Na Craga
January 24, 2012 § 6 Comments
When beautiful presents are knit, there’s always a price to be paid.
This sad little rectangle, testament to my failure to KNIT ALL THE THINGS (see: Startitis), is all there is of my dad’s Christmas sweater, the notorious Na Craga, which pattern prompted knitters to buy (and sell) their out-of-print copies of Aran Knitting for, famously, upwards of $200.
This sweater has been promised him ever since I received Aran Knitting for Christmas 2010, a present from my sister Charlotte (she’d asked the shop assistant for Aryan Knitting, which is another problem for another day. Charlotte’s absence-of-Christmas-sweater is also another problem for another day.)
I am, of course, still working on it. I really enjoy the similarity between working it, and working on the January Aran I started a few weeks back– the central horseshoe cables, the aran braid.
My main concern is that it might be a little too big for my dad. I’ve knit for him before, and have erred both on the side of too big and too small, but have never gotten it quite right– which sad fact is probably related to my never actually having taken a measurement. However, the too-large sweater is worn with middling frequency, but always accompanied by the wisecrack, “You much think an awful great lot of your father– that I’m quite the big man around town,” which is nice. The too-small one may as well not exist. I haven’t seen it since 2009. This is a shame, because it was beautiful.
Worst case, it fits Zac and goes to him– neatly skirting the Sweater Curse & associated problems.
I’m working in KnitPicks Swish, in Squirrel Heather (such a name!), on US 5 needles (the yarn is left over from my Poorer Days). I’m gritting my teeth a bit on the superwash, but, given the track record (How many hats have become yarmulkes? Too many.), it’s either that or cotton.
My dream-goal is to knit 1 ball (110 yds) a day, and be done in less than a month. That is likely impossible. Therefore, my actual deadline is March 21, Dad’s birthday (and, as the first day of Spring, the end of sweater weather).
And so, to tack on an end, I’d like to thank you all for your super-nice comments on yesterday’s sweater. They mean so much to me!
ETA: Forgetful! On Ravelry!
Caroline, like everything of yours I’ve seen, it’s beautiful! I did the too-small thing for my dad one year. Had him give it back so I could fix, but he’s not given me a sweater to match it to. So he still doesn’t have his birthday present from 2009.
Thank you! Too bad about your dad’s sweater, though– I guess he just has to wait until he gives you a sweater to match it to!
Just curious I’ve never knit with superwash, well actually I’ve never really knit with wool except the odd thing or two. What is it about the superwash that you don’t like? Just curious and want to know in case I ever think of buying any.
The main thing I don’t like about superwash are the chemical processes required to make wool machine-washable.
There are two ways that are widely used– the minute scales that cover the shaft of the wool fiber are either stripped off in an acid bath (which can make the yarn scratchy), or they’re slicked down with a resinous polymer (imparting a ‘plastic’ feel to the yarn).
I feel like it’s worth the slight inconvenience of hand washing to know that the wool I’m using is minimally processed and eco-friendlier.
Thanks I didn’t know that and now I can picture how it would be knitting it.
[...] more than six months, this famed behemoth has been finished. It weights 2 lbs and 3 oz (maybe not quite behemoth caliber, but, when you [...]