Pandemic Projects Part 3 - the World's Oldest UFO

In the craft world, a UFO is an UnFinished Object. I don’t usually have too many of those - I like to finish a project before starting another. But that’s not completely honest. For the past 25 years, I have always had one unfinished object.

In the mid-90’s, a major fiber festival would come to the convention center 10 minutes from my home. At around the same time, the Winter Olympics were held in Lillehammer, and I was inspired by the fantastic Nordic sweater designs. Lucky me - a Nordic specialty company was at the festival! I bought the yarn and pattern to make a sweater for myself and dug right into the circular fair isle knitting. My sister-in-law even purchased some traditional frog closures for me on a visit to Norway.

And then I read the pattern. EEEK - Steek! This traditional style calls for - oh no! - cutting the knitted material and then assembling! I couldn’t imagine it. I finished the body, but not the sleeves. I set my work aside and broke my “finish before starting” rule. Again, and again.

I remember stopping in a yarn store and getting reassurance about steeking. The owner even drew me a little picture of how to secure my knitting so it wouldn’t unravel. I dutifully tucked the photo in with my knitting … and walked away.

About 10 years ago, I “committed” to finishing. I knitted a sleeve. 5 years later, I knitted most of the other sleeve.

Then 2020. The world shut down, and I was out of excuses. This time I actually committed to completing the sweater. I finished the sleeve, cut and assembled the cardigan. Then my long term memory recalled a different style of button band than called for in the pattern. I researched and created the band I was looking for sewed on those gifted frogs and TA DA!!

I have a Nordic cardigan!

I know now that I was in over my head all those years ago. I choose to believe that the knitting I’ve done since prepared me to have both the skills and the confidence to finish a sweater I’m truly proud to wear.