Cross-country knitting and a finished pullover in only fifteen days!

Forrest Pulli

Pattern: Rebecca 33, pattern #26
Yarn: Kraemer Tatamy Tweed in “Forrest”
Needles: Size US 8 and 9
Started 3/11 – Finished 3/26

[All Forrest Pulli photos here]

The simple v-neck caught my eye in the Rebecca 33 magazine earlier this year.  I thought it would be a nice casual pullover that would pair with all sorts of clothes.  The lines and shape, as well as the tweedy yarn, ensures that this sweater will be a classic wardrobe piece for years to come.

I made small modifications to the pattern:

• Made a small gauge change – I didn’t really do any math to change it up, but tried it on as I went along.
• Knit in the round up to the armholes and then separated knitting back and forth for the bodice and v-neck.
• I shortened the sleeves to three-quarters

My first big project completed for the first month of Project Spectrum – I love the green with all of the color flecks.  It seems fitting for Project Spectrum in that way.

The Tatamy Tweed is an interesting yarn – I like the fact that there is a cotton blend tweed for warmer weather.  The yarn has a pretty significant acrylic content (I don’t have the label, but I think it was 60/40 acrylic and cotton).  Because of the content, it has a little unexpected shine to it, but not in a squeaky way… I hope that the acrylic content does not make this garment too hot and less “breathable” on warmer days.  It was relatively pleasant to work with, although the ply can easily become untwisted when seaming.  I have some leftovers which will be good for small accessories.

…and I am ahead of schedule for the Ravelry National Knit a Sweater a Month Dodecathlon (NaKniSweMoDo) – this is my fifth complete garment this year!  I have one that I haven’t shown you yet… but I have to wait till Easter weekend to give it to my sister, the recipient

I have talked about this subject before, and I know that many of you also experience this phenomenon as you are knitting a project:  the setting, the sights, the smells, the sounds – everything that happens around you as you are knitting becomes a part of the project.  A heightened sense of awareness – and subsequently you knit these memories into your project.  The project becomes a time capsule.

Sometimes the stitches take on the physical manifestation:  too loose or too tight because of how we are feeling at any given moment.  We knit through pain and we knit through joy.  We knit en route to a destination, or in a favorite location in our home.  We knit with others or alone with our thoughts.

My Aftur sweater will forever be remembered in my mind as my “Alabama” sweater.  I knit this project while Kris and I drove to visit my family in Alabama – hours of riding in the car, and then photos of the finished sweater after a Thanksgiving meal at my uncle’s cabin in the woods.  The love for my family is built into that sweater.  Perhaps that is why it remains one of my favorite knits.  My Verona shawl evokes these same strong emotions.

I started my Forrest Pulli on the plane ride to Seattle – back on March 11th.   The pattern is simple:  a v-neck pullover from Rebecca #33 knit in Kraemer Tatamy Tweed.  I saw it as a good piece for transitional weather – and the perfect thing to wear to and from yoga classes when I didn’t want a jacket.  With the long plane rides to and from, and all of the knitting I did there in Seattle, this project is nearly complete.  I wanted to get at least one blog post about it before I showed you a finished sweater!

This pullover is only 11 days old and it is already filled with memories…

Humor: …eavesdropping on the people in front of me on the plane:  “Bar none, best salad I have ever had!” (The guy said “bar none, best ___ I ever had” about five times)

Solitude and Quiet: Sitting in Jenna’s kitchen in the early morning hours knitting and purling.  I didn’t adjust to the time change well, so I was up super early each morning.  It gave me plenty of time to knit!

Joy and Contentment: Driving around the Olympic Peninsula in Jenna’s car.  Being with my best friends: Kris and Jenna.  Singing along to the music (our trio singalong of Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea and Flight of the Conchords) and laughing at silly stories.

(sidenote:  look at all of our handknits! )

Overwhelming Beauty: The Olympic Peninsula of Washington truly took my breath away.  This one day will live in my mind for a long time.  I saw amazing sights and I was with amazing people.

[My Full Seattle/Olympic Peninsula Photo Set Here]

More Humor: You may recall my little fascination with vampire novels late last year.  Guilty pleasures and harmless fun.  As we drove through the forests of the Olympic Peninsula, we made it to Forks, Washington.  If you are familiar with the Twilight books, Forks is the setting of these vampire stories.  As we came upon the small town, I put down my knitting and I asked Kris and Jenna if we could stop to get some photos… neither of them have read the books (and they say they have no desire to) but they obliged and stopped the car for a photo at the city limits:

Oh Forks.  You knew not what you wrought.  Or what that author wrought upon you when she chose Forks as the setting of the books.  At least the small town has gotten an economic boost.  I actually had to wait in line to get this photo – right after the “Dazzled by Twlight“ tour bus pulled away!  We stopped in Forks for some liquid refreshment and ogled a bit:  we saw signs everywhere that mentioned the characters of the book.

• At the local inn:  “Edward did NOT sleep here.”  heh
• At a souvenir shop:  “When you live forever, what do you live for?  Duh-shopping!”  (I just had to shake my head at this one… marketing geniuses, these people.)
• At the bakery and the coffee shop,  themed foods and drinks:  Twilight coffee blend (special dark) and “Bella Berry” muffins.

We just had to laugh at the hilarity of it all.  We didn’t spot any sparkly vampires or werewolves (I was looking!) but we had a lot of fun making jokes and just enjoying the experience.

~

As I finish my pullover – second sleeve underway! – these memories stay with me.  Fresh in my mind.   These memories are a part of the fabric of this project.  Each time I wear this sweater, I will think of these things.   Making me smile and bringing warmth.