September is for Sweaters

It's raining here in Evanston and the suddenly cooler temperatures make it a perfect sit by the window with tea and knitting kind of Sunday.  Of course, my to do list won't let that happen for too long but at least for a bit.

I frequently get a sweater bug in September. It rarely goes anywhere but in September I look at the stash, realize just how many sweater quantities I own, think about the increasing nights that are going to be cold and dark and where a warm and pretty sweater might make things much better.

In a fit of September Sweater Lust, I plowed through Ravelry, bought and downloaded a pattern, grabbed yarn from the stash and cast on. It's one of the more impulsive things I've done in a while insofar as knitting goes. I'm sure, to those of you who hang in there reading week after week of ribbed sock updates, it's a huge left turn.

Surprising even myself, I even took it with me on the train. That there were large swaths of stockinette to knit certainly helped. Me, an audiobook, and my row counter.

It started with a crocheted cast-on, which is a new technique for me. Fortunately, Lucy Neatby has a very straightforward video on YouTube so I could figure it out right away.  I haven't tried unzipping those stitches yet  but I'm hopeful.

In 9 days, I knit the body. And that's with it not being my only knitting. I forget, sometimes, how fast worsted weight yarn on regular size needles turns into thing when compared to light fingering weight yarn on overgrown toothpicks. It's hip length and ended up taking about 4.5 skeins.

Here is what I have left of skein 5. This yarn is Filatura Lanarota Wool Sprinkles that AudioGirl and I binge bought earlier this year. When you can get a sweater's worth of yarn for $12-$15 and it's in reasonable colors.... I think she ended up buying 3 sweaters worth, I bought 2. With the cost of the pattern, I should have about $20 invested in this sweater plus my time.

Maybe once I finish the sleeves and button bands, I'll think about getting out the pattern and toggles that AudioGirl bought me for my birthday last year to use with my cone of yak/merino yarn. I might be onto something here...