This is the Yggdrasil Afghan, which is a shockingly free pattern from Knitting Daily. If those Celtic knot and leafy borders weren't amazing enough, look at the center...
I mean, seriously! How cool is that? I like this one even better than the tree of life afghan I've been obsessing over since I first discovered Ravelry. So much so that I actually spent a rather significant chunk of the evening trying to figure out good options for a yarn which would allow me to make this in an affordable fashion, preferably without having to resort to those huge balls of super-cheap acrylic. (So far, the front-runner is this.) Surprisingly, I can actually use the called-for yarn, which is the same stuff I used for that wrap I made over the summer. But in order to make the size I want (which of course is the biggest one so I can have as much epic Celtic knotting as possible), I'd have to buy nearly $300 worth of yarn! I've never even spent close to that much on fabric for formalwear! Or pretty much all of the fabric I bought for my last bedroom makeover, including the curtains and the quilt!
But, of course, this is labeled specifically as a difficult pattern. I've only been knitting for 11 months now. And I've done maybe two projects involving cable needles so far, and they were both something like 1-2 stitch cables. Plus the finished product is huge. So this thing would probably take me at least 5 years to finish, especially since I'd most certainly be working on other projects in the meantime on both the knitting and the sewing fronts. That, and I have to learn how to do at least half of the various techniques involved. So am I completely insane for even considering this?
The good news is, I've finally managed to get my Cadence sweater to the point where the sleeves are separated off and I'm actually working on the body by itself. So progress! Also, I finished my dress for the Mad Men party about 45 minutes ago, save the belt (for which the kit has not yet arrived) and pressing the hem. I'll take some pictures of both of those things tomorrow when I have a better shot at decent lighting.
On a random note, have any of you other Blogger users been having trouble with the front page of your blog? For the last couple of weeks, I've only been able to see the most recent post, and have to click on the "Older Posts" to see anything further. Other than sidebar-type stuff, which is still working fine. I know it's not my settings, because I've checked that and I should be able to see at least 5 posts here...odd. (Edit: And of course as soon as I post this, I can see the first two most recent posts...)
That's a gorgeous afghan. And I don't think it's insane at all to attempt it -- ignorance totally worked in my favor when I was learning to knit. I had no idea if something was difficult or not, so I just did it, and 95% of the time, it worked out just fine.
ReplyDeleteYou could always get some cheap acrylic for practice/trying out new techniques before you make the big investment -- but you've already tackled a sweater with a lace pattern, and by comparison, I think this will be a piece of cake.
That afghan looks pretty incredible - I love the knotwork! I wonder if it would be silly to buy the wool for it in chunks as you knit along. But then you get the differences between dye lots...
ReplyDeleteYay for your Cadence progress! And the Mad Men dress! Can't wait to see it!
So I just came across this entry and I wanna know -- how's it going??? I hope you're still doing it!
ReplyDeleteI haven't started it-- I tried casting on for it one evening and knitted a few rows, but my gauge was way off. So I have to get smaller needles. And probably finish my wedding first. But I still plan on making it at some point.
DeleteI have made this pattern - twice! Once as a baby blanket and currently finishing up the full size blanket. I used organic cotton both times, and yes, it will be pricey but so worth it! While you could make the borders in a different color, I think it would turn out better using all the same yarn. Take close care in using markers and counting your stitches and you can do!
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