I knew I would finish my Aftur pullover on my drive to Alabama, so right before I left the house, I grabbed a ball of yarn and some needles for a quickie scarf project. I had planned to participate more fully in Kathy’s second Noro-vember knitalong (I made Kolsva last year…) this month, but time just got away.  With the knitalong in mind, I grabbed a ball of Noro Silk Mountain that I got at the stash swap earlier this year. Nice colors and pretty boucle texture. I figured I would go for something along the lines of the Noro Transitions cowl I made a few years back with the one skein.

After finishing my pullover, and feeling the need to work on something else, I pulled out my needles and this lovely yarn, and cast on a few dozen stitches.

Fifty minutes later, I had this:

Yarn: Noro Silk Mountain #7
Pattern: Circular knit, 45 stitch cast on
Needles: Size 10.5 DPN
[Another view of cowl]

My sister Mimi was the recipient (and model) of the little cowl scarf. It had purple in it, which is her favorite color, so it seemed natural to just give it to her after I knit it up. Plus, it looks quite nice on her, doesn’t it? Thanks for hosting the knitalong for another year, Kathy. My little cowl came in just under the wire!

I have so many random little skeins of yarn in my stash - both purchased and swapped - I should be making a lot more little things like this… I tend to make scarves and hats with these random skeins of yarn, but I also want to try a larger scale project like a blanket.

Do you have a “go-to” pattern for stashbusting?

Every yarn tells a story - unfortunately I don’t know the full story of this yarn; neither the beginning, the middle, or the end - but I do know some of the important details.

A knitter fell in love with this beautiful tweed.

A detailed Fisherman’s sweater pattern was chosen.

Lovingly knit row after row.

Carefully crafted and wonderfully finished.

…

Scene: Value Village Thrift shop in Decatur, Alabama. Handknit sweater on the rack, stamped with a purple badge labeling it for $5.96.

…

Shopping with my family.

Seeing the sweater.

Doing a double take.

Purple tag = 50% off of regular price.

$2.98 for a men’s handknit sweater.

…

Unraveling with my sister over Thanksgiving break.

Dreaming of the possibilities.

Nearly 3000 yards to work with.

I will call this my Good Fortune Tweed.

Maybe I did come back with a little accent, ya’ll. It kinda happens when you spend eight days with your family down in Dixie. Of course, I loved every minute of it. There was a beautiful weekend wedding (my cousin married his high school sweetheart - also named Lauren - funny thing is she now has my maiden name as her married name!) and a wonderful Thanksgiving in the country.

Bridesmaids’ Bouquets

Wedding Cake

My sister and I with the happy couple

Best wedding favor ever: homemade honey from my uncle’s beehives!

My sisters and my cousin sniffing the rose bouquet

The wedding was beautiful, and the reception was even better - it was held in an old Carnegie library building that is now an art gallery. Perfect location. We were taking a few notes too… there may be another wedding in the family in the near future…

The rest of the week was filled with hiking, delicious foods, a little romp around town, and some relaxation time (knitting AND reading!) . We spent the remainder of the week at my uncle’s cabin in Bankhead National Forest - out in the “sticks” as they say. I could actually see the stars at night! and could take a breath of fresh air! and could walk for a mile without seeing another person!

[More nature photos on Kris’s blog and on Flickr]

It was a little like stepping back in time - the trees were at their peak when we first arrived - fiery oranges and reds everywhere - and after a big storm on Thanksgiving eve, many trees lost their leaves. It was nice to hold onto fall for a little longer. Alas, winter is now here. I pulled out my scarves and caps. I am thinking about a new pair of mittens for myself…

*thank you SO much for the comments on my pullover!*

Pattern: Aftur, from Lopi #25
Yarn: Botanical Shades, Lite Lopi, and recycled wool
Source: MDSW 2006, Weaver’s Webb (NC), thrift shop
Needles: Size US 7 and 8 circular and DPN

This was a true surprise - in my mind, I did not expect it to turn out so well! The colors came together haphazardly - I bought the main color, the beautiful indigo-dyed alpaca/wool/mohair blend called Botanical Shades, at Maryland Sheep and Wool 2006. Jenna bought a similar silk alpaca blend and is using it now for a Norah Gaughan pullover. The yoke is a mixture of yarns. The ivory is from a repurposed thrift shop sweater, and the other colors are from the Lopi Lite that I picked up in North Carolina last spring.

I completed the body and both sleeves in the first fifteen days of the month. I joined them together the night before I left for Alabama to visit my family (for my cousin’s wedding and the Thanksgiving holiday). The thirteen-hour car ride was the perfect time to complete the yoke. Kris even let me turn on the little car light on the passenger’s side so that I could complete it after dark. When we pulled in to my aunt and uncle’s house, I was finishing the collar. The next morning, the 17th, I seamed the underarms and wove in the ends.

Then I wore it during my entire stay. These particular photos were taken on Thanksgiving morning at my uncle’s cabin in Bankhead National Forest in northern Alabama. It was a very chilly morning, cooled by thunderstorms through the night. The orange-red of my uncle’s barn provided a nice backdrop for the pullover’s color palette.

This sweater started in Williamsburg, Virginia on November 1st and was completed in Alabama on November 17th. Truly a sweater knit on the road! I knit this for the National Knit a Sweater Month knitalong, hosted by Shannon.  Two years and counting - it’s a fun knitalong!

I love the yoked construction and the traditional Icelandic motif. This will not be my last Icelandic pullover - I have plans for many more! This pullover is also my first garment colorwork, having only completed the Kristen hat last February. I managed to keep an even tension over the yoke, and there is very little puckering.  It was so much easier than I imagined - and the results are so much better than I imagined!

…More about my trip down South soon…

This blog means a lot to me. While it started out as a place for me to just show off hand knits and talk about school, it has quickly become a big part of my life - primarily because of the connections I share with the community. That is why I was so happy to receive this small and thoughtful gift from Kris…

He made blog “business”cards for me!

The picture was one of the candidates for the new layout. It is a pretty little yarn cake of Noro Sakura.

Do you tell other people about your blog (if you have one)?

—

…and on another note…

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!