knitting kitchen

First order of business: As Bezzie pointed out, there is actually a “Knit a Sweater in the Month of November” movement.  The acronym is NaKniSweMo and its home is over at KnitGrrl’s blog. Apparently, this thing has been going on every November since 2007. Did I say I’m not online much?

According to Shannon Okey of  KnitGrrl, an average sweater is 50,000 stitches making this project the equivalent of the 50,000 word novel required by the NaNoWriMo project.  Key concept here: the average sweater.

First of all, I didn’t cast Scotland on until halfway through the month of November.  And my goal was more along the lines of, “let’s hope I finish this before I die” variety. Still, being a mathy kind of girl, here are my stats:

The sweater is in size 51″ and for the ribbing 330 stitches were cast on plus 10 steek stitches. The ribbing consists of 2 rows, then 19 patterned ribbing rows and 1 increase row at 340 stitches that’s a grand total of 7480 stitches.

For the body of the sweater, the stitches are increased to 396 + 10 steek stitches (406 stitches each row). Each pattern repeat is 22 rows. So far, I’ve completed one pattern repeat + 9 rows (31 rows). 31 x 406 = 12,586 body stitches. 12,586 body sitches + 7480 ribbing stitches = 20,066 stitches.

At this rate, you’re thinking, I’ll hit my 50,000 stitches by the weekend. Yes, probably. However, consider this:

According to the pattern, the body is knitted for 17.5″ after the ribbing. At 8 rows to the inch, that’s 140 rows at 406 stitches each: 56,840 stitches.  Add on the ribbing (7480) and I’m at 64, 340.  Did I mention this is before the armholes? Before the sleeves are even a twinkle in my eye?

So here is the day 4 progress shot, 20,066 stitches…