How good it feels when a pattern pops up and you immediately think of a long-stashed yarn that would be perfect for it! This merino/silk TUT yarn is not only a similar yarn base, but it’s the most stunning shade of heavenly azure blue…

Pattern: beautifully and comprehensively written. There’s quite a bit going on, but the pattern guides you through unwaveringly… as long as you pay perfect attention! Mine wandered off as I started the sleeves: I picked up sts for the right sleeve, rather than the left (as it states - and they are slightly different), and finished the thing before realising. It doesn’t actually look too puckery, so it’s staying… but I had to give myself a little thwack across the knuckles.

Mods: an inch longer in the body. I may have made both body and sleeves slightly longer, but I ran out of yarn due to a ballwinder malfunction: it’s been making a funny clunking noise and the 3rd skein came off the holder looking rather peculiar and ovoid . At some point as I knitted with it, it sort of disintegrated into a crazy mass and I’ve had to try to wind off as much as I can from it. Life is too short for untangling

I-cord bind off: I was a bit unsure about getting the tension right for the various bind offs: I ended up using a 4.5mm needle (held in my right hand) for the bottom edging and sleeve cuff bind offs (didn’t want them too tight); but then I used a 4mm for the neck edging, and knitted it very firmly - I didn’t want the neckline to end up too loose.

Yarn: waxing lyrical about the TUT, not only the amazingly scintillating hand dye, but also the great yarn base - firm to knit with, and great quality silk which doesn’t catch or fluff up.