Fun
Dana’s Edit: Sweater Bingo
I am starting a new trend: the destination sweater.
The other month I wrote about knitting things I love just for the joy of it and I mentioned that I was knitting a Call Me London sweater for my trip to London. My trip came and went by entirely too quickly—but I had such a delightful day taking pictures with the landmarks I knit in my sweater.
I thought I would share a few of my pictures with my friends here at MDK. When I shared them on social media, Kay called it “sweater bingo” and she couldn’t have described it any better.
I wore my sweater on a day we just planned to explore and run all around London. We didn’t have a real agenda, other than try souffle pancakes my husband saw on TikTok, but as we started to explore, I realized we were next to things I had on my sweater.
The first was when we hopped on a double decker bus to get pancakes. I just wanted a picture in front of a bus and a bus driver was on his break and told me to hop on and take pics!
He was so friendly and kind asking us about our trip and where we were from and suggesting things for us to do. I will admit the double decker bus was one of the favorite icons I knit.
Next, we stumbled across a red telephone booth and I immediately had to snap a pic. The telephone booths are all over London but some were covered in graffiti or had their windows smashed so I was happy to find one that was fairly pristine.
Since we were taking the bus all over the city, my husband just suggested I snap a pic in front of the Tube station we were near while we were out searching for all the Cadbury chocolate I could take home. Trust me, it tastes better in the UK.
After an afternoon break, we decided to pop back out and walk over to Big Ben and snap a pic since that was the first motif I actually knit on the sweater.
We ended up caught up in some of the crowds just walking all over the city and my husband said, “wait, we need to find a Union Jack flag you can stand next to for a pic!” Surprisingly, Union Jack flags weren’t flying all over like we assumed they would be.
We even walked down the long promenade to Buckingham Palace and through the park and didn’t see a single flag. So I popped into a souvenir shop and took my last pic.
The only thing I didn’t take a picture with was a teapot because it was just too hot that day to stop and have hot tea.
We laughed and had so much fun exploring and finding the things on my sweater to take a picture with, it was a fun way figure out how to explore the city. Surprisingly, no one said a single thing about my sweater while I was walking around and I just enjoyed the day.
Want to make your own destination sweater? You can find Martina Maskova’s Call Me London pattern on Ravelry; the designer gives you several motifs to choose from.
But if you aren’t headed to London, I recommend the Strange Brew sweater recipe by Tin Can Knits, paired with Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation or Alterknit stitch dictionaries for fun motifs that you can use. I call Maryland my home—and love it so much that when I saw the crab motifs in Knitovation, I knew I would make myself a Maryland sweater this year.
Perhaps destination knits will become the next big trend in 2024!
Come Shop With Us
Does anyone have a similar Paris pattern?
Thanks, Dana! Always so great to see your posts and wonderful photos here.
Fun fun! Thank’s for sharing and thank the photographer!
Such a great idea! I’m going to give it a try!
Love, love your sweater and your pics in front of all your knitted icons! Looks like a perfect trip❤️
I always love Dana’s Edit. What a multi-talented woman.
Amazing and so beautiful! What a great idea.
I can’t think of a better knit trend: knit+travel+photos hit it all for me.
Thanks for another fun post!
Love, love, love this! I usually buy souvenir yarn where ever I go- but this is a whole new level! I’m going to Iceland next fall- that could be fun! Thanks!
Awesome sweater and pics! Thank you Dana!!!
This is just the cutest sweater ever! I love your idea of snapping complementary photos while in the destination! I went to Iceland this Spring and had finished the Crowberry Vest during the Bang-Out-A-Sweater this year before I went. It was the best layer to wear for Icelandic weather, I got tons of compliments on it everywhere I went, and I did one good photo with the sweater on, sipping a Crowberry liqueur cocktail in Reykjavik (It was zipped under a raincoat most days so not always visible in outdoor photos!).
I love this sweater. I live in North Carolina and worked at UNC for 20+ years. It makes me want to make a “Carolina” sweater. PS: I peeked at your blog from the link and love all your sweaters.
The pictures of your sweater and amazing smile brought joy to my day! What a neat idea!
I love this idea, thanks! And gorgeous pictures!
Such fun!
I loved this post. We travel a lot and I’m knitting a lot on my trips. What a great idea to plan for a trip on a sweater. You really put a lot of ideas into my head. Thank you. It looks like your trip was a fun one.
Fun!
Possibly the most adorable thing ever!
Thanks for the fun post.
Love your sweater and sharing your pics. What a great idea and way to document your trip. Great idea to knit a destination sweater
I always look forward to your posts
This is SO much fun!! Love the sweater, love when “Dana’s Edit” lands in my in-box, and love London – great way to start the week – thanks for this great post!
What fun! I can do this—been around world and never knew what to do w/all the (way too many) pics I took.
I love everything about this! Thanks for sharing your trip with us!
Dana, what a fun idea! Thanks so much for sharing your adventures (in knitting, in traveling) with us!
Great post & sweater! The Brits don’t talk to strangers like we do.
It says much for your self control that you didn’t walk that adorable sweater into a yarn shop and let the people who know knitting admire it! Thanks, as always, you’ve made my day better.
Absolutely loved this! Surprised no one commented on your sweater, it’s stunning.
Love it! Thanks for sharing these pics and a bit about your vacation.
Dana!!! This makes me SO happy!!!! The sweater turned out incredibly! And looks just adorable on you! (I LOVE your jeans too!) Thank you for bringing me a smile on this Monday morning! I think this will be the next hot thing!!! Did you see Tom Daley’s Paris sweater?
What a fun idea. Your sweater was your momento of your trip!
What a fantastic idea! I love seeing all your smiling photos with your sweater! Any colorwork apparel (or even dish cloths or towels – no?) could do the same (for those of us who are not yet sweater knitters). I’m picturing a Maryland Blue Crab hat just based upon your suggestion!
Adding for any MN knitters out there- what would be on a State Fair sweater?!
LOVE your “sights of London” pullover. I could do one for San Francisco, my native city, and Hawaii beckons, too. Sweater bingo – I’m in!
Best thing on a hot day is a nice cuppa! Properly brewed, mind, in a warmed tea pot.
If interested in destination sweaters, check out the intarsia work of Sam Barsky. He makes up his own patterns as he goes and has a large portfolio of designs that he has done based on places he has traveled.
An absolute joy and marvel! I love the way you relish creating icons from yarn into fabulous, gorgeous, delightful sweaters.
Your sweater is so cute and fun. The color combo will work well with so many basic pieces of clothing, making it eminently wearable. The fit looks both comfortable and complimentary to the figure. What fiber did you use to knit it?
Love this idea! And the photos are aaaahhhhmazing, dahling.
Thank you for taking us on this scavenger hunt — with your great sweater. It’s a fun idea!
Dana, I love your posts! What an amazing sweater and I never tire of seeing your smile. I also love that you are brilliant and knit. I love reading about your passions and life. Thank you for sharing your life with us.
What a wonderful post and a fabulous idea! My husband and I are planning a trip to England and Scotland in 2026. A destination sweater is now churning through my mind. I think I have enough time to complete it…!!!
You are adorable! Thanks for sharing pics of your icon sweater with the real icons. So fun to see! I enjoyed your original post when you were working on the sweater and now had a great time reading this one and traveling with you. So glad your trip went well.
What a cute sweater!
Sweater BINGO is a great idea that I’m sure will catch on for many iconic destinations and activities.
I can picture one for Rhinebeck that has:
“The Tree” in it’s Fall Glory –
Apple Cider Donuts –
Buying Wool –
Sheep Shearing Demonstrations – ✂️
Knitting and Crochet Workshops –
Meet Up on the Hill – ⛰️
Wine Tasting –
Sheep Breed Shows –
Fleece Sale –
Lamb Cooking Demonstrations –
Handmade Textile Exhibits –
Book Signings – ✍️
As a New Yorker, I can picture many iconic scenes.
Statue of Liberty –
Brooklyn Bridge –
Yellow Taxi –
Central Park –
I can even picture a bingo sweater to wear to an actual BINGO game
Bingo Ball – (generic bingo ball icon)
Winning Card – (a card with a trophy for winning)
Bingo Dauber/Marker – ️ (a pen or marker used to mark cards)
Bingo Cage – (a cage or wheel for drawing balls)
Free Space – ⭐ (a star or special mark for the free space)
Jackpot – (money or a jackpot prize)
Your photos are just adorable & now you’ve got me wanting to knit a destination sweater!
I love this article so much. Adore the sweater. Just one thing: hot tea is good any time of year. I drink green tea year round, and never find it too hot.
Dana, you are such a KOOL lady and your husband is a sweetheart for having your back and supporting you. (He’s a keeper). The best to you. BTW: I read each and every article of yours on MDK with wide interest.
Hmmmm… maybe I’ll make a Sarah’s Life…. DC, Spain, Thailand, Argentina (beef steak???? Probably not), California, DC/Virginia, Ecuador, Guinea-Bissau, Massachusetts, Toronto, Bolivia, Gabon, DC/Va again (multiple times), Washington State, Maine…… not sure how to cram all that in…but I like the idea…hmmm… a throw????? Thanks for the fun!
I feel better already after your letter and pictures from London. I always love your smile!! So glad your trip went well.
Love the sweaters you’ve been posting on Ravelry.
Love the sweater bingo idea!! Now I’m dreaming of several sweaters…my ancestral home: Isle of Arran (Scotland), 45 years in Maine…NJ birthplace and its wilds…WOOHOO! Thanks, Dana!
Love, love, love your destination sweater. It’s fabulous. Thank you for sharing your adventure. You have definitely motivated me to design a Destination Sweater! Cheers!
This is ah-DOR-able!! The sweater, the pix & the story!!
This is wonderful! Thanks for sharing these happy pictures 🙂
We went to Yosemite this May. Naturally I knit Nancy Bates’ National Park Yosemite hats to wear. Dana, you’ve upped the ante. It’s destination sweaters from now on!
I join the chorus of readers who delight to see another of your posts, Dana! Seeing your lovely smile and beautiful sweaters makes any day better! Thank you for sharing your adventures and pictures from your trip. It is a great idea. I’m so glad you had such a good time with the sweater and your visit to London.
I just finished reading the novel Black Cake for my book club. As a black cake lover, I offered to make one for our meeting. Now my mind is going to literary-themed sweaters. One for Black Cake could include the cake and ingredients like a bottle of rum, a swimmer, waves… So many books, so many motifs!
I love this! (And I love London.) What a great story.
I hope to see some more of your ‘tourism’ knits in the future!
Your columns are always so happy! This is great – so nice you had such a good trip! (But hot tea can be good even if the weather’s warm….) Thank you!
Love every single thing about this!
This is too much of wonderful! Thanks.
LOVED THIS POST!!! SO inspiring
and such fun! Thanks for the
giggles and inspiration! Carol
M.
Fabulous!
Love this idea! I bet my mom would love if I made her a destination sweater based on pictures from her Alaska trip. Mountains, sled dogs, totem poles… (No, my parents didn’t ski, lol)
Also, fellow Marylander here! If you do make a MD sweater, I can’t wait to see it! Maybe put Old Bay on it, too.
Dana I always look forward to your posts. Your skill set never ceases to amaze me! Thank you for brightening my day!
I love the sweater and all the great photos to match! What a great memory maker.
I love doing this with Doodle charts. I use the pattern Fosset Crop and plug in whatever 24 stitch Doodle I want.
Love this so much.
How FUN !
When my daughter was in High School she and members of her school choir went to London and all she could talk about was the Cadbury chocolate
Oh well, youth
Astonishing that people weren’t stopping you every few feet! I know I would have. What a gorgeous sweater and definitely destination knits must become the next hot thing!
How fun is that! Really enjoyed your pics and the fun you had finding the places to take them!
Wonderful
Wow what talented lady!! Bravo! That is one gorgeous sweater and fits beautifully.
I thought about knitting a throw with motifs from my trip to England but couldn’t figure out how to do it. Dana, your sweater is genius! And looks great on you.
Love your sweater!! And love your photos in London.
Your sweater is wonderful, but I’m surprised that you were able to wear it all over London while it was too hot to have a cup of tea! I am a dedicated tea drinker, and I think I had the best cuppa of my life at the British Museum in June. I’m glad you had this great trip, and the sweater really is a masterpiece.
Where to next?
When we went to Florence I purchased cotton yarn the colors of the Duomo. I got the yarn two short blocks away. I made potholders for an Italian American friend whose son lives in Florence.
She loves them and uses them as hot pads.
Dana, your sweater is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for sharing your marvelous trip with us.
Completely love your sweater and your description of the day exploring London. I can’t believe no one asked you about the sweater or commented on it! The idea of having a sweater, or even something smaller to knit like a cowl or scarf, is definitely clever and intriguing. You have got me thinking and planning!
Bravo, Dana! You look so good in your London Destination Sweater. What a cool idea!
How could anyone NOT comment on your beautiful sweater?!?! Thank you and your photographer for sharing!
You are inspiring me to make more sweaters- I only wear cardigans because I get hot easily and it’s easier to take them off and on. I also make and wear a lot of shawls. I love your London sweater.
This story made my day — and is something I’d totally do. Do you want to be friends?