Purple Pull Irlandais

Pattern: Pull Irlandais #063-T11-378 by Phildar Design Team
Yarn: Alize Cashmira 100% wool, 350 g
Needle: 3.5 mm rib, 4 mm body
Time to knit: 12 days

Modifications: Knit in the round up to the armholes, the sleeves were also knit in the round, tubular cast on and bind off.
A few words about Cashmira - it's definitely one of my favourite yarns now - great stitch definition and elasticity and contrary to common belief that wool is itchy, it is soft and pleasant to the skin.

It was so freezing cold when we took the pictures, that I kept pulling the sleeves to cover at least partially my cold hands. I also tried to smile but the frozen skin of my face wouldn't bulge :)))

This sweater turned out to be one of this year's projects I enjoyed most - easy yet intricate enough design, beautiful well balanced cables, pleasant yarn. My purple pull irlandais is going to get lots of wear this winter, I can promise you that :)
And I'm still searching for a similar pattern to repeat the knitting delight.

Random Thoughts and Pictures

Some sunny winter pictures I took a few days ago in the nearby park.
I know it's mostly because my knee hurts and I can't go on long walks that now I long for a walk in the snow on Vitosha:

I'm glad the world didn't finish today, because I've got just a little bit of knitting to finish and I'll have a whole new sweater to show - my purple Phildar sweater is wet blocking and I'm waiting for it to dry to sew the parts and knit the neck piece. But before I began the Phildar sweater, I intended to knit the yarn into the Point Gammon Pullover, I even had almost finished the first sleeve.

However in the course of knitting the sleeve I grew cold towards the pattern and decided that there was no point in continuing with it. And I do not regret my decision a bit, the Phildar sweater knitted quickly and was a very pleasant project. Actually I even feel a bit ... sad, now that it's almost done. I've spent quite a few hours today in search for my next project, I want to cast on a new wool sweater right away, I even bought the yarn. I've narrowed my choices to two lovely designs, but I'm still not sure, I don't feel exactly excited about knitting either of them and that is definitely a bad sign for a start. Hm.

Or probably I'm a bit sad, because I just finished watching the last of the Murdoch mysteries series and I can't wait for the new season :) At least season five finished promisingly ... :)

OK, I'm off to bed, it's a good hour after midnight. I'm sure I'll dream of Murdoch investigating which would be the best pattern for my new yarn :))))