It’s kinda sad, given my complete and utter love of this sweater the amount of time that it took me to finish it. I’m a monogamous knitter, my mind can’t seem to handle knitting on more than one thing at a time. Really, its true. It might have something to do with all the changes that I make to a pattern and not being able to jump back and forth. Or the draw of something oooo new and pretty! It started back in October of 2008 when I had this notion that I could finish this sweater knit on US 7’s and seam it in 3 weeks, oh and clean the house, pack our stuff and drive 7 hours to my parents house while mothering 4 children one of them a 1 year old. Yeah totally doable. Not. I really did want to wear it to Rhinebeck that year… mostly because I wanted to see how that yarn looked all knit up before I went and bought a sweaters quantity of it again.
I did however finish the two sleeves, block them and then put them into a basket along with the rest of the yarn, the pattern and notes for me. Christmas knitting was finished and January rolled in. Knitting a gray sweater in January when its bleak and chilly doesn’t make much knitting enjoyment. Then Spring came, still in the basket. Summer came along and still nothing (cause really who wants to knit a wool sweater in August?) Rhinebeck 2009 and Wisteria claimed my heart, Christmas knitting and another bleak January. Then onto this year, 2010. My friend Robin (we did a little Pi-shawl knit-a-long together too) suggested sometime in late September that we both pull out our twists and finish them up.
If you know me at all, you know that I can’t seem to leave well enough alone. No, I am a pain in the ass and I’m ok with that. If I don’t like something damnit, I’m gonna change it and don’t try telling me I can’t cause, um, sorry I’ll just smile at your while I’m humming along in my head cause “lalalalala I’m not listening”. Twist is written to be knit in pieces and seamed together. Which when I read that I think “ew, seaming, and ew purling. I don’t wanna.” So I pondered, and pondered how I was gonna make my first steek. I poked Cynthia’s brain a bit (I took a steaking class from her during the summer? spring? of 2010). I ended up taking off a few stitches off the body (they would have been used for seaming it together), adding in a 8 stitch steek. I knit around and around in the pattern until I reached my armpits and then I separated the front and back, working the armhole shaping for both the right and left back at the same time. There are much better notes on my rav project page. Steaking wasn’t quite as scary as I thought it would be, I was nervous about it. I had to cut a neck line too so my neck was lower than the front, once I find some good ribbon or twill tape I think I might sew it along my steak edge, just for some cuteness. I will be steeking again, it was quite thrilling and it allowed me to knit the body faster than if I knit it in pieces.
stats:
ravelry project page
Pattern: Twist by Bonne Marie Burns
Yarn : Greenwood Hill Farm Two Ply DK 7.5 skeins (1,350 yards)
Needle’s : US 6 – 4.0 mm
US 7 – 4.5 mm
Started: October 2008
Completed October 24 2010
In hindsight, something I didn’t think about till I got to it. I started my row where the middle of the steek was. I should have started my row on the left front. So when separated the front and the back both the cables would have been on the same number of rows. because you know, when your knitting in the round your knitting in a spiral. One of my cables on the front has an extra knit row. I don’t remember which one, come to think of it, it might not. Sometimes a seam is needed to help give the sweater “structure”, and I agree to this to an extent. Twist has 4 cable panels that will help it retain its shape over time, at least that’s what I think will happen I really don’t think it will get all droopy since those cables will pull in.
Now you might be wondering, why wasn’t that this sweater didn’t make it to Rhinebeck? I had all the pieces done, the steek cut, sewed down. I had to sew the arms in and I asked my mom. (Even though I shoulda looked it up online, sorry mom) She knit many sweaters when I was little, I still have a Mary Maxium sweater with a giant rainbow on the back that my girls have also worn. So I thought she would know. Lets just say I had a very wide neckline. I thought it was ok. I knit and knit and reknit that damned collar. And then I put down the sweater. Thought about it, and realized damnit a sweater isn’t sewn together that way (one would think that after knitting many, many sweaters I would know how to one is pieced together. In my own defense I’ve knit raglan and drop shoulder sweaters. so there) . So I picked everything out, sewed it back together and started on the collar. But it wasn’t done in time. I also forgot the buttons back home, and the Joann’s in Pittsfield reminded me why I don’t miss living in the Berkshires. I’m so incredibly happy with this sweater, it came out perfectly and I’ve been dreaming about different way’s I can tweak the pattern with different cables, ribbing, lace panels because it is so darn cozy and perfect I have to remind my self I shouldn’t wear it every day…
PS. I found a new cooking blog that I absolutely love love love, A year of slow cooking. I’m still learning when it comes to cooking (I love to bake) and dinner is usually frustrating. Please do share if you have any favorite cooking blogs or tips on freezer meals. I’m also trying to do a meal plan, which in the past I’ve hated because I felt so tied down to it. Because I freeze my meat and would have only thawed what I needed for that meal. When crockpotting you can cook (if on low for at least 6-7 hours) your meat from frozen. I can change my mind and move meals around if I want. With my kids and I so busy with sports, girl/cub scouts, band/chorus this helps out a lot since I obviously won’t be able to clone myself anytime soon and as much as I would like too can’t sprout two extra arms.
PPS. Last week we had the Apricot Chicken my kids loved it, I served it with white rice and peas. I also made the pizza soup, ended up a little spicy I’m not sure if it was because of the sausage that I used or the spices…. Herbed Garden Chicken was tasty I think I cooked it too long though… When I made the Tai beef I was shocked, all the kids had seconds, Corra who hates peanuts had thirds (!?). Made the Java roast too, but didn’t add the cream cheese into the broth at the end. I took some of the broth out and mixed in some cream cheese and had my kids try the two and tell me which one they liked better. All liked the one w/o the cream cheese (me too).
PPPS now I want so many new cooking things!
Mistress Stash Enhancer 