Work In Progress Wednesday

This week, for the first time, I am participating in Tami's link party, where bloggers write a "work in progress" post on Wednesdays (there's also a Finished Object Friday, but I'm always too eager to post my FOs to wait!) If you're interested in what other people are working on, click here to go to Tami's blog and see the WIPW posts.

I figured this week, as I have just cast on two new projects, it would be a good time to get involved.

So, as I finished my cardigan and my shawl (yay for long weekends *laughs*), I needed new projects...

As you saw from yesterday's teaser, I am knitting something green. Really green ;)

Actually, yesterday's pic is a better representation of the colour, it really is very green.

This small amount of progress will eventually turn into Blithe from the Kim Hargreaves book Breeze. Not sure what possessed me to start a pattern in 4 ply cotton on 2.25mm needles.... Aaaargh! This is going to take me forever. Also, I don't like knitting with cotton! Ok, so I know the book is all cotton patterns, but I plan to substitute on most of them. But for this one, a cotton summer top, it needs to be the right yarn... See:

By the "right yarn", I don't mean the recommended yarn though. I figured out that even buying it from the Kemps sale bin, it would cost over £35 to make this top. It's cute, but not that cute! I went for a cheaper version, which will come to about £13. Much more like it *smiles*

Anyway, onto my second WIP. As a reward for knitting with crunchy feeling cotton (and a break for my hands, which don't appreciate the lack of soft after a few rows!), I also cast on using my wonderful 100% silk.

It's soooooo very soft *smiles* Unbelievably so. I struggled at first to find the right pattern for it, as I was advised I might. Various stitch patterns didn't work with the drapiness of the yarn. I decided it needed something more structured than too much lace, but not boring, it's too special to be just stocking stitch!

This is what I ended up deciding on (after trying 4 or 5 different things)...

It';s really hard to show this pattern properly - once stretched out a little it is beautiful. And I really can't capture the sheen of the yarn. I've decided this is going to be called my Mermaid scarf - I think it should be clear why ;) It's quite narrow, as I don't have much of the yarn, but I can't wait to wrap it round my neck!

So, there we have it, 2 brand new projects *grins*