Channeling Miss Marple

I have a few nights in Harrogate at 'The Old Swan Hotel', their claim to fame being the hotel where Agatha Christie was found suffering amnesia after her disappearance 11 days prior in December 1926. On arrival my first impression was that it was probably the hotel that gave her the breakdown - but it's definitely grown on me now, you just have to slow down to the same pace as the hotel. I doubt there is very little about the place that has changed since she visited (not that it's worn out, just old fashioned), and the very antique lift was a little spooky, but having survived some really scary ones in Scandinavia even that was OK.

I spent a lovely drizzly spring afternoon sitting in the corner of the lounge bar, in a gorgeous leather wing chair with a view to the garden, knitting for five hours and enjoyed a few sav blancs along the way. Overhearing various conversations throughout the afternoon, and thinking of the Agatha connection, I started to feel like quite the Miss Marple knitting away in the corner.

It was a productive afternoon though - the back of the cardigan is nearly done! The pattern is freely available on the internet from Garn Studio, and I'm using Drops Baby Merino, which I'm really happy with. I loved the idea that it is all knitted in one piece, sideways from band to band, it's just taken me a while to get the shaping correct.

As I posted previously this is the second time over for knitting this as I was not happy with the tension or number of split stitches the first time over. I bought new needles last week, as shown here (the crochet hook is for finishing the edges,eventually) but it's the same brand as the needles - KnitPro Symfonie. They are gorgeous to knit with, much smoother and with longer finer points than the cheaper bamboo ones I was using before. I also love the multi coloured finish of the wood. I'm really happy now with how the tension is looking.

 

Just have to keep knitting away now - really want to get this finished this week, even getting a few rows done between uploading photos here at the hotels slow speed. I usually leave the hotel and head out for coffee and some knitting when housekeeping is due to arrive, I started to wonder today if I could knit while I was walking along - I've seen photos of Debbie Bliss knitting while she wandered Roman ruins! But I'm pretty sure I don't have the co-ordination for that and decided it would probably all end in tears with me impaled on one of my nice new needles!