My Cathay finally arrived!

The parcel finally turned up today - and had only been posted yesterday, not last Thursday/Friday as notified. Also had an email to say the shop is actually physically moving to Devon, think they are currently in Wales!

I ordered 2 of the Duck Egg to be on the safe side (and I love that colour anyway). First time I have handled Cathay yarn and am most impressed, it feels very smooth and soft and has a very slight sheen.

I am now enabled to start the jacket - but I'm currently doing 2 scarves at once, one for DH and one for my Dad, I have the BdF jacket to finish too. I've been putting off ripping out part of the back, will try to do it this weekend. I just want to finish the thing now, would be handy to be able to wear it in current weather :-)

More yarn musings

I bet you're glad you let me in aren't you?! Just picture Mavis from Corrie saying 'ooh, I don't really know...' and you've got me at the moment!

Anyway, here's another thought to throw out. I agree with what Anna says about the it being the detail and the yarn that really makes this jacket. I am in love with Cathay but can't pull enough colours out of the range that I feel happy with. So, I wondered about doing something quite different and knitting it entirely in one colour. Then ALL the focus is on the shapes and forms and not on where the brightest bits of colour are. I love shade 08, or maybe even 07. (I don't know what they look like on other monitors but 'in the flesh' they are duck egg and teal).

I have almost (almost!) discounted the DB Merino and other yarns like it, as I think (even if I end up with an acyrlic) this piece needs a 'silky' yarn, not a 'woolly' one.

Pattern and shade cards recieved...

... and Claire no nearer a final decision, lol! Not that you can get a very good idea from the ropey pic, but left to right are DB Cathay, DB Cotton Cashmere and DB Merino DK

The Merino has the best colour range but Cathay feels much nicer. The Cotton Cashmere falls somewhere between the two.

The fact that the pattern for Rebel, whilst being identical to Sgt Pepper, is made from a yarn with a strikingly different tension (18st and 26 rows to 10cm on 5mm needles, whereas Cathay is 22st and 30 rows to 10cm on 3.75mm needles) has scrambled my brain a bit too!

This is my least favourite bit of the knitting process - I'll be alright once I've made a choice!

Yarn dilemma

Hmm, apparantly, bottle green is the most unfashionable, rubbish colour ever! I am really struggling to find any DK yarn that comes in a nice dark green plus black and dark grey (I was going to use black for both the red and teal/grey bits). The best I've found so far is Sirdar Country Style . I'm sure it's a nice enough yarn but it doesn't seem very 'special'. So, now I'm wondering whether to go back to the Cathay and just pick different shades. I know I definitely don't want to use the red and white but I'd be very happy with black for the body and perhaps the teal-ish colour for the i-cord. I also quite like 06,16,18 and 19 so I might be able to find four colours overall.

I was rather sold on the whole Sharpe thing though! I will look a bit more and continue mulling things over.

Can you see what it is yet?

So much potential! I'm not starting yet. I want to finish my Nothing But A T-Shirt first if possible but I'll see when everybody else starts and how far I've got. The usual dark pictures I'm afraid, not a nice day here.

I'm in!

I saw this pattern and was smitten just a few days ago, then co-incidentally found dreamcatcher & nanatoo were doing a KAL, so it seemed like fate! I'm not sure I have the oomph or the figure to completely carry off the original (!), so mine will be a more subdued version in colours similar to those worn by the delectable Richard Sharpe [pause to find smelling salts]. At the moment I'm still in the very early stages of planning. I've ordered my pattern from Get Knitted (due to lack of working printer) and haven't yet chosen my yarn. I like Cathay but it doesn't come in the shades I really want - I'm thinking bottle green for the body, dark grey for the cuffs and plackets (that is what they're called isn't it?) and black for the i-cord and trim, with silver coloured buttons.

I'm a fairly slow knitter who easily gets distracted by shiney objects, so I may well be here for some time! I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone's progress :)

Seahorse

I ordered yarn!

I just ordered the yarn for the jacket, from Em's Stitches Online. I'm using Debbie Bliss Cathay in the same colours as Anna's original jacket. This store has it on sale at the moment, at 2.85 per ball. They also have some other great offers, including Sirdar Luxury Cotton.

How to join the Sgt Pepper KAL

Welcome to the Sgt. Pepper Jacket Knitalong! This is an ongoing KAL for anyone knitting, or about to knit, the Sgt. Pepper Jacket by Anna Bell. There is no end date so please feel free to join in. This jacket is also known as "Rebel" for Alchemy Yarns.

If you'd like to join, please send an email to sgtpepperkal AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk (replace symbols as appropriate), with the name you'd like displayed on the Members list, and the link to your blog if you have one. We will link your name to your blog unless you ask us not to.

You will then receive an "invite" email, you need to accept this to join the blog and be able to post.

Note you will need a Blogger account to join, as this will allow you to post and comment.