Italian approach

A few weeks ago I bought some new knitting magazines, with fresh and crisp models for fall. K chose a nice stripey sweater with a turtle neck (or should I say, I talked him into wanting it?). Our deal is, he pays for the yarn, and I do the knitting. You see, I don't believe in the boyfriend sweater curse... but I figured, when he pays for the yarn, then I don't jinx it. Clever, huh?
Anyways, this sweater required an Italian cast-on, something that was new to me. It took me two attempts (and I hated it at the start), but then I had it. It was quite easy actually, and I really like the result:


It's not as "cut-off" like it is with a regular cast-on... although, I haven't tried that many types - the way I usually cast-on is the one with the long tail. But I'm already kinda planning on using this cast-on method in something else, because it looks so good! Just like in a bought sweater... as if this would make it any more real. Isn't it strange to consider something which is handknit as not as real, or as not as proper, as something that is store-bought knit? Or is it just me?
The yarn, though, is a pleasure. It's Schachenmayr Alpaka, and I can't stop knitting with it because it's so soft. Yumm!

The other project I'm about to start is a sweater for myself. It's from a magazine from last year's fall, and thought about making it ever since. It has a deep v-neck, both on the front and on the back, and some cables. And I forgot to take a picture of the picture... I'll have to wait until daylight tomorrow.


This time I went for a quite daring color! I've had enough of muted colors, or of blue all the time, so I figured - why not? It's ggh yarn, Solitaire. The softness is nice, but no way near the Alpaka. It's quite light though, and that is a quality I like about it. It's supposed to be a winter sweater after all, and I wouldn't want a heavy piece that drags downwards.

And yes, I still do work on a summer top, although there's not much point doing that any more. My summer holiday has been cancelled, and August here was the complete opposite to July. Where July was the hottest since they started collecting the weather data, August is the coldest/rainiest/windiest in 50 years. Today it was about 13 degrees Celsius (55F), and it was pouring on and off. Not to mention the wind. I had a hard time resisting the urge to turn on the heating, I can tell ya!