Winter is coming!

No, really. I know it's +80 degrees outside right now, and my air conditioner sounds like it might have a stroke, but winter will be here before any of us knitters know it, and then where will we be?

That's right - so desperately behind in holiday knitting that we will be forced to give our loved ones our own knitted accessories. Then we will spend all winter tucking our hands into our jacket sleeves and walking around like a hunchback in the snow, a cheap dollar store beanie on our head.

Ok, perhaps I mean I will, not us. But not this year!

I'm making this for V:

I'm taking a pass on the pants and the stick

This is from Tessa Watts-Russell's Nursery Knits, which I scored at a thrift store. Some of the patterns are very dated ('80's) but most of them are classic and worth having. This particular sweater is called "Cross Country" (I suppose the little tyke is cross country skiing...? Looks more like an Alps adventure to me.)

It's a very basic sweater with slip-stitched stripes. I was expecting to purl on the reverse, since that makes the second row of color go smoother (no moving the yarn from front to back every other stitch) but that's not what the plan is, apparently. I suppressed my desire to modify and went with it. The result is the texture you see in these photos.

Completed back and front. Those ends will probably kill me.

The hem is being done on US #2 needles, so it's a tight affair. I went up a needle size or two for the body because I was concerned. But so far, so good. The yarn I'm using is KnitPicks Wool of the Andes in sport weight. I confess, yesterday I had to order more. But that is alright, because I also had to order more of the same kind of yarn for a sweater I've started for myself. I am NOT freezing my tuckus off this winter. Really.

Nice, tight bottom... edge. (I obviously need to get out more.:P)