ever so cozy

I'm not even going to attempt to look back in the archives for the last knitting project I've written about here, because I'm know it's been a lot of months.  In any case, I have not one, not two, but THREE finished knitting projects to share with you this week.  AND, I have a stellar sewing project to share too.  That's right, this is going to be a major catch up craft report week.  I've been so bogged down in traveling and doing by best to stay afloat in this space in between trips and all the end of summer/early fall craziness that I haven't even shared projects that I finished months ago!  

So, project number one...This is actually the most recently completed project and definitely my new favorite thing.  In fact, I've practically worn this sweater for the past three days in a row and I don't want to take it off yet.  I'm pretty sure I favorited this pattern on Ravelry as soon as I saw it last winter, but didn't really give too much thought to actually making it.  That is, until my cousin was visiting last spring and we were digging through my yarn stash and finding projects on Ravelry that matched yarn I already had.  This process was what caused me to institute my new rule that at least every other project I make must be from stash yarn (that is, except for these darn Christmas sweaters for the nephews).  

Anyways- this yarn came from my mom, who purchased it at a sheep farm in Vermont almost eight years ago when she and my dad were visiting me in college.  She had planned to make a big warm sweater for my dad out of it, but the yarn was flecked with walnut bits (it was dyed with black walnuts) and it was driving her batty.  So she sent it to me.  The walnut bits were slightly annoying, but I really love how this sweater turned out, so it was worth a bit of extra work picking them out as I was knitting. 

I would estimate that I only used about half of it for this project, so I guess I was only semi-successful in reducing my stash!  I was afraid the moss stitch would be what drove me over the edge on this project, but the seamless nature of the pattern made it go by super quick.  I started this sweater in time for our road trip in mid-August (though I didn't even touch it once during the trip, and took some time off to finish other projects) and finished it about a week ago.  This pattern was extremely well written and easy to follow, and I'm working on another pattern by this same designer (and seem to have favorited at least half of her designs!).  I know with all the free patterns out there, many of us are hesitant to pay for knitting patterns, but I can wholeheartedly recommend patterns by Veera (and, really? It's only a few dollars!).  And now, I have a new favorite sweater to keep me super warm and cozy this winter.  


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Pattern: Twenty-Ten Cardigan, by Veera Valimaki
Yarn: Creek Road Farms Natural Dyed
Needles: Size 8 circulars and dpns
Modifications: None!  This pattern is very well written and easy to follow!

{on ravelry, here}