In February of 2008 I found a box of Icelandic wool that someone had discarded outside their stoop in Park Slope, Brooklyn. At that point I had been knitting for 5 years but never ventured beyond making hats or scarves. I had been to Iceland 10 years earlier and purchased a blue Icelandic sweater 2x too big as that was the style at the time. But I knew eventually I would learn to make my own.

Fast forward to last Christmas in Minnesota. My sister has been living in Iceland the last year and a half. I taught her how to knit when I visited her in April and soon she surpassed me by knitting her husband a sweater in 10 days! My sister taught me the basics of reading a pattern and starting the yolk. And then the project sat there for many months.

Last month I took a weekend road trip to New Hampshire where I had plenty of time to work on the project and finally on July 4th, I finished it. It’s by no means perfect—I still need to block it and the body could be a little smaller…but 4 years + 3 States later, it’s complete! So to the person who left the yarn out so many years ago, thank you. I can’t wait to wear it this fall.
trav

Update: The sweater is based on the Riddari yoke from this book.