The last few weeks have been full of air alert days; smoke from the fires in the western states and Canada has given Colorado breathtaking sunsets and trouble for people with lung issues like mine. The cats and I have hunkered down inside and surrendered to good books and great knitting. Okay, that’s me; the cats have settled for demanding salmon and lots of attention. Thankfully there are some naps, too. Seriously, this isn’t really a hardship when you consider how devastating these fires are for the communities and agencies battling them. I hope that things improve soon for all those impacted by the fires, and in the meantime I’m staying busy inside. Just look at the sweater I finished yesterday!!
This is Marettimo by Caitlin Hunter. The minute I saw it I knew that I needed to make it! I was just finishing up a Tegna sweater (also by Caitlin Hunter) so I knew I would like the comfy shaping of this sweater too. Bam! Before I had finished the Tegna I was stash diving and hunting for yarn that I could use for a Marettimo.
I had just bought a new tablet from Amazon and enrolled in Audible books, so I listened to a couple of books while I stitched away, and in two quick weeks I had finished another couple of Maggie Hope mysteries (by Susan Elia MacNeal) and the sweater. I like Maggie Hope: intrepid British spy and math-loving code breaker in WWII settings; right now she is undercover in Berlin carrying out a dangerous mission… see why I’m knitting at a blistering pace? In case you are wondering, the titles that I’ve been reading are Mr. Churchill’s Secretary, Princess Elizabeth’s Spy, and now I’m sailing through His Majesty’s Hope. I’ve already scored the rest of the books in the series from the library…
Yesterday I finished weaving all of the ends in and popped the sweater on over my clothes. Not a bad fit, considering…
This afternoon smoke is filling the sky again and I have been digging through the stash with the ever helpful MacKenzie. I have more yarn out and have cast on the next sweater, and would you believe that it is ANOTHER Caitlin Hunter design? I can’t wait to show it off!
Have a great weekend everyone.
Evening edit: Look at what I found after watching the evening news which had an article about the air alerts from smoke and ozone. This interactive map from AirNow has lots of info about air quality and how to stay safe.
Yarn, Books & Roses 
Ooooo love love love this! Well done 😊
Thanks, but the truth is the pattern does all the work. 🙂 I’m really happy with it and the yarns I used.
True, but I think you made great yarn choices !
What a gorgeous sweater, Marilyn!! The pattern and the combination of colors you’ve used are fabulous! The picture at the top of your post with the leaf shadows falling across the front of the sweater is enchanting. I’m sorry to hear that you’re battling the poor air quality, but I love thinking of you safe and sound inside with your knitting and the cats and good books. 🙂
P.S. The fit is PERFECT!!
It is! I never tried it on the whole time I was knitting it, so the fit was a huge relief. I can’t wait to wear it out of the house!!
I liked the look of the shadows from the leaves on the sweater, but wasn’t sure if it would be well received, so thanks for the feedback. 🙂 I took the yarn to my knitting group at the LYS to get their feedback on the colors, and their reactions really were encouraging. I sure got luck with the stash on this one!
What a beautiful sweater! I’m sorry you have been stuck inside, but you have put that time to good use.
Thanks. I looked out at my lawn which could use a mowing, and was happy for the smoke. See, every cloud has a silver lining. I’ll mow it next week when, hopefully, there will be less smoke.
Gorgeous sweater! You get bonus points for knitting from stash:)
The fires are frightening! I hope they’re out soon.
I hope to finish the summer with less yarn in the stash then I started out with; so far I’m winning!! These easy to fit sweater patterns with lots of stockinette are helping me make good progress.
I think that they make good progress on the California fires lately, but I’ve heard that the situations is really bad in Canada. I do hope that things get better rapidly. This is just awful for people getting impacted more directly than I am.
This is beautiful! Love the colors and the lace design at the bottom. Our skies have been hazy also and the smell of smoke hangs in the air. Nothing like what the fire fighters are enduring though.
These colors just made me happy, and the lace was really easy and fast to knit. I bought more yarn to make another one that I hope to make long sleeved: it will have purple in it!!
I think that the smoke is worse to the north and east of us, and Denver is just on the edge of the bad air. I drove to knitting yesterday and you couldn’t even see the mountains. 😦
WordPress needs a “Love” button….the “like” button doesn’t do this sweater justice! 😉
That is just the nicest comment ever! Thank you so much! I highly recommend the pattern.
I am so impressed! You did an amazing job and this is absolutely beautiful!
Thank you. I’m really happy with how it came out.
I love this sweater and it looks fantastic on you!
Thanks! It was fun to knit and used up yarn in the stash. 🙂
Caitlin has the nicest sweaters. I have yarn bundled and waiting to do both the Tegna and the Marettimo. And yours looks lovely and wants me to knit faster. Please say that you had that photo taken in a yarn store and that is not your stash behind you
Her sweaters are really compelling. I’ve kind of gone down the Caitlin Hunter hole here… I knitted two Tegna and the Marettimo this summer, and I’m working on a Sipila sweater right now, and I’ve stashed the yarn for Guthrie and Zweig. Actually, I had yarn in the stash that needed a project, and then her patterns presented the perfect solutions for those yarns.
Oh, that picture was taken in a yarn store! Ha. If only I had a stash like that…
Your sweater is beautiful!
Thanks!
What a beautiful sweater! I love that border and the colors you’ve used. Nicely done.
As for the smoke, it comes and goes here too (I’m in San Jose, California). What a challenging summer it’s been so far. I’m glad you have plenty of good knitting and reading to keep you going indoors.
Thanks. It was fun to knit.
I’ve been to San Jose! Sorry you’re getting hit with smoke too. It’s amazing how far east it is moving… it looks like things are bad in Nebraska, for instance. I hope rain and cooler temperatures come soon.
You’ve been to San Jose! What a small world we live in. Do you have family or friends here, or did you come for another purpose?
My San Jose story is a sad one. I went to college in Tacoma, Washington. My mom drove up from San Diego to get me home at the end of the first year, and we had an accident in San Jose: my mom had to break hard and my trunk flew off the top of the car and out onto the freeway!! Some nice people got us and my belongings off the road, we went to the bus station, and my trunk got shipped home that way. It was an adventure!
Oh dear, that is a bad story. I’m glad no-one was hurt and that you could retrieve your trunk.
It sure made San Jose memorable!
Still in awe of the sweater! And colors are perfect. Love the pic in the tree.
When we walk the greyt dogs, we always have a distant, but beautiful view of the mountains. Not so for the past several days do to the smoke and haze. Also, my friend Nancy and her SO have a cabin in Kimmering that is being threatened by the Silver Creek Fire. We are anxiously waiting for things to improve.
Can’t wait to see your next awesome knit!!!!!!
I got lucky on those yarn colors… good stash, good!
The smoke this afternoon was just terrible!!Hopefully tomorrow will be better. How awful about your friends. I do hope that the fires come under control soon!
Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford and commented:
LIKE THIS SWEATER A LOT—THOSE COLOR PATTERNS…!
Thank you.
VERY WELCOME YOU ARE! 😀
A very nice pattern
I like all of Caitlin Hunter ‘s sweater designs. Cute and fun to wear.