The first step towards my Knit New Year Resolution. While in New York last week, I picked up 8 skeins of this great color of Manos at Purl Soho. Almost grey, but it’s a subtle peacock of greens and purples in the sunlight.

I swatched partially for Forecast, but realized quickly that a yarn of more consistent thickness is better for cables. A stitch pattern called “harris tweed” stuck out from a knitting book from the 1960s that I recently bought at a used book store, a simple k2, p2 interrupted by double rows of straight purls and straight knits. A subtle texture for a subtle yarn, comfy and rustic like an old plaid flannel.

Then there is the honeycomb brioche, which I learned to do more efficiently from the same book. I’ve loved this stitch for a long time – my old roommate had a turtleneck shell from the thrift store knit in this, and I always used to stare and pick at the stitches when she was wearing it, because I could never figure it out and had no idea what it was called.

It’s too thick to do a whole sweater in, especially in this mild winter. I doubt I’d have enough yardage for it anyway. And it can’t be done in the round. So: a raglan v-neck pullover with a brioche shawl collar, or a mock-shawl at least, the kind that crosses over in front of the neck. With an antler button or two, perhaps.

I swatched with US8 addis and I’m sticking with it, 10 stitches/3″ in the harris tweed pattern. I measured a favorite store-bought raglan to base my cast-on measurements on, and I am winging the v-neck based on some vests and other things I’ve made in the past. It’s only an inch or so big so far, I’ll spare you the details until things get more interesting…