I Love Yarn Day

Yep, today's the day.  The Craft Yarn Council of America has declared today "I Love Yarn Day."  It's a day to knit, crochet, craft -- or just adore your yarn.

One yarn that I particularly adore is "Peace Fleece" yarn.  Peace Fleece is not your everyday, over-processed yarn.  Here is the story, from the Peace Fleece website:

The Peace Fleece offices are in a barn on a sheep and horse farm in the small, rural town of Porter in the foothills of southwestern Maine. Peter Hagerty and his wife Marty Tracy started buying wool from the Soviet Union back in 1985 in hopes that through trade they could help diffuse the threat of nuclear war. Since then Peter has journeyed through eastern Europe, central Asia and the Middle East in search of farmers and shepherds who are willing to set aside historic enmities in exchange for opportunities leading to mutual understanding and economic interdependence.

Even though the Cold War is officially over, Peter and Marty still import yarn from around the world.  I've now made three sweaters from this lovely, tweedy yarn.  Every time I knit with it, I  fall in love with knitting all over again.

Here is my latest creation, on the blocking board ready to be sewn together:

The color on the right-hand side of this photo is pretty true to the "real" color.  The pattern is Peace Fleece's own "Sassy Cardigan Sweater," size small.  I used my Signature Needle Arts size 8 circular needle with the stiletto point -- truly the "Rolls Royce" of knitting needles, for a super-fast knit.

I bought this yarn in Waynesville, Ohio at Katherine's Web while visiting my friend D'Awn. (By the way, Katherine's is right down the street from the fabulous Fabric Shack!  If it's near lunchtime, try The Hammel House Inn.)

It was originally intended for a linen-stitch vest for My Little Sailor, but since he's in the Navy -- well, you know, he probably won't have many chances to wear a rust orange hand-knit vest!  I was one skein short, but lucky for me, Fancy Tiger carries Peace Fleece and they had the same color!  It's a different dye lot, so I used the odd skein for the ribbing.  Because of the different stitch pattern, I don't think you can even tell it's a different dye lot.

The best thing about this sweater?  My friend Mary traded sewing it together for a duplicate Bloc Loc template I had!  It should be finished in time to travel to Idaho with me for Quilting in the Pines.

Come back after noon today Mountain Daylight Time to find out who won the "I Spy" scraps giveaway!





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