My Oldest Yarn

Many, many years ago I bought yarn that then sat in my stash – not because I didn’t like it – but because I didn’t want to knit something and still have loads of yarn left over – or worse – run out of yarn.

I purchased the yarn on a quilt fabric buying trip with my sister-in-law. She took me to the big sale at Keepsake Quilting in New Hampshire and Patternworks Yarn was part of that building. (There have been so many changes of ownership since that time, and, unfortunately, neither Patternworks nor Keepsake Quilting are in business although Keepsake has an online presence.)

This trip took place in the late 1990s. I was not quilting then but have always been an avid knitter so was pleased that they had yarn. Although, at that time I did not buy yarn just because and definitely not without a pattern. How times have changed. I can’t remember what yarn they had, my sister-in-law bought a bunch of Christmas fabrics and I purchased just this one bunch of yarn. It was half-price and there were ten skeins. The yarn is Wensleydale Longwool by Berroco, worsted weight, in a navy colour. This yarn never got used because as I said previously I wanted a pattern that used most of the yarn with no danger of running out. In 2018 I decided that I was going to use my oldest yarns so I cast on; actually I did some swatching. I cannot remember why I chose the pattern I did, I’m guessing that I did a search of cardigan patterns on Ravelry. It is interesting that with my oldest yarn I chose a ten-year old pattern.

Once cast on it was ignored, after all the point was to get the yarn on the needles, and it took me a year just to complete the ribbing for the back. 2019 was the year for this project and I finished the knitting and blocked the main pieces by the end of November. Two things conspired to delay the finished object – the huge Advent shawl and having to pick up stitches for the front band and collar. I haven’t made a note as to when I did that, but the garment was completed apart from buttons on 7 March this year and fully completed on 10 March, a few days shy of two years. And then it was forever to take pictures because the weather in March was awful!

I am pleased with the end result. The pattern is Girl Friday published in Knitty in Fall 2009. The pattern says there is no ease, although it doesn’t seem that way from the pattern photo, also as it is knit in worsted weight yarn you do not want a clingy garment. I wanted more of an outer wear type cardigan and sized mine on a cardigan I wear a lot. I was worried that I would run out of yarn but pleased that didn’t happen, I used 8 and a bit of the 10 balls I had. I think a hat in the same pattern would look nice but the yarn is itchy (to me) so a hat wouldn’t stay on my head for long.