:: firsts ::

One thing that I love about knitting is the challenge and adventure of discovery. Hey now! I heard you scoffing! Yes, really, adventure! Every project, even when using the same pattern, is an exploit. Something so static, simple numbers and words on paper, have the potential to create numerous variations. Creations lay latent in the directions, waiting to be altered, explored and brought to fruition. Arduous and sometimes tedious as it may be, knitting certainly does have moments of suspense. Cliffhangers, of sorts. Soft undulations of colours transform suddenly into vibrant streaks, combinations of unremarkable stitches combine to create something absolutely breathtaking.

Breathtaking.

That’s how I feel about my most recent accomplishment, the Chromatic Sweater.  I saw this sweater pattern in the KnitPicks Fall/Winter catalogue 2011. Instantly I knew I needed to knit it.  There were several components that I had never undertaken before, but I felt that the overall product would be worth the minor frustrations and challenges I would encounter.

And I was right.

I think this is, without a doubt, the best piece of knitting I have turned out in my history as an aspiring knitter.  Not that it was without effort.  I do believe that I appreciate the finished product so much because it was such a labour of love.  The sweater is the first of which I have set out to knit for myself. Generally I knit for my kids, other people’s kids or other people. Little things here or there that I send off with good intentions and pleasant thoughts.  This sweater was for me. And I wallowed in the deliciousness of every stitch knowing, in the end, it was mine. Sounds selfish, doesn’t it?

In addition to setting out from the beginning knowing I would be keeping this item, I learned many new knitting techniques as well.  I cussed under my breath (and sometimes not under my breath) at the provisional cast on, made the sleeves first and prayedprayedprayed that they fit into the sweater body once it was complete! (I have only ever made sleeves in which you knit them from the top down or which you knit flat and sewed in)  And, lastly, stripes. Dear Lord, the stripes!  Even though it was the gradual change in gradation, the shifting colours and interplay of thick and thin that drew me to the sweater, I really began to dislike changing yarn and weaving in ends towards the second month!  I spent a good amount of time analyzing buttons and a short amount of time digging through my Grandma’s button bin (Honestly, who puts stick pins in with their buttons? I dug my hand in once and decided I wouldn’t be doing that again any time soon!).

And here is the real testament to my tenacity and perseverance: the yarn for my next project arrived a week ago and I haven’t even wound it into balls! 

Yesirree, this glorious, delicious, squishy, greeny-grey goodness has been languishing in my closet, willing me to finish my sweater faster(!) to be put to good use as a Rocky Coast cardigan.  Stay tuned….