Leon's winter set - the yarn and the sense of urgency

I knit Leon mitts and hat and a scarf every winter and usually I try to get it done by the end of March. This year it was all a bit delayed, because I bought the yarn at Edinburgh Yarn Festival and didn't cast on until we got home - mid April. "Luckily" because the weather is so screwed up it's definitely not winter knitwear weather right now - but the cold could hit any time!

So, what am I knitting him? As discussed, I'm using Kate Davies "Highland Rogue" pattern as the stitch pattern for the set. The yarn is Arlandish, from the Isle of Mull. At EYF I sought this out - I used to work at Duart Castle, on the Isle of Mull, so I have a lot of affection for the area.

I wasn't expecting the person working the stall to be the actual weaver - or for her to be a New Zealander! We had a long chat about Mull, being expatriates, weather and family, and then I bought this stunning cone of yarn:

It's so sheepy and delicious. It doesn't wind all the well on a ball winder, so I've been encouraging Leon to hand wind it into balls for me. He asked how big he should make the ball, and I said "as big as you feel like" and when I looked again he had made a ball roughly as big as my head!

It smells even sheepier than the last yarn I knit with, the colours are perfect and the stitch pattern is working well with it. Now it's up to me to get it done before the weather changes. Hang on winter, I'm nearly there!

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