The mad rush to get things ready for the Spring ’08 photoshoot is over. The photos have been taken. No more reknitting necklines late into the night. No more cutting 4″ off the bottoms of things, because, I was, well, WRONG the first time. No more cutting sweaters in half and inserting lace details or raiding my button collection for the perfect finishing touch. Ahhhhh – at least for now.
Oh and also, after getting 2 (or was it 3?) extensions to the deadline on my lastest piece for Vogue Knitting, I finally, REALLY, had to finish up and send it in. That’s done – another ahhhh. Now I can do my laundry. Now I can cook for friends. Now I can sleep.
One question looms though – What do I knit on now? A mindless garter stitch scarf in something soft and soothing, I’m thinking, ultra alpaca light, would suit my brain right now. I like peat mix for the subtlest bit o color next to my black coat. I like size 6 needles. Right now, I like just knitting. My head will recover soon though, and be aching for something a bit more challenging. It’s time to resume knitting on the sweater for my boyfriend.
Don’t give me a hard time. Yes, I know about the boyfriend curse. In fact I discovered it in college – I thought then that I was the first to voice it (although I’m sure I wasn’t).
This boyfriend spent a whole summer (he’s a teacher) demolishing and then rebuilding my kitchen. Surely, if John can commit all of that time and sweat to build a kitchen for me, I can knit him a pullover. He’s a sweater wearing man too. I have to take the chance – he REALLY wants the sweater. The yarn I’m knitting on is not (gasp) from Berroco. It’s spun from John’s best friends’ sheep. This sweater comes loaded with MEANING. While my theory has long been that an overload of MEANING is why men do leave when you give them a sweater, any man who can’t stand up to the MEANING wasn’t going to stay any way. I have to take the chance 🙂
The cable pattern in John’s sweater is the same one I used in L’aran in Berroco booklet 256. I expanded it to cover the entire surface. Peruvia would be a great yarn substitution for my one-of-a-kind yarn.
That is going to be one gorgeous sweater when you finish it! But I think we all need the garter stitch scarf sometimes.
interesting thoughts on men, sweaters and MEANING. sounds like you know him well and that your assessment of his ability to handle the sweater is not misguided. the yarn and the sweater look beautiful.
i love it! and if he built you a kitchen he certainly earned a norah-original. he sounds sweater-worthy to me, and the story behind the yarn is perfect. good luck making some headway on it. i can’t imagine how challenging that is when you knit for a living too.
Wow, Norah–three cheers for you! You are a natural blogger!! There is a little synchronicity going on right now, too, I was recently up burning the midnight oil designing when I should have been being studious. Now I’m back in the books and knitting a wee dog sweater in Ultra Al to prevent my brain from overheating.
This is my ‘curse’ sweater–we’re back together now, but it still worked it’s ‘magic’:
http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/6348/1676/1600/89781/bettereric.jpg
Are those needles vintage or caesin (both)? I have some plastic ones that look like that–stiff cord but nice and pointy!
I love the MEANING sweater and hope it transcends the boyfriend curse. I think you’re on solid ground in that I bet redoing your kitchen was similarly laden with meaning for John.
The boyfriend curse sweater is only curse-ful if the MEANING in the sweater hasn’t been reciprocated. I think demolishing and rebuilding a kitchen is full of MEANING of its own.
You’re safe.
Beautiful sweater BTW.
Oh, I think you have a winner boyfriend there! and a lovely sweater, too. Very nice wool.
Haha, I like how MEANING says everything. And I think a cabled sweater in exchange for a remodeled kitchen is just right. It’s beautiful!
I can certainly understand the need to garter mindlessly. I just fnished several projects I was knitting for deadlines, gifts and such and I couldn’t keep my hands still so I knitted a giant moebius thsat I will wear as a shawl, just because I could knit without thinking round and round and round and……
Sounds like you are 6 and 0 so far for the kitchen makeover dude. Make it 7, I think he deserves a sweater too. And if something goes wrong, remind him he has a sister that will make him pay for the rest of his life.
Handy around the house + desirous for handknits = KEEPER. 😀
I’m glad I didn’t know about the boyfriend/sweater curse 19 years ago – we’ve been married for 16 years now. It took about 8 years of my cooking for him to grow into it, though! I’ll bet yours can handle it, too. The sweater is gorgeous, and I love the needles in the background just begging for a new project.
beautiful!
After reading all you blog entries, you’ve inspired me to work with hexagons. I’m a crocheter and usually shy away from granny squares but, I can envision some beautiful hexs made with DK or Baby weight yarns. Thanks!
The man deserves the sweater…love it that you are forging ahead confidently.
I guess I should add, if you can’t handle the MEANING stay out of the kitchen…
I was surprised, yet pleased, to read that even designers like yourself actually have to cut and re-knit sections of a project.
It actually encourages to stop being so demanding on myself all the time.
I really enjoy your blog and plan to visit often.
Can’t wait to see the sweater modeled by that very special boyfriend!
I married the guy I knit a sweater for. It was the first sweater I ever knit. An aran style thing with cables in front and on the sleeves. I was really proud of the fact that the sleeves were the same length, and he didn’t even mind that there are more cables on one sleeve than on the other. LOL. 28 years married and still knitting for him, the girls, friends, and family…
I understood the feeling of having met all knitting deadlines and being ready to jump into something new. I think Christmas night was my favorite night to knit. All my gifts were done and I could start something brand new. I couldn’t wait for the day to be over.
About that boyfriend thing. You can be sure that the rest of us (his family) would hunt him down and stick knitting needles into him if he was stupid enough to think about leaving you. But, I think he’s smarter than that.
Chrissy
Funny thing about curses; we believe them, they come true.
Last Christmas I knitted a Berroco pattern in Ultra Alpaca for a man who had been in my life, drifted away and then returned.
I had never heard of the sweater curse. He loved the sweater and since then, the relationship has just gotten better.
Nora, keep knitting that sweater!
Tuning in late on the “B’friend” topic, but I wouldn’t even knit a sweater for my HUSBAND of 9 years. We were old (60’s) when we met (on the internet). I started a sweater finally with yarn he picked out and at his repeated insistence and sure enough…he passed away in his sleep 4 years ago…so, I’m a real believer. If he hadn’t already been dead, I would have killed him :^). It has been long enough that I smile about it now. He was a dear!
Look at it this way…if he leaves with the sweater…you’ve STILL got the kitchen remodel done!!! I’d gladly knit a sweater, socks and a scarf to boot just to have my living/dining painted!!!
It’s so beautiful, and he + you sound really great, too!!
… Might a pattern for this beauty (the sweater) appear somewhere, sometime? It’s so great, I’d love to try my hands at all the cables in that one — it’s gorgeous!
I’ve just found this sweater while searching for something to make my DH, who wants a fisherman’s sweater. I fell in love with it and am hoping he will pick this pattern, if not, I’ll have to make it for MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for another awesome pattern!
I am beginning this sweater for my husband-to-be (he loves the cables!) and I wonder if someone could help me out with a question I have on the pattern.
The chart notes how to work A to B (4) times and then work to (D) on RS rows, but it doesn’t explain how to work the WS rows.
Do I work from D to C (4) times and then work to A?
If someone could help me answer this, I’d appreciate it so much!
Thanks!!!
Hi,
Sorry we didn’t see your questions sooner. I’ll forward your inquiry to patternsupport@berroco.com
Norah