This project will be new for me in using a different type of yarn. Shetland. I am learning how different yarns create different results. I have worked quite a bit in merino and it is sooo soft. Shetland, I hear is not as soft but it is stronger, will hold up longer and to more use. I like the colorways of Rauma Finullgarn. It’ll be interesting to see how this yarn knits up for me. This looks like a really interesting pattern with runes, very masculine and in my opinion warm, classy, earthy..Looking forward to this project. I hope it doesn’t take me forever, though, my husband’s birthday is near end of Feb. Not sure if I can meet that deadline with thinner yarn and intricate patterning and texture.

1/22 Just finished the bottom ribbed portion and now beginning chart a. so far so good!

1/24 wow, 4 colors in one row. this is new! I am holding three of those colors in one hand and picking up which seems to work fine for me. i like challenges!

1/31 finished the bottom colorwork and runes and now starting the chevron texture pattern. Slowly but surely. (-;

2/21 I am about half-way through chevron pattern.

3/14/13 I am almost done with chevron. arms next?

(I guess the arms are attached later through steeking(sp?). Wow, that will be a new skill. This apparently is knit in one piece bottom to neckline first, then the arms, and attaching them.

3/21/13 I am a quarter into the top colorwork. I am figuring out how to keep my colorwork from bunching up! (thanks to the suggestion from the creator of this pattern) I am stretching it out as I work more often..knitting more “stretched out” than i normally do with regular knitting. It is working and I am liking the result much more.

4/5/13 I am half way through the top colorwork and concerned now that this is going to be way too big. We shall see.. It is so beautiful though. If it doesn’t fit him, perhaps it can hang on a wall. lol. I don’t have the heart to take out so much of the work I have done to resize it..

4/12/13 Almost done with chart (the dark brown/light brown part). Moving onto the neck part with the green and orange soon. I guess the collar is going to be steeked. I am going to have to learn how to do that.

4/14/13 Started the top neck steek part as well as the orange and green colorwork. Getting interesting, complicated, and I am a little nervous about what to do for these next steps. Steeking, sewing, cutting, etc..

4/17/13 Finished the main sweater. Onward to the sleeves!

5/10 I finished the first sleeve and it looks about right, except I had to do a bunch of increases before the colorwork part. The increase every four rows did not work out correctly for me. For the main sweater; I am thinking about ripping out the bottom of the sweater and redoing it shorter(taking out 6 chevrons) it so that it fits my husband better. I found a source for how to do that at: http://www.knittingdaily.com/blogs/daily/archive/2008/04/...

5/18 I did it! I fixed the length. This method worked and it is now a length that is wearable by my husband. Phew! It is roomy--but wearable. (-; I have now 5 chevrons on the bottom instead of 11. And I improved the tension with the bottom runes; so it generally looks better. It only took a week to redo the bottom after taking out the extra chevrons.

6/5/13 I finished the second sleeve last night and just sewed the arm and neck steeks! Almost done! This part scares me. I am about ready to cut

6/9/13 It is all knitted! All I have to do is sew in the loose ends and block it!! Phew! 5 months! It is a gorgeous sweater and my husband loves it. (thank goodness)

6/12/13 Totally done, blocked, and dry. I love it! He loves it.