Blue Sky and Blue Sweaters

Blue Sky
It's below freezing in SW Michigan. The ground has refrozen, but there is no snow.

Sympathy to all my online friends who have new measurable snow this weekend.

I'm not gloating, though. There is sure to be more snow here before spring wins the battle over winter.

The oak trees in the picture are still about a month away from having green leaves.


Blue Sweaters
I've been inspired to finish up these two projects by knowing four Japanese knitting books are due to arrive in my mailbox any day now.

Pattern: Peerie Brocade from Fall 1999 Knitter's Magazine. Designed by Charlie Hada.

Yarn: Elann's Peruvian Highland Wool

Color: Dusty Teal

Needles: US #4

Gauge: 23 stitches/4 inches in pattern

Inspiration I had skeins and skeins of Dusty Teal wool purchased to knit Eris. After deciding not to knit Eris, I found the Peerie Brocade pattern and though it looked perfect for a nice warm sweater jacket in Dusty Teal.

The sleeves are not done yet. I knit each sleeve down to a length where I though they were almost long enough. At that point I was out of skeined yarn.


Never fear, though, I had over three skeins worth of Eris swatches to unravel and reuse.

This morning I washed and blocked the sweater to get an accurate feel for how long I need to make the sleeves. I also unraveled and washed the three biggest swatches to have enough yarn to finish. Peerie Brocade is almost done now. As soon as it's dry, it's going to be my primary project until I'm wearing it.


Pattern: Cosy in Cables Big Kid Sweater with the front and back seed stitch center panel replaced by a cable pattern from Lavold's Viking Patterns for Knitting.

Knitting size 40 inches for the CIC big kids challenge.

Yarn: Lamb's Pride Bulky in Brite Blue

Needles: Addi Turbo and Options 10.5

Gauge: 12 stitches/4 inches in SS

My third and last sweater for the challenge ending March 31 is done.