I am a little worried about loosing length in the first block/wash. I really don't want this to be a midriff baring number, but more of a just under the hip bone classic length. Then a 5 cm faced hem I think, very loosely sewn down so the ridge on the right side is minimal. Pinocchio here is my cute tape measure, which i have to keep hidden from roaming 3 year olds and 7 year olds (no they are great, and don't touch my stuff - unlike visiting kids) but isn't such a great idea?

So I saw this opal in the window of Elna Jans Patch, Dunedin, the most well equipped quilting and embroidery shop in Dunedin, and I fell for it. It is nothing fancy, just Patons patonyle, 4 ply , colour 4314 lot 743220. 80% wool and 20% nylon. Last night I swatched on 2.75 and 2.25 mm dpns, the wool band recommend using 3.25 mm but I do like a firm gauge to my sock. Strangely I usually like my sock gauge really tight, and habitually knit on 2mm and 2.25 mm, in this weight, but I think I like the 2.5 mm this time. This image was after washing and overnight drying in front of the fire embers - lucky sock swatch, it shared the residual heat with our cat Yo-yo. The colours are soo pretty but are they me? I have been tending towards the intellectual fashion look, so my socks are mostly black, white, and grey - classics really. Where will this wee pretty number fit in I wonder? I am sort of thinking that those really frosty mornings when the busses run late and the hill streets where I live are treacherous, a good pair of sturdy light weight tramping shoes are in order, and these socks would fit in those fine. Of course this needs the tramping shoes and the change into shoes at work. I do seem to have a colour problem right now, every time I buy a pretty colour top or such from somewhere I instantly see many old women in the same top, and I start to doubt my choice. And I mean old in the kind of wear bumpy shoes, roll when they walk, don't use lipstick and don't get hair cuts old.

I was listening to lisa on maths for knitters, who does a fantastic job of explaining without diagrams or illustrations to help how knitting maths works. I am a learner who learns by doing, and understanding, and i do get maths and knitting, but find it really great to hear how she uses maths in her own work and why.

Reading some posts on knitters review and realise that i need to knit a v neck something, or square neck, maybe this or this or maybe both? The reason, that round necks are fun, but not very flattering, especially when high round necks. there was thread discussing why something that was fun to knit and a challenge technically often didn't work out to be flattering. I realised as much as i love the knit all in one, and the EZ no seams techniques they really don't suit many gals. we need chest skin on show, not clevage, not boobs, but some skin or the waist to neck area is just one big blob. There was some discussion of raglans, but I think the real problem is the neckline. Something that says see I have collar bones, and see my shoulders are not one dark width. So Rose Bohus will be attempted as a cardie after my next one. What to knit with, Rowan I think, which is stocked locally but mightly expensive, so some saving to do.