Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Rekindling an Old Flame

It had been about 28 years since we were last together. I was in High School looking for a little excitement. I found a challenge. I was excited and prepared. As with most flames, they eventually die out. What becomes of them? Where did it go wrong?

It was my first.

Others were normal. Others were abysmal. Others were too far of a stretch. This one stood out from the others.

Over the years, I would often think back to this time in my life. How colors were brighter, visions of future were clearer. I look back with fondness and wonderment.

For the past few years I have searched the internet and old stacks too see if I could once again find my old flame, my first.

My first...
My first Fair Isle
My first charted pattern
My first color work knit
My oldest UFO (unfinished object)

I remember completing the back and partially the front panel. The main color was cherry red and had sparkly charcoal grey and light pink as the pattern colors. I remember carefully knitting the pattern and watching the figures slowly emerge as I continued. I was especially fond of the little pink snowflakes that dotted the big cherry red field. They looked like little hearts.

Why had I never completed it? I loved that silly sweater and the daydreams of how it would look once completed. Over the years I always thought I could always pick it up and finish it anytime. However, that was so long ago. Once I had gotten back into knitting, I began to look for the project. For the past few years I searched my old family homestead, eventually I had to concede, it wasn't here.

I have looked at every pattern book and website. I was constantly in search of the dancing boys and girls. I began hunting for the book instead of trying to find the charted pattern. This was the easiest route. Unlike today, back then there were fewer resources for knitting. There was only a smattering of Scandinavian knitting booklets.

Long last, I found it! (on Ebay) I present to you -

Nomis Scandinavian Sweater Pattern Book 1946

Now that I am reunited with the old book, I will finish the sweater. I also see why it took so long to knit. It was worsted weight (probably used Red Heart) yarn knitted on #5 needles. That is a large amount of time commitment and concentration for a teenager. I am not the same person (nor the same size) as I was back then. I have to decide to knit it either for my youngest daughter or for myself. Either way, it will involve some recalculations. Keeping with the color choices as before, I do have better yarn selection than Ben Franklin had to offer.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought you were heading into the oldes UFO for the contest tonight! If you can't decide who to make the sweater for, maybe both of you should get one, or everyone.

Octopus Knits said...

How cool! That's a neat thing to find : )

By the way, I love your glittens!

Unknown said...

Oh no, Kat has gotten to you too? When will her evil enabling end? Say that three times fast!

Ah, old knits, glad my oldest is only 6 years old and I still have the pattern. And still hate the yarn. Lopi Lite is just not friendly on dry rough hands. Which is what mine are in winter when I am willing to knit with it!