Sunday, September 02, 2007

Knit-along details and questions.

Several people have asked where to sign up. Leaving a message just about anywhere on the blog saying "sign me up!" gets the job done. I took the liberty of adding everyone who'd left messages like that, assuming that was the goal. If not, let me know. And if I've screwed up your name or your link in the sidebar, also let me know. I'll try to add new sign-ups once a day, so if you go a couple days without being added, remind me. I may have missed the e-mail or the cat ate it or something.

In related news, we've bagged our very first real Scandinavian, who joined today! Welcome, Hobbygasa! ('Real' meaning she lives in Norway and speaks Norwegian.)

-... -

There have been some concerns about people being required to knit elaborate projects and being stuck working on it for the next three decades. Please don't tie yourself into knots over it. That wasn't my intention. Knit a pair of socks or a hat. It's fine. Really. Drink a slug of aquavit sometime in the month of October and all eligibility is covered.

-... -

Catie asked about Norsk StrikkeDesign and what would I suggest as an easier project in the book. Well. The reason our knit-along isn't focusing solely on that book is, there aren't any easy projects. The book has a fairly even skills level throughout. Unfortunately that skill level is high. Nearly everything is in stranded color, and steeked. (As I flipped through the book, I mentioned to the husbeast I was looking for easier projects to suggest. After living with me for 15 years, he knows knitting, and said 'Oh my god'.) Here is some food for thought:

NOT QUITE SO HARD PROJECTS:
-There's a pretty good assortment of hats and wristwarmers, a couple bags, I think one pair of socks, and a pair of fingerless gloves. All of those would be good, because they're smaller and don't involve steeking. Many of them DO involve stranded color, though.

-The sideways knit garter-stitch cardi/jacket from Solvieg Hisdal doesn't have any steeks, and it is garter stitch. However, the pattern writing is minimal, to put it mildly, and there are short rows for shaping. It's also in eleventy-million colors. (It's very close in design to Mermaid, though, and you could easily use a color scheme like one of those, dare I suggest it without getting sued.) In her other book "Poetry in Stitches", she does a winter version all in black that's very pretty.

-The aran sweater by Kari Hestnes also does not have steeks. It also does not do color, just cables. It's knit in the round, then separated at the arm holes and knit flat. If you can get your gauge to work out (there's usually a big shift between working in the round and working flat, but it's less noticeable in cables), it's an easy construction method.


THE 'YOU MIGHT WANT TO THINK TWICE' COLLECTION:
-Lunde, by Irene Haugland Zahl would probably take as much time in finishing (sewing up, mostly, and putting that neck on wouldn't be easy) as it would take to knit.

-Season of Darkness and Winter Light by Margaretha Finseth (the cover sweater) has two vastly different gauges between the body of the sweater (the blue and gray vines) and the edging (the gray cables). Getting it to go together without puckering would be hard. Plus it's got an odd construction with lots of steeking. I absolutely LOVE this sweater, it may be the next one I knit from the book, but it's not easy.

-White Sea Trading Coat, also by Margaretha Finseth, has got a massive abount of square footage to knit, all else aside (it's a floor-length heavy coat). It's got a lining to put in, hems all over, and crocheted fake fur, into the bargain. And pom-poms.


Otherwise, all the projects in the book are about the same in terms of skill; stranded color with complex patterns, and steeks for armholes and cardi openings.

-... -

See now why I changed the requirements to join?

Oh, and Amy Lane and I have added another loophole: If you think Vigo Mortensen is hot, you are eligible. (Vigo is half Dutch.) Bells' husband says if you listen to Norwegian death metal, you're eligible. And I was thinking anyone who has ever eaten at a smorgasboard would certainly be able to join.

31 comments:

Josie said...

"Sign me up, please!" I think I'll be doing a sweater with Elspeth Lavold cables and an entirely civilized worsted-weight yarn, though I have an entire month to change my mind still...

Catie said...

just so y'all know norsk strikkedesign is going out of print as is the poetry in stitches.

NeedleTart said...

I like Salmon with dill sauce better than Lox. Does that count? (also love anything Elspeth Lavold, you do know I've sworn off yarn for a while don't you?)

Anne said...

Okay, with that last change, I'm in. Viggo's hot. I'm going to knit a shrug for my daughter in Elpeth (sp?) Lavold sillky wool. Now I have to stop joining stuff or I might need an intervention.

gemma said...

Okay you win, sign me up too! But while I have no intention of knitting a sweater over summer (here), maybe I can knit a pair of mittens with colour work, and just to actually challenge me, I will steek in the thumbs (the whole idea of steeks is terrifying to me - cutting knitted stitches???????) but yeah Viggo is hot, and smörgåsbord is yummy so no more excuses.

Anonymous said...

I'm feeling Strikke-n, sign me up!

Anonymous said...

I want to join too! (I think I've already said that somewhere, but it might have been a while ago.)

Oh, and my blog is down currently...sorry about that, I hope to get it up again soon.

Anonymous said...

I would like to sign up! My hubby is half Norwegian, and there is a town in Norway with our last name. As for knitting patterns, are they only in kits? Some of those sweaters are absolutely stunning, but I'm kind of on the broke side. Maybe I could knit a Drops Design pattern?

Julie said...

The patterns are available in the book, which you can get at www.schoolhousepress.com among other places. But the book is pricey, too. Around $35 USD.

On the other hand, once you've got the book you don't have to use their yarns. The Princess Line Gansy I've been knitting is done in Brown Sheep Sport for a total cost of around $40 USD for the entire sweater.

Julie said...

Oh, and you can certainly knit a Drops pattern (LOTS of free patterns at Garnstudio), or Dale of Norway, or really anything you've got laying around the house that you like. Eat some lutefisk. You'll be covered.

NeedleTart said...

If she eats some lutefisk, I don't want to thing about what she'll be covered in!!
Just in case, "Sign me up!"

an said...

Count me in! I'm doing a hat with matching mittens. Or maybe just a hat. I'll have to see how this thing goes.

Anonymous said...

If you drink Swedish coffee wilst knitting, does that count? Cuz I just got Swedish coffee at Ikea. I'd drink it while knitting. Though I do have a crochet course to work on...can I drink Swedish coffee and crochet and wish I was knitting?

Trish J

Maggie Tipping said...

I'm Icelandic, sign me up!

Amy Lane said...

And don't forget teaching Beowulf... that counts too... (I'm going to do mittens...Russion or Latvian mittens... the Komi mittens look easier...and i'm chicken...Latvia may have to wait.)

janet said...

Sign me up! I have been eyeing the Norwegian Mittens in Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Around, so I'll probably do those!

merel said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
merel said...

I'm gonna try my hand at a sweater for the first time, something by Kim Hargreaves I think, who is from the UK, which has been raided by Vikings repeatedly. It will be something warm & woolly, as my flat is freaking cold in winter. Besides, one of my best friends is Danish. Am I in?

merel said...

oh and btw, the dutch are not scandinavian, and thank god for that. if the netherlands had been slightly more up north i'd never survive the winters here...:)

April said...

I would think that shopping at Ikea would make you more than qualified to join as well.

Hobbygåsa said...

Thank you for the special welkome part, I am honored! Don't eat lutefisk, it tastes like ....! I am looking forward to this KAL and have started to look for a pattern for mittens I think, but you never know, it might be I knit anything else. I will just see what I find that will be fun knitting. The fall is here as we speak, and the winter is comming up - cold and probably with a lot of snow so anything nice and warm will be useful...

catnurse said...

Sign me up please!
I live in an American town that celebrates Syttende Mai bigger than in Norway, does that count? Oh yeah, I'm 1/4 Swedish - forgot about that. Anyway, I really want to learn stranded colorwork so that someday I can make a sweater. I'll need to start a bit smaller though - maybe a scarf or hat? I'm going pattern hunting.

Anonymous said...

Sign me up! I have my eye on a very bee-yoo-tiful sweater, but what with impending Christmas and all, it might turn out to be mittens instead.

NeedleTart said...

Just for fun, listen to The Ikea Song (google for it). I heard it on Knitters Uncensored
PS My security work is "nooke"

Cindy said...

Ok - I'm jumping in this KAL ... for a hat or some gloves. Since I have no idea what size I'm going to be after this baby comes out I think a sweater would be a bad idea. Now I just need to decide what hat or gloves.

Louiz said...

I'm a quarter dutch - but dutch is not scandinavian. I've never eaten Lutefisk, because I know what it is! I've been to Oslo and to Tromsa, does that count?

debsnm said...

In case you haven't, sign me up! I'm using Garnstudio pattern and knitpicks yarn.

Jeanne said...

Ok, I'm in, please and thank you

Does eating herring in cream sauce count?

And I'll be doing a hat - 'bout as long as my attention span lasts.

kris said...

Oooh oooh oooh, sign me up! I spent a day in Denmark back in hihg school, I flew on Scandinavian Air, and my sons's roomie in Spain was from Iceland. And I'm making socks for my blonde son. Don't think he'll let me add any stranded color or anything, but it's a gray & white yarn, so that's you know, kind of the colors of snow ....

Unknown said...

Sign me up! I have not chosen a pattern yet-- I contemplating starting a bohus sweater, but then immediately saw a vision involving throwing myself out of a window-- but I'm all for a good KAL!

Anonymous said...

This sounds like a fun strikke-along! I'll be watching (for now), and may join once I finish my current non-knitting project.