Ashley’s Adventures in Knitting: Merle & the Never-Ending Increases

I’ve paused my knitting to write this post, set my needles adrift in the sea of stockinette stitches that is my Merle project. It’s two weeks into our Knit with Norah KAL, and I’m losing momentum with every eight stitches I add to my increase rows. I never realized how depressing increases could be!

It’s not the pattern. I’m actually really enjoying the pattern and the sections of cable on either side. But as a product knitter, the two to three rows I’m producing each day (I’ve only been knitting Merle at work) just isn’t doing it for me. That, and the fact that top-down knitting is an entirely new experience. Instead of the familiar bottom-up milestones like ribbing and waist shaping, I’ve been staring at a half moon for half a month. It gets a little wider each day but it doesn’t look any closer to being a sweater. At least, not on its own.

Earlier today, I compared my Merle to a completed Merle on a dress form and realized I’m a lot further along than I thought. I was encouraged to see that the modified ribbing on the back of the neck flows nicely into the cables – cables I had never even attempted two and a half weeks ago. Sometimes it helps to have perspective. Only 18.5 more rows until the armhole split!