Owls! An Update

My sister Sarah and I are on our way to Germany, where they're experiencing the coldest beginning of December in 100 years. ouch. For two girls that aren't fond of cold this is going to be rough, but we know that there will be plenty of Gluehwien to keep us warm.

But I've taken the appropriate precautions and have packed plenty of wool, including my newest owl sweater::

Some people say that wearing more than one hand-knit item at a time is excessive, but I say bring on the wool! I'll be pairing this sweater with the new dimple hat that I just knit up::

And with the Elizabeth Zimmerman mittens that I knit either last year or the year before. These are the mitered mittens from Knitting Almanac with the thumb openings on the sides. Knit from a really fantastic Noro yarn that's a wool and alpaca blend:: Both look amazing with the owls!


Sweater Details::

Pattern ~ Kate Davies' Owls
Yarn ~ Lamb's Pride Bulky
Needles ~ US 10 and 10.5
Size ~ Medium

Modifications: I follow Kate's stitch count, but use my own judgement as far as sweater and sleeve length. This one I made a bit longer in both the sleeves and the body than my last. I loved the small fit of the last one, but wanted to compliment that with a cozier, bigger version this time (I also knit a size smaller for my last one). For both sweaters I did my waist shaping on the sides of the body, rather than on the back like she suggested. And finally, I made the neck slightly smaller than she suggests (by about 6 stitches).

As a fun comparison, here are both sweaters paired with the same skirt (in different colors) and boots. Even though they're different, I really like the fit of both. What do you think? Does one look better than the other? too small? too big?
... and yes, someone had a bit too much time on their hands in the cabin!

Here's to hoping we don't freeze**