More than anything else today I want to snuggle up and knit on my Guld Sweater.

I’m into the colourwork and although I thought it was not possible, I love it more today than yesterday. I keep spreading it out and admiring it and smoothing it with my hand and patting the angora/wool like it is a small and endangered pet. The purl stitches amuse me to such a degree that I fear I am simple.

Sadly, I must go to the dentist (we shall not speak of this) and work at my job, which is at least about knitting if it not actually knitting, but still pales in comparison to the wonder that is drinking coffee, watching it be cold outside and knitting the bohus. I am therefore copping out and doing a Q&A. Forgive me.

Laustin asks:

The sweater is gorgeous and the tee-tiny stiches and color work on the yoke look like they’ll be very amusing to an advanced knitter such as yourself. However, I’m a tad concerned about the potential boredom level of knitting the body. Is it really miles of one color stockinette on itsy bitsy needles?

Yup. It really is, and seriously, the miles and miles of stockinette with beautiful soft yarn are the reason that I started this sweater. I can’t imagine anything more pleasant for filling little moments in the day than all that plain knitting. I admit that it would be boring if I was just going to sit there and knit it, but I won’t. I’ll knit it on the bus, at movies, watching tv, at Knit Night….I’m really, really looking forward to it. (Yes. Feel free to quote that back to me in a few weeks when I am threatening to feed this sweater to a pack of roving Patas monkeys.)

Laurie asks:

I read “Poems of Color” and was very impressed with the art in the Bohus. One of the things that impressed me was the way they made use of the knitters’ wide range of skills. The advanced knitters would create the patterened part, and the less skilled knitters would work on the plain stockinette part.

See above. I’m saving it for myself. There’s something really nice about simple things well executed. It’s like…apples or bread or….some pasta dish with just olive oil and perfect tomatoes. You know?

Note: I used the Amazon link so you could get the particulars, but they seem to not have the new printing. Poems of Colour, by Wendy Keele is back in print through Interweave and available at Schoolhouse Press. I called them up yesterday (Meg Swansen answered the phone. I almost swallowed my own tongue.) and asked them to mail it. It was not (although I forgot to ask how much it was because it was Meg Swansen) $70 like at Amazon.

Annie:

Wow that sweater is unbelievable! Can’t wait to see if finished. Are the instructions in English???

Yes. While the original patterns are in Swedish, when you buy them, you can get the English translation with it. Susanna does the translating, and while she doesn’t charge for it, I made a donation to Knitters Without Borders equivalent to what I thought the translation was worth. You certainly don’t need to do this, but I know Susanna likes it.

Jennifer:

That sweater is GORGEOUS! Is it a kit that you order straight from the maker? I would love to get myself one but I can’t decipher the website. Any tips?

Dee answers her:

BOHUS KIT DATA –

Go to www.solsilke.se

Click on Kontakta mig, which will take you to an email form, which now has English translations for the boxes

Email Solveig. Her English is fine.

Credit card – some people feel comfortable emailing their credit card number, etc. I don’t. I telephoned Solveig and gave her the information. Again, her English is fine. The telephone number is on the home page. International phoning was exciting for me. I know; I need a life.

Wait for your kit(s) to arrive, which, for me in northern California, was *way* quicker than I expected.

Knit happy and knit long.

kmkat:

Are those KnitPicks Options needles I see?

Correction added later… They are Knitpicks circular needles, not Knitpicks options. The options don’t come down to a small enough size.

Yes ma’am. I like them very well. The pointedness pleases me deeply and profoundly. Also, I like shiny things. (Oh dear. I am simple, aren’t I ?)