Diane will be Proud

On a recent post, my sister Diane noted that it was really good that I was starting a hat using yarn that I already had in my stash.  On a trip to the bookstore last week I purchased the Holiday 2015 issue of Vogue magazine.

All of my magazine subscriptions have been let go, some for a long time now.  I vowed to only purchase a magazine when there was a pattern, or perhaps a particular article that I really wanted.  Well, this is the pattern that made me choose this magazine:

Batwing Pullover

I just love the look of this sweater, much like a cape or poncho, but I think more practical.  So, when I was looking at the pattern, I remembered some Karabella Aurora 8 yarn that I had in stash.  20 skeins, I thought for sure that would do it.  I love Aurora 8, it cables so beautifully, and holds it’s structure well. Turquoise would not have been my first choice of color, but the amount of yarn needed for this sweater would be a major investment, the stash yarn that I have was purchased at a deep discount years ago.

When I started comparing the recommended yarn and yardage needed, I was very disappointed, as I was still quite short of what was needed.  A search of Aurora 8 found this to be a discontinued color.  I decided to swatch the yarn for gauge and see where I was, thinking that I could just make the lower band and collar of a different color.  To my surprise, my gauge was such that I could knit the small size and achieve a large version.  That really helped with the required yardage.  Online I found 2 skeins at an outlet on sale, and one person on Ravelry has agreed to trade me 5 of their skeins.  One store still has some at full price also.

So, I started, and even though this color of yarn bleeds onto my hands as I am knitting, I am in love with this yarn once again.  Very anxious to complete this.  I think that it will make a superb Fall/Spring sweater for outerwear.

Batwing in progress