I don't think these pictures showcase how beautiful this sweater really is. I love it so so much. The pattern was designed to be worn with either the stockinette or reverse stockinette side showing, but it is so sophisticated and gorgeous on the purl side, I know I'll never have him wear it any other way. 

The pattern: City Limits by Tanis Lavalee is sized baby to XXL adult. I seem to remember that Tanis offered this as a free download for one week at the beginning of the pandemic shutdown. How nice. I thought I would knit the pattern for me but realized I only had enough yarn for a smaller one. The pattern suggests you make a fade with two strands held together. That's just what I did and I ended up with a fabric that looks like an ancient piece of granite. On the first picture at the top, you can see the side details of the slipped stitches. Tanis is an experienced, eloquent pattern writer and City Limits is a little gem for the entire family.

The yarns: Swans Island Natural Colors Fingering in charcoal is 100% organic merino hand-dyed in Maine using natural dyes. Heavenly soft. This yarn is a great value at a whopping 525 yards per skein! I held it with another fingering weight wool, a mini set of Destination Yarns Postcard which is a merino/nylon superwash hand dyed fingering weight wool blend. I have no idea what possessed me to purchase this crazy mini set at Stitches a few years ago, see the last picture below. Variegated yarns aren't usually my thing, but I remember their booth being so gorgeous there was no way I could walk out without a little something.  I  love it mixed with the charcoal and very happy with the overall look of the fabric. I did wonder if it was wise to mix two hand dyed yarns together  but very little dye was released in the bath, so all was good. I also questioned mixing a superwash with a non/superwash, but it was patted into shape easily and seemed to have none of the limp characteristics of superwash, so that was good too. End product was a scrumptious super soft sweater for a finicky tot.

Destination Yarns Postcard 

The photo shoot: Our local park is now open. Yippee! On this day we ran into several friends with their grandchildren. It was wonderful and felt like the old days. Carter was so excited to be back on a playground with its swings, slides, and rock walls; the same play structures his mommy and daddy played on a few decades before. After a good play, we walked up the dry creek bed that meanders through a redwood grove, careful to be on high alert for big bad wolves and dinosaurs. He walked ahead talking about all the predators we were likely to encounter, and got himself so scared he had to run back to us and hug our knees for a few minutes before he could feel brave enough to lead the way again. Who cannot love the mighty bravado of a three year old?

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