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.