*taps on microphone* Is anybody out there?

Hello! I know, it's been a minute. I had to deal with some business in IRL, wherein I came, I saw... and got my arse kicked. So, I've been licking at my wounds for a while, and decided to get my knitting on.

I love knitting. No matter how bad things get, I can always rip back, and make something useful. In knitting, you can always fix mistakes.

So, without further ado, here's my tomato.

The usual specs:
Pattern: Tomato, by Wendy Bernard from the book No Sheep for You.
Started: March, 2008
Finished: May, 2008
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Stella in blue and cream
Needles: Aldi 4.5mm.
Mods: Did 140 sts at bust instead of 156sts, did pattern a couple of rows earlier.

Comments: I actually liked this topdown. It was easy peasy. I had issues with it though, in the sense that the pattern calls for negative ease - and the measurements were for 32" and 37" bust lines. So, since I'm 35" - I had to do 140 sts (instead of the 156 dictated by the pattern). In addition, I was leery re: the pattern on my bust, so, it's a bit high up (under the pits) and not across the 'girls'. The Debbie Bliss Stella is lovely: yes, it's prone to splitting, but it has a soft, lived in feel and look to it, and it takes the 4.5mm needle sizes nicely (the needle size recc'd for this yarn is 5mm).

I do like the yarn, but doing stranded knitting with such a thick yarn was tricky, because you didn't want it to be too tight, you know? I'd do this in a dk yarn next time, with some elasticity too. It's a nice sweater for this hot weather we're having. Not too hot, with all that silk and cotton. You could wear this baby against sunburnt skin and not feel uncomfortable.

Like a virgin?: This is the first time that I've completed knitting a topdown garment. There are advantages to this method, especially when you're knitting with limited yarn quantities. What's nice is that the seaming is minimal, and I appreciate Ms Bernard's necklines. They are nice and wide and there's enough stitch work for interest.

Oh that purple fingering yarn to the right? That's the swatch for my thermal in rowan soft 4ply, 100 percent merino yarn in an aubergine colour called 'Victoria' (I think).

Hmmm... I hear that the rowan 4ply soft stretches like a politician's lie, so I'm doing a swatch for gauge, and for how this yarn is going to behave. I've been hearing stories about doing the jumper in the first size (32!) because it will stretch to 35 inches when I'm done. Can we say, *okay*? But it's a jumper done in fingering yarn, and it calls for a commitment in terms of time and effort.

Sooo, because I'm incorrigible (what? You thought that I changed?! Uh...no) and my eyes are bigger than my stomach - have you seen Kim Hargreaves' new collection? I'm sure you have, I've been away. I like the fact that she has denim yarn in this collection. I want to knit either joy or glee. I like glee because it looks lady like - and I can wear a denim jacket that doesn't look like a denim jacket. Joy probably seems more my speed, but I love glee.

So, onward to doing this swatch. I'm going to wash it, stretch it and stick it on a cork board and see how it stretches.

I don't trust you, 4ply!