mary makes merry: Knits of yore

Keeping with the dark-green/red-family theme, here's a sweater I knit some time ago but never blogged about:

It's Roadster from Rowan 33. The pattern was written for All Seasons Cotton, and I used Araucania Nature Wool, so it is pretty cropped. But I really like it, and it's wearing well. I think I might have made it in 2004.

The buttons are porcelain with hand-painted red chrysanthemums on them (I think they're hand-painted, and I think they're chrysanthemums, anyway). They were given to me by Clark's mother, who brought them home from a trip she took around the world when she was in her 20s. I think they're Japanese.

I think she just put the trip together herself, and went. I always admired her for that. Also for being able to find a souvenir to give to me from a trip taken long before I was born! She also gave me some beautiful blue Thai silk that she had kept all that time. My own mom then sewed it into an amazing dress that I wore many times in the 1990s. But that's another story. In fact, that may be another story that I've already told here. But it really is a beautiful dress.

Hope my Chicago peeps are able to keep frostbite at bay. Heat wave this weekend, though -- it should get up to freezing.

P.S. to Sue -- I had to smile when I saw your Lynton -- I already had the pictures of this sweater ready for a post when I saw yours...they could be (fraternal) twins!