Finally!

The Facts:
Pattern: Fugl from Lopi book #25
Yarn: approx. 2 lbs. total of Cascade Eco Wool from Little Knits, held double, and my own handspun hand-dyed Merino
Size: M, which has a 40″ bust to match my 40″ bust
Needle: Size 7 and 10 US 40″ Addi Turbos for magic loop
Gauge: 13 sts. and 18 rows = 4″
Started:Oct. 23rd
Finished: Nov. 6th, bar the zipper, which I slacked on until Dec. 8th!

Changes to Pattern:
I subbed yarn and simplified the color pattern. Other than that, I made the medium size word for word. The pattern even calls for lining the collar!

The Making:
I used stash yarn for this one, too, including a luscious handspun speckled brown Merino wool used in the yoke and as a collar lining. Using the Eco Wool doubled resulted in a stiff, warm fabric that’s windproof. So cool. I wore it in 18 degree weather the other day and was warm and toasty.

This pattern is knit in the round calls for a 2 stitch purled steek that’s then machine sewn and cut for the zipper installation. Worked like a charm! The sleeves are long, but because that’s how I like them. The better to keep my hands warm, my dear.

We look super dorky in out matching sweaters.

Thank you so much for the Meathead love! I can’t take credit for the pom pom bird invention, that’s Steiff all the way.

What you haven’t seen me working on is Mr. HelloYarn’s Icelandic cardigan, because it was just a plain old black body and sleeves until I joined it and started the yoke last night. This is Elizabeth Zimmermann percentage system all the way. I’ve been looking to her seamless yoke sweater directions for the yoke of this one, too, and am using that info in combination with what I learned in knitting Fugl, since her yoke has decreases are in between patterning and this has the decreases incorporated in the design. I reserve the right to completely change the yoke if it starts to look wonky! I kind of have no idea what I’m doing.

This sweater is a stashbuster and I was a little scared that there wouldn’t be enough of the black to get me to the yoke. After the yoke starts, another black yarn could be subbed without looking strange. It was CLOSE, but I did it after ripping out the swatch!

This sweater is commercial yarn except one color, which is a woollen-spun Alpaca/Coopworth wool bulky weight. Spinning this fiber was very icky- second cuts, dirt, vm, just a gross general feeling to the fiber, but it’s a nice lofty yet sturdy yarn perfect for this sweater. All of the yoke yarns, this one included, are shedding on the black body like crazy. Poor Mr. HelloYarn needs a pocket lint brush for Christmas!

I really really think today’s the day I’ll have time to put the zipper in Fugl. She’s been washed and dry now for ages.

I can only hope Mr. HelloYarn’s comes out that well.

Shop stuff:

Due to popular demand, I made up a fiber sampler for the shop. (There’s only one left, so that might be gone by the time you click it.) and they were, indeed, popular. More, with different combinations, are on the way.

Shopping Stuff:

Get thee to Target! They’re really nice and selling out quickly. I’m kicking myself for missing out on the garlands.

And then I decided to add in some handspun speckly brown Merino wool and leave the solid brown out of the yoke, which meant that solid brown had to come off the bottom edges. And after all the compliments on the color combination. Whoops!

Better, no? There was some swearing when I took off the first sleeve cuff to discover that I’d need to rip out and reknit the rows with the little V shapes. It’s plainly visible that there isn’t a solid charcoal row below them, but I had it in my head that there was. When I ripped back on the first one, it was such a mess that I just chucked those two rows and knit them upside down. Hey, they’ll look right side up from my vantage point.

The brown curling bit at the top of the collar is the lining, which will be folded in and tacked down once the zipper is installed. So cozy on my neck!

It’s going to be a little while before this is officially finished. It needs to be washed and blocked (I can’t imagine how long it will take to dry.) and I need to find the perfect zipper. While that’s happening, I can start Mr. HelloYarn’s, if he can pick a pattern. He’s been petting this sweater since I started. We’re going to draw straws to see who gets to wear theirs on any given day.

Isn’t that amazing? I need a bigger house.