knitting kitchen

Yes, it looks like someone’s been to Ikea a few times.  But that’s not what this post is about.

I’m using this as a way of explaining why so little knitting got done.

We’ve lived in our house for about 4 years. When we moved in, we had our Select Comfort mattress already, but no bed. This went on for a while, what with being broke from buying the house, and all. Eventually, when the task of getting up in the morning from a mattress on the floor became just too much, we went to Ikea and joined the ranks of “college kids and divorced men”.

Once our bed and night stands were assembled, we were faced with arranging the furniture. Doesn’t sound too tough, but we have a giant freakin’ chimney right up the middle of our room.

M set the bed up on the wall opposite the chimney which sounds fine. Unless you are the person on the left-hand side of the bed (that would be me).  Do you see the charming sloping ceiling in the picture? Well, if you are 5′8″ and your bed it one foot closer to that wall, let me tell you what happens every time you get out of bed…WHAM!  I understand the whole Pavlov’s thing all too well. When I get up in the morning for years to come, I will be hunched over, I swear.

Moving the furniture like one of those Russian dolls. The moving led to trips to Target for under-the-bed storage boxes and trips to Goodwill with Sweaters of Days Gone By. We even broke out the vacuum! Hi Mom!!

This is my way of explaining that on day 9 of NaKniSweMo, tardy-style, I’m up to 39,894 stitches. And for those playing along at home, that includes 2 rows with 20 armhole steeks add for your knitting pleasure.

And just so you don’t think that it was all work and no play this weekend, Jess and I fit in a trip to the quilting store:

While Abbey hung out

In May, 2009, I designed several patterns for the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm and the Hudson Valley Fiber Farm.  A lot of things happened in the intervening months resulting in these patterns not being formally released.

I designed these patterns for several reasons, one of which is I believe that Consumer Supported Agriculture is a wonderful thing and I want to support Susan and Erin in all of the hard work that they do.

When the three of us originally talked about which patterns the fiber farms should offer initially, we agreed that an array of basic patterns requiring minimal supplies (one pair of straight needles and some yarn) was a great way to start. The patterns were to be available at the Farmers’ Market and we didn’t want anyone overwhelmed by patterns that required three sizes of needles and intricate stitches.

After months of changes, the Martha’s Vineyard Fiber Farm and the Hudson Valley Fiber Farm have transformed themselves into the Juniper Moon Fiber Farm. It’s the same beautiful Cormo sheep. The same adorable goats. The same incredible shepherdesses, Susan and Erin.

In honor of their new home in Virginia, I am offering my sweater pattern Menemsha as a free pdf. A basic rolled-neck sweater for every member of your family, the pattern can be knitted in chest sizes 20″ to 51″. I put a lot of work doing the math to create the different sizes and while I might have otherwise sold this pattern, I am requesting that if you choose to knit it, you ‘pay’ for the pattern by doing something charitable.  Donate to a mitten tree. Become a hay sponsor the the Fiber Farm. Donate to a local food bank.  Volunteer your time.  And to everyone who has had a moments pleasure knitting anything I’ve designed,

NaKniSweMo update: 28,486 stitches as of day 7 (11/19/09).

Netflix was kind enough to send us the first disk of Lord Peter Whimsey, The Nine Tailors. So despite the fact that my children have taken to giving the dust bunnies names, I spent two hours after work to watch and knit.

I knit 7 rows (of 406 stitches) for a total of 2842 stitches.  At 8 rows to the inch, the progress pics don’t look all that different from the ones from day 4.  And I’m up to 22908 stitches.

The actual colors are a little softer, more grey and black/brown. When I look at the photos and can actually see the pattern emerging, I’m a little frightened. All those angles, it’s looking like some crazed geometric camo.

Glutton for punishment that I am, I figured out that I’ve only got 102 rows, or 41,412 stitches to go until I hit the armhole steeks.

In the meantime, I’m just grateful that the dust bunnies haven’t yet learned how to ask me what I’m making for dinner.

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…

Rhinebeck, 2008. The one thing I didn’t buy (and there was one), was a Shetland 2000 kit from Yarns International. I thought about it for the better part of a year. So when Rhinebeck, 2009 rolled around, I was scouring their website, trying to select the kit of my dreams.

Mark chose Scotland as his sweater of choice. It was (one of ) the first thing(s) I bought this year.

I didn’t cast on until a couple other things were made:

Olivia in Inga hat, St. Denis Nordique yarn

Random Norwegianesque Christmas stocking in Cascade 220

Flyingdales cardigan designed by Lisa Lloyd knitted in Plymouth Tweed.

I love this yarn and really enjoyed knitting this sweater. All the ends are woven in and the buttons are sewn on. Really. I’ve even worn it twice. There is a glaring mistake in this sweater and I have actually contemplated ripping it out to fix it. Nothing like being just a little bit OCD.  The cardigan body is knitted in once piece. Somewhere between the beginning of the pattern and later, I changed from seed stitch between the cables to moss stitch.  The yarn is dark and flecked with other colors so you really have to look and see it in a certain light to find that there is a mistake, but it really makes me nuts every time I put it on. It won’t be a total shock if I find myself knitting another Flyingdales just so I can sleep more easily at night.

One glove in Koigu. The other one is knitted up to the beginning of the fingers.
End of May Hat knitted in St. Denis Nordique.

I had actually cast this on as we were driving to Rhinebeck.  In the car, I was gushing about how much I LOVE this yarn. Then I had the good fortune to meet Veronik Avery, the designer of this yarn, at Rhinebeck.

Alissa’s Hat knitted in Cascade 220.

My friend Alissa showed me a hat she bought in Ireland. We both like this hat a lot so I figured out the pattern. Someday I will write it up. Right after I finish doing all the laundry in the house (HA!).

So here are my progress shots. The main reason I am bothering to take a photo every day of my knitting progress is that it is my deepest desire to actually finish this sweater. I have never bought a sweater pattern kit and I have lusted after any Alice Starmore kit for close to 25 years. They’ve always seemed to be so exorbitantly expensive which is kind of funny when I actually add up how much $$$ I spend on yarn per year (despite Quicken, Hell will freeze before I ever actually look at that number).  This sweater kit is the most I’ve ever paid to knit a single sweater. That being said, it’s still roughly half the cost of an AS kit.  In my own crazy logic, the only way I can justify every buying a kit from Virtual Yarns (Alice Starmore’s company) is if I knit this one in a reasonable amount of time and finish it. Even weaving in the ends…and sewing the seams. All of it. Really.

11/14/09

11/15/09

While I’m sure all of my details of knitting this sweater will bore the beejeezus out of everyone, I’m not sure I care. For the next little while anyway, my intention is to knit this and blog my experience despite the tedium it may cause others.

*This is in response to NaNoWriMo which is National Novel Writing Month. I will not be boring humanity with the novel I have buried in my soul.  I’ve turned this into National Sweater Knitting Month, even if it takes me a year to finish.