A Girl Can Dream, Can't She?

No sooner did I type the words "not allowed to work on anything else," than the most delicious idea popped into my head. I haven't started, or even swatched it, but I did pull out the yarn:



This is handspun alpaca, purchased at an alpaca farm on Thetis Island many years ago. The brown is a very firm aran, the gray would be a DK or light worsted, and the black is laceweight. I was not especially savvy in the ways of yarn back then, and didn't clue in to the vast difference between them (sadly, neither did the folks who sold it to me point out that this was inappropriate for the tricolor stockinette sweater pattern I was waving at them.) It is lovely yarn, however, and the fact that they are all undyed naturals from the same herd made me want to keep the set together.

With the profusion of soft, cozy greys and browns this fall, I've decided the time has come. I have a vision of a cropped cardigan with 3/4 sleeves (maybe even full length - depends how the yardage holds up), just loose enough to layer over a long clingy T-shirt. The body and sleeves will be knit from the brown and grey yarns, in a nubbly tweedy mixture - woven stitch, or perhaps one of the other tweedy two colour patterns from Barbara Walker's first treasury. Preferably something that doesn't eat yardage too fast, since I'm somewhat limited there. The black will be used for the borders - probably doubled for the button bands, with an interesting pattern (maybe even lacy - I'll decide once the main sweater's done) for the lower border and cuffs.

I may even get to start soon, since I finished and seamed in the second sleeve of the blue and white sweater last night - all that's left is the neckline. This is absolutely, positively the last new project (other than Christmas presents and sweaters and hats and mittens for the kids) before Christmas. Really. Seriously. (The white Aran is already in development, so it was grandfathered in before the rule. Also the silk scarf. And obviously I need socks and a hat and gloves, but those hardly count.) Not to mention putting my nose to the grindstone with the jewellery, so as to make a proper go of the business. No problem.