time to make good on my promise

Last post, I believe I promised you a jumper, did I not?

ta-da!

I've been trying to get a shot of it on, but the daylight and the self-portrait opportunities have not been forthcoming, so a jumper-on-the-floor shot will have to suffice!

I am, however, really please with this jumper.  It fits *really* well, like, the best I've ever had my handknits fit me.  

Scrolling through the other finished versions on Ravelry, and it seems a lot of people have had issues with the neckline fit - mostly too big and gapey, so I was very careful to try it on as I went and make sure I was on track.

The effort was worth it.  Mine looks nearly exactly like the one on the model (again, you'll have to trust me on this one until such time as I can get a fetching selfie).  I also striped the facings on the hems, mainly as I was worried about running out of the main yarn.  I needn't have though, having about 3/4 of a 50g ball left over.

Speaking of yarn; the dark brown yarn is some Jo Sharp DK merino in the colourway "Beetle, and it is "officially" my oldest stash.  I say officially, as I'm fairly certain there is yarn in the stash that predates this lot, but I haven't bothered loading it onto Ravelry.   But that is just semantics.

9 balls, stashed in a 2007 bargain ebay-frenzy - used up!

When I finish a big project, there is always a sense of unrest and slight morose that couples with the pleasure of finishing.  I usually like to have a few smaller things on the go to combat this and not leave me with any downtime knitting-wise, but this project finished up quite all-of-a-sudden and I found myself early one evening with empty needles!

I've had this idea playing around in my mind for a while now, so I grabbed that bag of leftovers that everyone has lying around, and quickly cast on this:

It may not be a jumper, but I'm pretty pleased with this little stashbuster.  All my leftover sockyarn scraps, knit up into a scrappy, slouchy beanie!  

I used this free pattern, and made the decision to just change colour whenever I felt like it, and to try not to over-plan the colour sequences too much.  I'm really fond of random stripes, so the lack of planning doesn't faze me at all (in this circumstance).

It became my go to project for a fortnight, methodically working in the round, but it went so fast because every time I felt the slightest twinge of boredom - pooff! colour change!

It's lovely and soft, and fits very well.  It probably wouldn't be warm enough for some of my Northern Hemisphere friends, being only 4ply sockyarn, but for Melbourne it's perfect for keeping the Autumn winds out of one's ears.

and just when you think, my what a good stashbusting couple of projects that is...I go and do this.

and maybe some of this...

there's 4 of each of these colours, too...!

I've been good for ever so long, and the WEBS sale started, and that damn discount offer that kicks in the more you spend...well, it suckers me in every time.