When Obsessions Collide

I said before I never got much classic or ancient history right?  So I've been catching up using The Great Courses.  When I had to wait to get the last set of cd's on Babylonian history I had been listening to (by a professor educated at Bryn Mawr, by the way), I went ahead and took out The Vikings.  I had never had any of this history; I didn't even know the actual issues and parties involved in the battle of Hastings in 1066 (invasion by the Normans, who were originally Vikings, to take back England from the Saxons who were originally Vikings and the English, who were actually Vikings, more or less).  I know that's not really right but you get the idea of how it sounds when you first hear it.

And I had finished my Estonian lace shawl.

So what could I do?  I need a couple of cardigans for the winter, so I picked up some dk weight Cestari yarns and cast on a Viking Boat sweater (the link will jump you straight to the free English language pdf knitting pattern)!

I'm loving the purples, and I can't help but call this sweater in my head, "Vikings visit Vinland."

Bottom patterning of the sweater; I'm ready now to begin the Viking ship!