Amendments to pattern:

• Cast off back neck rather than leaving on holder. I like a more stable area here, where there’s maximum strain on the fabric
• Neck ribbing knitted back and forth rather than in the round, to avoid added bulk of steek at this point.
• Extra length to body, and an extra 1” to the arms. Lots of yarn to allow for this.

Mark bought this kit for me for Christmas 2012. Finally got time to cast it on for myself once Wonderwool and various sample knitting was out of the way. Yay!

28 May - haven’t touched for a day or so, but this is going to the Netherlands with me as part of my travel knitting. Up to the plain lice knitting, so not taking the copy of the pattern with me (I’ve bought it on Ravelry and will upload it on to the laptop so I can check even if not online).

25.11 - picked up again - this needs finishing and wearing now it’s so cold.

17.12.13 - split for armholes, knitted an inch or so, and then had to pull back because I’d forgotten to do the shaping immediately afterwards. Drat.

15.10.14 Highly irritated with myself - picked it up again and trying to sort out where I am - about to shape for neck. What size am I knitting? I don’t appear to have noted it. Buggeration.

I’m knitting the M - just done the first decrease after the neck shaping, and counted sts.

18.10.14 - cast off shoulders together (from the outside rather than the inside as instructed, as I like to make a feature of it and don’t like the look of it to the inside), in the van on the way down to this year’s Bakewell Wool Gathering. First sleeve cut open and picked up on Saturday night, bit of knitting done at the show and on the way home.

10 November - cut open and picked up the stitches for the second sleeve this morning before work. Did lots of the first sleeve at Mavis’ at the weekend, and cast-off last night watching Strictly. Couple of rows done on the train this morning. Finished by Christmas is a distinct possibility!

15 NOvember - hoped to finish the second sleeve this evening, watching Strictly at Ma’s earlier in the evening, and then ‘War of Words’ on BBC2 at home - a deeply upsetting and fascinating about the poets who survived or died at The Somme. Got to the end of the lice pattern - wonder if I’ll get the cuff done in the morning.

Sunday 16th - second sleeve finished, liked the finish on this one better (one final row of rib in black, then cast off in rib) so re-did the first one to match (had been done in 2 final rows of black rib then a thicker cast off).

Need to do front when I’m fresh.

23 November - not touched it for a week - the K&S show has rendered me too tired to knit even! A bit this morning before work.

24th - cast off collar this evening - didn’t do this in the round to prevent too much bulk in front of the neck. Will slice up the front when I’m not so tired.

27th - buttonhole band finished and cast off. Buttonband picked up - 160 picked up, same as the other side. First row of black rib done, join in colour tomorrow.

29th - finished. Ends woven in, bands tacked together, in the machine on a 30 degree wool wash. I’ll decide what to do with the steek facings when it’s blocked.

Finished the knitting on 30th Nvoember

3.12.14 Finished the front steek with some rather nice ribbon I had in the ribbon stash. I had 3” left over! The neck steek has been herringboned down, the arm steeks I’ve just left, secure in the knowledge they’re not going anywhere. The buttons Mark bought me at Woolfest 2013 are sewn in (I needed ten, I had ten) and it’s done. Very pleased with it.