Birth of a Stripey Sweater

When you wake up on a Saturday morning, and the world looks like this:

You know that bird watching will be limited...except on public television!

Of course, even though this is not the best day for a leisurely stroll in the park, the days of the annual snowpocalypse are good for something...KNITTING! This. This is what I am all about, especially since I have finally cast on my January sweater for this year!

Some years, I start the sweater on January 1st. This year, I was still deciding on a pattern when the ball dropped in Times Square, but I did finally settle on one that had been singing to me from Ravelry for a few days...Archer!

The construction is a bit of a challenge, but I am loving every minute of it so far! From its alien, crab-like beginnings,

to the emergence of the arches and their stripey fill,

this one has captivated my knitting heart! The color of the yarn in the skein was stunning, 

and while the knitted fabric reads a little less pink, with more caramel tones coming through, it is no less stunning...

especially in the caramel/cream stripes that will become the main body of the thing. Oh! I can't wait to wear this one!

My plans include lengthening the body so the sweater can be worn with many of the LuLaRoe leggings in my closet (because I think I am up to 24 pairs of those now...yes, Virginia, I have a little LuLaRoe "problem," thank you for pointing it out), and finishing out the split hem in the Hawthorne yarn that is the main color of the shoulders!

For now, as I watch the stripes multiply and accommodate catonlap on this snowy Saturday, I can only dream of the day that I can snuggle into this sweater to greet future snowy Saturdays! Until then, here I sit, knitting contentedly and making a lap for cats!

What is your favorite thing to do on a snow day?

Thanks for stopping by! Whatever you are doing today, I hope that you are also finding some time to Knit in Good Health!