Something to aspire to

My college had an exchange program with Norway. Yes I know a bunch of Norwegians in South Dakota is not much of an exchange. Although it was rumored that we were a wee bit warmer. The thing I marveled at was that the Norwegians rarely wore coats, even in storms no coats. 

You could usually identify a group of Norwegians (other than being tall and blonde) by their sweaters. They did not wear coats but these gorgeous wool sweaters. In my memory they are mostly red and white, the sweaters silly, not the students. I think they were also black and white or other colors but mostly I remember the red, maybe because it stood out so much in the snow.

They looked a bit like that one. I wanted one from the first time I saw them. Imagine my surprise when I asked a friend that was going home for Christmas if he could bring one back for me, and he told me how much they cost. Two hundred dollars is way over budget for this little thrifty student, and that was back in the 90's. 

One of my first thoughts when I started knitting was wouldn't it be cool if I could knit myself a Norwegian sweater. That was before I even knew how to knit socks. I did finally make myself a pair of Norwegian mittens that kept my fingers quite toasty this winter. So I have dabbled in stranded knitting, or how they get two colors on a sweater. But a sweater is so much more of an undertaking. A wonky mitten you can hide in a pocket or just hold under your other hand. A sweater needs to look right!

You will remember two Christmas' ago I received a couple of books about knitting in Norway. I even bought sweater specific one for myself this year. Hey I had birthday money burning a hole in my pocket. Who knows I may even buy more I do so love my knitting books.

I will be taking a class in steeking this weekend also. This is one of the traditional finishing methods in that type of sweater. You knit round and round without regard for armholes then you simply cut your knitting and make arm holes. Yes I know it does sound like an drunken Norwegian knitting prank. But all the books and videos assure that it is a valid technique. 

So I am working my way slowly towards my dream of making my own Norwegian sweater. I swear by all that is wooly that if I am ever confronted with a Dale of Norway kit I will have a hard time not buying it (especially if it is red.) I have been told that these kits exist. I have no idea what price range the kits are in, but I do know I can buy a Dale of Norway sweater already knit for around $400 now. 

So I know I have told this dream to you before but it is still blog week and that was today's topic. And it is still my first knitting dream. I think I may still be in the tracking stages of my dream, but one of these days it will be mine, oh yes it will be mine.