The Inaugural Sweater

My second sweater of 2009 was the Cambridge Sweater by Ann Budd. I call it the Inauguration Sweater, as I started it and knit it through all of the Inaugural activities. So far, it is my favourite sweater both to knit and as a finished product.

I started the sweater using size 8 needles and Cascade 220—all as noted in the pattern. My gauge started out ok, but as I came close to finishing the back, I held it up to my hubby’s back and realized I was going to have to make an adjustment. Fortunately, I was only about 20% of the way done when I realized the problem. The sweater was huge. So, I frogged (ripped it out and started over. Get it? I ripped it. Frogs say what?) it and started over. I went down a body size and a needle size, and I got a gauge that would fit my hubby.

I finished knitting the sweater in February, but I did not finish the sweater until May. Why? I wanted the sweater to look handmade, but not homely. How one seams the pieces of a sweater together is as important as how it is knit. Since I had no experience with seaming or finishing garments, I was nervous about screwing it up. After seeking advice from my knitter friends, I purchased The Knitters Book of Finishing Techniques by Nancie M. Wiseman. Wow. It might be the most important knitting book I own. Using detailed instructions with pictures, the book explained how to finish the garment and when to use each technique. Since the sweater was in 5 pieces AND needed a zipper sewn in, I was glad for the advice.

So, the story of the Inaugural Sweater ended happily. It is complete, and it fits John. What more can a girl ask for?

Mind Full of Knitting

Like most knitters, my craft relaxes me and helps me center myself in my life. When I need some forced relaxation, I’ll turn off my ipod and visualize my life as video game. I must make concentric circles lay on top of each other and form one circle. The one circle is my life—focused and centered. This weekend, I read two knitting books to help me use my knitting time as more effective form of relaxation: Zen and the Art of Knitting and Mindful Knitting. While both are about meditating while knitting, they are very different books.

Mindful Knitting is a great beginner’s book on meditation while knitting. It offers step by step meditation lessons without all of the new age stuff, focusing on allowing thoughts to happen until my mind is quiet. I know enough about meditation to know that this is an often-used approach in teaching, but it is so hard! I live in a world of multitasking. I answer emails while listening to training conference calls; I talk on the phone while cooking dinner; and I have been im’ing while writing this blog entry. I usually multi-task my knitting too. I listen to an audio book, watch a movie, or knit with friends, chatting, and coffee.

I did try it this weekend. I sat in a quiet room, and I just knit. Nothing else. My mind raced, but I followed the books advice and let the thoughts come. I acknowledged them and then put them aside. I never got to the point where my outside thoughts quit coming, and I was only focused on knitting. Still, it was relaxing to knit in a quiet room without a multitasking force. I will keep trying this method. I think that with practice, it will work for me

Zen and the Art of Knitting was much harder for me to read. It focuses on knitting as a spiritual exercise. I want to use meditation the same way I use yoga—relaxation and good feelings. I appreciate that meditation can be spiritual, but it is not spiritual for me. So, while I did not enjoy this book, I do recommend it to people interested in incorporating spirituality and prayer into their knitting.

I’m not sure how much either book will affect my knitting habits. While I did enjoy knitting with no distractions, I’ll probably only get around to doing it once a week.

12 sweaters in 12 months? Really? I’ve never knit a sweater before. . .

I’ve been knitting for about 10 years. I started with a book, some size 10s, and some crappy acrylic yarn. After about a week, I gave up the book plan and sought lessons. Wow. Knitting is much easier to learn from someone. My second start was far superior: Size 7 wooden needles, Noro Silk Garden, and a teacher from a LYS.

At the first lesson, I learned to cast on and knit. At the second lesson, I learned to purl and bind-off. At the third lesson, I learned to read yarn labels and patterns. I’ll be ever grateful to my teacher, Lyndi, for those three lessons. From that framework, I’ve met lots of fiber friends, knit dozens of items, and overcome my fears of knitting “hard” stuff.

I’m still not sure why I so wanted to knit. At the time, knitting was beginning its revival. Dayton’s had 2 LYSs. One was a single aisle in a locally owned craft store. The Busy Beaver has a single aisle packed to the ceiling with beautiful yarns. It isn’t unusual for removing a skein to cause an avalanche of yarn. New yarns are in boxes on the floor, and there is often a high schooler working to create a new yarn system. The second shop was a stall at our major Farmer’s Market--Lyndi’s store--small and friendly with an emphasis on luxury and novelty yarns.

So, it is 10 years later and I joined the National Knit a Sweater a Month Dodecathon, better known as NaKniSweMoDo. We are a group from the website Ravelry, and we are getting it done. Already, a few members have completed their journey—that’s right, there are overachievers in the group who knit 12 sweaters in 6 months. I’ve been slower going.

My first sweater EVER, was my first sweater for the challenge. I’d been fascinated by sweaters for years, and I’d bought books just to look at the pretty sweaters. The NaKniSweMoDo Challenge was perfect for me, as I’m a serial obsessionist. In high school, it was theater, in college it was debate, and now I’d completely devoted my spare time to knitting sweaters.

Completing the Olive Branch Hoodie offered the kind of pride I got from writing great papers or winning debate rounds. It says, “Look, I’m smart. I made this” This is an argument, a sweater, a fire on survivor, you name it. Fortunately, a sweater says even more, it says, “and it fits!”

I'm on sweaters 4 and 5 now, and I'm no longer scared of sweaters. Like everything else I've knit, it is just a combination of knitting and purling. Surprisingly, I love knitting sweaters. I've learned much about gauge and finishing, and I'm still learning about shaping and fit. With knitting, like life, there is always something new to learn.

Sweater 1

Part of sweater project is a selfish desire to knit some wonderful things for me. Most of my knitting is gifted to friends and family members. I spent hours pouring through patterns looking for just the right sweater. I wanted it to be simple with some nice detailing, snugly warm wool, and a zippered hoodie.

Non-knitters might think the criteria above would leave me with very few options. After all, how many sweaters have you seen in stores that match my description? 10? 15? Fortunately, there are an infinite number of patterns for the hoodie I wanted, and I found patterns for 40 or 50 that met my requirements.

Eventually, I settled on the Olive Branch Yoga Hoodie. It was knit from the hood down, and all in one piece. There was nothing to sew together at the end of the knitting. I used Cascade Eco Wool. It is a popular yarn because you can get a huge amount of yarn for a reasonable price. In addition, Cascade Eco Wool isn’t dyed. It comes in multiple colors that are created by the sheep that grew the wool. This hoodie was my first ever sweater, and it has a zipper that I sewed in by hand.

Overall, I'm happy with this sweater and proud of my knitting. It is warm and cozy, but it pilled everywhere. I have even tried a pill remover and a razorblade. Nothing seems to work. Any ideas?