As well as being a showcase for all my present and past projects, it has helped me organised my stash and needles. But my favourite section has to be the “queue.” Of course I always have a list of planned projects – used receipts in knitting books, post it notes in magazines saved web pages and the odd scribbled note in the bottom of my knitting bag.

At the top of this list was always the Hourglass Sweater from LMKG, I got as far as buying the yarn for the project in the summer some Elsebeth Lavold Classic AL from Coldspring Mill. Before, I cast on the project I was checking out Ravelry (as you do), and discovered that you actually need more yarn than the project suggests, knowing I couldn’t get the same dye lot for this yarn, I decided to get another colour and add a few stripes to the sweater.

I then discovered it was almost impossible to get Elsebeth Lavold yarn in the U.K. so I asked the London Knitting Group for advice, I found out the Rooster Almerino Aran is a very similar yarn (50% Baby Alpaca wool and 50% Merino Wool), and comes in some amazing colours.

I managed to get the yarn in at Ally Pally, and now whilst ill in bed this week, I finally got around to casting this project on. For the hem, I used the provisional crochet chain cast on, and folded hem, similar to what you would use for a Picot Hem, done with the Almerino Aran and then changed to the Classic Al for the main body.