50,263 stitches done! 50,263 stitches to hit my goal for:
Instead of writing a 50,000 word novel for NaNoWriMo, you knit a sweater with 50,000 stitches for NaKniSweMo. Last year, I only got to 36,174 stitches with the Greek Pullover. This year, I squeaked past the 50,000 stitch mark with #185 Olive Branch Yoga Hoodie by Kirsten Hipsky. I may have lengthened the sweater a bit to fit better, and to get past that 50,000 stitch mark, dammit!:
Yep, my nerdy self tediously kept track of the stitches in an Excel Worksheet to see if I could pull it off this year, since I fell quite short of the mark last year, and I did it! Yay! I know you would prefer seeing modeled pics of the sweater but hopefully these will do. The sucky weather we are having right now is not conducive to great pictures:
It was knit with Cotton Ease in Taupe on US #8 needles. It probably wasn't the best choice of yarns since the cotton/acrylic combo really puts my stitch irregularities on display:
At least the cotton blend was soft and nice to work with, not to mention, relatively cheap - $30 for the sweater (less than 6 skeins.) It is also machine washable and dryable and it didn't even shrink a bit after I laundered it. I did make another huge mistake though. The pattern only provided a teensy weensy picture of the actual hoodie, and of the backside only, so I never realized that it was a cardigan and not a pullover (like I wanted) until I was midway through knitting it. Oops!:
I decided to go with a clasp instead of putting in a zipper like the pattern suggested. I may change my mind and put in a zipper (BTW - This last photo is truest to color.):
Yee haw for a finished sweater for November! Bring on December!
Very, very nice! Due to home renovation for most of the month, my goal to finish Cobblestone will not be met! I'm so excited to see everyone else's November sweaters, though.
Well done! (Love the clasp)
Posted by: Jenny Raye | November 29, 2007 at 02:39 PM
Gorgeous! I really like the clasp. If you get some good weather, I'd love to see it modeled.
Oddly enough I have a skein of Cotton Ease in taupe sitting right next to me as I read your post. I'm just crocheting a hat, but now you've got me thinking of running off to the store to buy 10 or so skeins for a sweater. It is soft.
Posted by: Kirsten | November 29, 2007 at 02:44 PM
Very nice! You are too cute about keeping track of how many stitches! I always wonder how many stitches things come out to be! I hardly have enough patience to count rows!
Posted by: Diana | November 29, 2007 at 03:12 PM
it is great. makes me long for my italian yoga teacher who was firm but fair (why on earth don't i join the club again).
i love how you join all those knit alongs and it is great fun to do it although i only made it to zimmermania. you will use it a lot i am sure. and maybe a zipper would make it a bit more practical. brava for meeting the goal.
Posted by: merete | November 29, 2007 at 03:31 PM
I love that you tracked the stitch count. I probably would have too -- or at least done some calculated estimating. It looks beautiful! That detail on the back is great.
Posted by: Stella | November 29, 2007 at 03:31 PM
Great sweater. I can't believe you kept track of your stitches. That show true dedication and patience.
Posted by: kim | November 29, 2007 at 03:31 PM
Congratulations!!! :) That's a lovely sweater! :) And the clasp is classy! :)
Posted by: Saffron | November 29, 2007 at 03:41 PM
wow that looks like a lot of stockinette stitch... you have my admiration. It looks fabulous!
Posted by: LizKnits | November 29, 2007 at 03:45 PM
Ummm, not sure how many stitches I got but it's nice to have a finished sweater. Your hoody is darling!
Posted by: margene | November 29, 2007 at 03:56 PM
the clasp is perfect I have been on the hunt for something just like that.... the sweater looks great ;)
Posted by: Dorre | November 29, 2007 at 04:12 PM
Congrats! It looks great! I saw that pattern and thought it was really cute. Nice to see it knit up!
Posted by: Jess | November 29, 2007 at 04:13 PM
Lovely job! It's a great looking sweater. You must be so proud! I love the detail on the back. And the clasp works nicely with it, too. I hope it's warm enough that way, though.
Posted by: Nicole | November 29, 2007 at 04:28 PM
nicely done!
Posted by: maryse | November 29, 2007 at 04:42 PM
Wow! You just... WOW!
Posted by: Julie | November 29, 2007 at 04:56 PM
Wow, that's a lot of stitches! Congrats on making your goal and going beyond. :) The sweater is lovely and looks super cozy. I love the detail on the the back on pockets.
Posted by: Jennie | November 29, 2007 at 05:01 PM
Another fabulous FO - bravo on keeping track of the stitches, the details!
Posted by: stacey | November 29, 2007 at 05:02 PM
Really nice!!!!
How in the world do you get so much knitting done???
Posted by: Pensguys | November 29, 2007 at 05:18 PM
Great sweater! I love the detail at the bottom! That's a lot of stitches!!! :)
Posted by: cactusneedles | November 29, 2007 at 05:24 PM
Your sweater looks great! I was just looking at this pattern the other day on Ravelry. :~)
Posted by: Trish | November 29, 2007 at 05:32 PM
What a great accomplishment. It looks wonderful and I really love the taupe color cotton too. Thank you too, for the lovely comment for Coco. We appreciated it very much.
Posted by: sue | November 29, 2007 at 05:54 PM
Very nice - and congrats on getting past 50,000!
Posted by: Jeanne | November 29, 2007 at 06:03 PM
Ugh; I'm so jealous! I'm a NaKniSweMo flunky. In my defense, my son is teething, starting to learn to walk & eating new foods every day, so he's kinda...unpredictable. I've hardly gotten any knitting done, lately.
Your sweater is lovely, though -- I'm going to be picking up a ball or two of cottonease for a charity blanket that we're trying to wrap up for Christmas soon, so I'm glad you said it was nice to knit with.
Posted by: Carolynn | November 29, 2007 at 06:07 PM
Looks good and and congrats for finishing it in November!
Posted by: lisa | November 29, 2007 at 06:11 PM
Great sweater! I love the clasp. Perhaps next year I'll take on this challenge. Well done! Congrats!
Posted by: Heather / Arctic Knitter | November 29, 2007 at 06:27 PM
A spreadsheet? Wow - you are serious! Those clasps are LOVELY - and the sweater, well, if you feel like parting with it, there's someone in Seattle who will gladly take it ;) - hardy har har...
Posted by: wendee | November 29, 2007 at 07:17 PM
Wow that's a lot of stitches! Congrats!
Posted by: Lisa | November 29, 2007 at 07:22 PM
So pretty! Great job! I bet its a nice accomplishment to finish the sweater and now to be able to wear it when its chilly! I love that pattern too!!
Posted by: carrieknits | November 29, 2007 at 07:28 PM
Absloutely gorgeous. Great job.
Posted by: Chris | November 29, 2007 at 07:41 PM
Wow, you sure are a fast knitter. It looks great! And thanks for the review of Cotton Ease...I had been wondering if it was worth knitting with.
Posted by: Mrs.Hipp | November 29, 2007 at 07:58 PM
That's a lot of stitches & it's amazing that you actually counted. The sweater is really nice & I love the silver clasp - it's so unique! Great job.
Posted by: Ann | November 29, 2007 at 08:09 PM
If there is anyone who can crank out the stitches, it is you! I love the sweater!
Posted by: Cindy | November 29, 2007 at 08:32 PM
The sweater is lovely! I silver clasp looks very elegant. Congrats on meeting your goal!
Posted by: ami | November 29, 2007 at 08:33 PM
Wowza! Very nice yoga hoodie. I think I might expire at the mere thought of 50,263 stitches. Well done!
Posted by: mary | November 29, 2007 at 09:07 PM
Lovely sweater!!!
Posted by: Zonda | November 29, 2007 at 10:02 PM
Beautiful, Tiennie! I love your clasp choice. And, congrats on making (over) 50,000 stitches!!!
Posted by: Cory | November 29, 2007 at 10:03 PM
I love that pattern!! Your version is georgeous, the clasp is a really neat idea! :)
Posted by: gilraen | November 29, 2007 at 11:21 PM
That is lovely. I do like the clasp.
Posted by: Lin | November 29, 2007 at 11:24 PM
Wow... must tell Mum about this NaKniSweMo thingy! She'll be interested only that she tends to be a wee bit lazy when it comes to knitting.. she likes to pick projects she thinks are easy. Geez. We think the pictures still turned up well!
Posted by: Ginger aka Beethoven | November 29, 2007 at 11:49 PM
The sweater is beautiful! I love the color and the little details you added to it (the clasp) really make it special.
Posted by: Opal | November 30, 2007 at 12:03 AM
Congrats for making it over 50000! The hoodie looks great, and I especially like the clasp!
Posted by: Maud | November 30, 2007 at 12:36 AM
I love the way patterns that I have been seeing and loving make their way to the blogs I visit. I love this pattern and the interest on the back, it really loks beautiful. Well done on the stitch count Tiennie!
Posted by: Marianne | November 30, 2007 at 01:03 AM
That is beautiful. Well done on getting the needed stitches and i just love the clasp.
Posted by: Lynne Nelson-Berg | November 30, 2007 at 01:26 AM
Beautiful! I love the details. =)
Posted by: dickie | November 30, 2007 at 02:18 AM
And while you were knitting that sweater you had a little extra time and made 3 hats and several fingerless gloves too?? Boy, do I feel like a sloooow poke!
Beautiful sweater (I love the simplicity with the little extra kick of beauty on the bottom) and I bet you'll wear it all the time in wonderful Cotton Ease!
Posted by: Pat | November 30, 2007 at 05:43 AM
LOL yes that is nerdy, keeping track of number of stitches - but funny all the same!
I love the cardigan, and the colour - I'm getting fond of grey - what does that say about me, I dread to think!
Posted by: Cybèle | November 30, 2007 at 05:45 AM
That's perfect Tiennie~lovely.
Posted by: KeanaLee | November 30, 2007 at 06:04 AM
Love it so much! What a great color...
Posted by: Heather | November 30, 2007 at 06:18 AM
Beautiful! Are those pockets on the front? Very cute.
Posted by: Sourire11 | November 30, 2007 at 06:25 AM
It's beautiful in it's simplicity....I love the detail in the back!
Posted by: Kim | November 30, 2007 at 06:55 AM
Nice work, Tiennie! I love Kristin's patterns. First time I hae seen one knitted up (not counting the WEBS catalogue)
Going to ship out your 25 things today. Hope you like them!
Blessings!
Posted by: Susan Pandorf | November 30, 2007 at 07:01 AM