The Dillon family sweater. Apparently, our ancestry traces back to this clan. I've always been skeptical of our Irish / Scottish roots and erred more towards our German ancestry, but my brother's red beard might be enough to convince me. Maybe I'll even get some Irish street cred if I pull this off and knit it before I'm 85.This company will either sell you a handknit sweater for $200 or the yarn and pattern to make your own for $90. Keith gets more than 50% off the price of the sweater, and I can never again complain that I have nothing on the needles.** I told him I couldn't guarantee finishing this before his 30th birthday (he's 22).
I tried to make a sweater like this once. I bought a boatload of Red Heart Super Saver acrylic yarn and set out. I think I got about 5 rows through the pattern before getting horribly and utterly lost and confused. Hence, all the green, acrylic things I've since knit (Ravelry links), and several still untouched one-pound skeins lining the bottom of my yarn chest.
Just the fact that I intended to make an Aran sweater out of Red Heart should indicate about where I was on my knitting trajectory.
In other familial undertakings, my mom is crazy. Evidence: every year she does what is called the "Penguin Plunge." She and her teammates swim in the Atlantic Ocean in February. Did I mention she lives in New Hampshire? I think those are the prima facie elements for crazy (law school talk, in full force!).
However, I support this crazy. Because it is a fundraiser for the New Hampshire Special Olympics. Her team is a team of doctors and nurses, and they're currently in 4th place for their fundraising. Help a good cause, and encourage the crazy! As my mom says, every $1 counts. Which is good, since that $1 will be coming out of my loans and I'll be paying it back at least until I finish this sweater project.
Click here to donate.
*Apologies for any morbid connotations. Although, it may be just me, since I've been watching Six Feet Under recently.
**Although I reserve the right to complain at any time. And knit sweaters for myself while knitting this beast. J/k Keith- I'm totally excited to take this on.
3 comments:
The Irish is definitely present. Julian's mother was Wyneta (Nenon) Dillon and the 1917 REO was purchase by her father Alpheus Dillon. His father was Thomas Dillon (married to Rhoda Adams) and Thomas' father, John, was born in Ireland. So that is your Grandfather Julian's Great Great Grandfather. On Grandma Janice's side is her Great Great Grandmother, Beulah Lucy Parmenter. So there are two bits of Irish undeniably there. (Janice's mother's mother's mother's mother) The names in that line are Hooper / Williams / Eastland / Parmenter. Making you at minimum 1/32 Irish from my side. But there could be some on the Oshel/Wilson sides also. Your dad had some red in his beard as well.
PS - Thanks to any and all who donate to NH Special Olympics!
I've been to Ireland. You don't get street cred by knitting. You really do need to be involved in drugs/violence for that. You may get knitting cred with the old ladies, though.
I guess my dad's doing the Penguin Plunge this year on the same team - looks like he better get cracking on his fundraising though!
I'm working on my first pair of socks, and I think I'm going to be addicted soon. Of course, it might have something to do with the awesome yarn I'm using (which was way more expensive than I can routinely afford).
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