in need of warmth

So winter is in full swing... fingers are cold, mittens are needed. It is Maimu's mittens pattern from Folk knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush which I've modified by using different cuff and simpler thumb. I only have this lonely unfinished mitten so far, as I've discovered strong dislike towards stranded patterns and my inability to knit with both hands...


But fingers are still cold and as these might not get finished this winter or at all, I bought (oh the horror!) two pairs of gloves from H&M...

But I really like the yarn - my Cashmere/merino in Copper penny + undyed.

Also I started a jumper last Sunday and voila, I already have the body and one sleeve done. The yarn is really really nice - Jo Sharp Silkroad aran tweed, colour Bridle. It is quite expensive, but it has wonderful feel to it - it's so soft! And I've washed the swatch and it gets softer, yay!


Here's the swatch - I opted for garter stitch edging, I think it adds to the rustic look of the yarn.


If everything works out as it should it'll have shawl collar and large hood. That is if the neck opening will be wide enough and if I won't run out of yarn, I only have 500g in total and this jumper is oversized. Here is the start of my steek:

See? Hard to tell how big will the neck opening become after it'll be cut...


I'm also still working on my crochet blanket. I abandoned the original idea of crocheting with 3.5mm hook in scallop pattern, it has evolved into All Scraps That Match Blanket (I have a lot of gray and similar...) on a large hook. So far I have 130x100cm piece, I'm getting there.