Road Trip

I learned something yesterday that may change my life forever.
You can put a center-pull ball in the cup holders in your car and knit without fear of your yarn rolling around on the grubby ground.
This came in handy yesterday when we decided to take a Memorial Day trip in our new (to us) minivan.
Our first idea was to visit a Fur Trade Rendezvous a little south of the Twin Cities. However, we didn't print out a map, so we ended up just driving around through the lovely bluffs and valleys of mid-southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin.
We had a picnic lunch in Red Wing, and then came home.
The Hubby enjoys a long drive, while I get sleepy, so it's not the best idea for me to be behind the wheel.
This gave me the ample time to knit up a couple of swatches on the trip.
I loved Coastal Knits the first time I flipped through it, and I knew it would be a go-to book for many different projects.
I have already finished one sweater from it, and yesterday I decided that I needed to begin another.

This Gnarled Oak pattern is just too wonderful. I love everything about this one. The wooden buttons, the yoke, the color, the story behind it. Each pattern in the book comes with an essay about the inspiration for the design, and there are lovely photos of a forest which inspired Alana Dakos which, in turn, make me want to drive to California to see that place and be with those trees.
The next best thing, I suppose, is to just go ahead and knit this sweater.
So in the car yesterday I worked up swatches of a couple of yarns to decide which I should use.

The green on the left is Tracie. A wool yarn that is very lofty and soft as a cloud.
The brown on the right is Thirteen Mile. Naturally dyed, it's also quite soft.
I decided to go with the green. It may have been the power of suggestion, since the original is also green, but the Tracie just spoke to me with this pattern.
The Elder liked the brown, maybe a kid-sized one for her is in the cards?
So last night, during a marathon of The Walking Dead (we haven't finished last season, nobody spoil the ending! We have 2 episodes left) I cast on the ribbing and was able to make a little headway.

The Singers are going on another road trip in June, this time to Chicago, so I'll have a long bus ride during which to get some serious knitting done. Hopefully I'll be able to complete this sweater on the trip.
Joining Nicole for Keep Calm and Craft On.
Also joining Ginny for Yarn Along.
What are you making lately?