I’ve quite the week for a knitter here in Maryland. Things have taken a turn for the colder, perfect handknit wearing weather that I love and we even managed to make a quick trip over to the Maryland Alpaca and Fleece Festival.

Alpacas are so soft! And their hum just slays me. I also got the kids to pause for a picture–it’s getting harder all the time. Neither of them like to be in pictures.

For the first time, I participated a bit in the Get Your Yarn Wishes Granted fun on instagram. My wish was for some shetland or Norwegian wool to try out and a friend of mine came through in a big way! I can’t wait to swatch up these colors, I am digging the palate. This is all Jamieson & Smith jumper weight yarn.

As if that wasn’t the woolliest Sunday one could imagine, I also decided to cast on a hat:

This is the beginnings of Kobuk by Boyland Knitworks. The pattern calls for one strand of DK and one strand of mohair, but I just had to knit it in this gorgeous color. I’m holding fingering weight double, using Woolberry Fiber Co.‘s Berry Sock and Berry Mohair in the Hayride colorway. I just cannot stand it. This color is so out of my comfort zone, but I am quite drawn to it lately.

I couldn’t quite get the woollies out of my system, so I wound up rocking quite the outfit at work on Monday. It was my first time wearing my Marion out and I am pleased to say that the woolly-wool of Wool of the Andes didn’t irritate me at all.

This is Canopy, Marion, and my Hollyburn skirt. I really like this outfit, but I want to get a couple of cropped sweaters going to wear with skirts like this. To that end, I have decided that I need a holiday sweater. A cropped, retro, and very green holiday sweater. So, of course, I ordered some yarn…

This is Quince & Co. Lark in the Parsley colorway. I’m planning to knit Julgran by Andi Satterlund. My gauge on this swatch–and the one after it–is off, so I had to go down several needle sizes from the pattern. I’m actually planning to–gulp–cast it on on the plane this weekend. I’m flying down to Atlanta for a work trip and I’m hoping to snag some knitting time for this sweater.

Now that the time has changed, it gets harder and harder to take pictures during daylight hours. If only I could just bring all my WIPs and take pictures at work. Alas, I like my job. We’ll just have to make do with a few dark ones. The hat is coming along nicely, I am well into the bobbles. I hope to have this done and ready to wear for our Thanksgiving trip.

And last but not least, I’ve been making progress on my new cardigan, but I am really not feeling it. It is coming out really big, even though my gauge is correct. I’m seriously considering ripping it out and using the yarn in another sweater.

We had some really pretty snow yesterday, definitely the earliest snow I’ve seen since moving to Maryland. I think we’re shaping up for a woolly winter!

Happy making!