Hand Knit Nordic Ski Sweater

Dale of Norway wool yarn. Knit on tiny needles. Tiny. Miles and miles of knitting around and around.
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This was a shaped Nordic Ski sweater pattern that I got out of a magazine in 2002 or 2003. Before I started this sweater, I had knit maybe a few scarfs or something super easy when I was about 12? But I saw this pattern (in the magazine it was green), and just had to have it.
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I ordered the yarn and needles on line and signed up for a beginner knitting course through the local adult ed catalog. Seriously. The poor teacher! But she taught me about going up 1 needle size for color work so it doesn't pull in and how to carry the colors along my fingers. Of course, my sweater was no where finished when the course ended. Besides the fact that I was pregnant with my son (who will be 13 in June), so I missed a few classes toward the end.
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During the class I was also knitting him a lovely baby blanket that he dearly loved for years...and later asked me to make him one bed sized since he eventually outgrew it. Ummm, No! Anyway, my sister came over a few days before he was born and helped me finish the knit border around the edge. The sweater did not get finished.
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Actually, the sweater got packed away and every once in a great while I would take it out and knit around and around on those knit rows. Finally, last February it was just a matter of finishing the 2nd sleeve and joining it altogether. So, I did. 
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And after 11 years, it was finished. Quick! I had my sister take a photo of me wearing it out on her deck! Don't you love her pine tree cut outs on her railing?

Funny to see me with dark hair. I do like dying my hair darker, but the gray streaks started showing through more often. So, I had to go back to my natural lighter color. Oh well! Now my sister and I have the same color of hair and everyone knows for sure we are related. She was here in Austria visiting me a few weeks ago. We had a great visit! That's her on the left, me on the right. We are the bookends of the family (the oldest and youngest) with 5 siblings between us!