A Christmas Starmore

This was my Christmas present to myself this year...seeing my wonderful husband Brian wearing the Alice Starmore Inishmore sweater that I made for him. I casted this sweater on February 2006 and finished it a week before Christmas. It does still need a good blocking but the stitching is so dense that I feared it would not dry in time for a Christmas morning debut. Several times during the making of this aran I admittedly had to put these needles down and step away. It was a challenge to say the least!

Last year Brian complained that I had knitted items for just about everyone but him. My sister-in-law Dawn suggested it was that old superstitious fear of knitting a complicated sweater for your beloved only to have them break up with you. Honestly it was more about all of those little gifts that often take time away from the truly important people in our lives...a baby sweater as a gift for colleague, a pair of socks for your friend, etc. When people know you as a knitter there is always that added pressure for home made gifts which all take away your free time. Brian requested "a traditional Aran made the old fashion way not a typical touristy Celtic sweater". My friend Eleanor from Kraemer's Yarn shop in Nazareth suggested that a Starmore pattern was what Brian wanted. Eleanor has had the priviledged of taking class with Alice Starmore herself. I was excited to take on this challenge but it was a long road...Certainly not a relaxing project or one for the faint hearted knitters of the world. Eleanor is a world class knitter who has been a long time pattern knitter and trouble-shooter for many of the stars of the knitting world. Many local knitting mortals take her words of advice to heart. That said, I must admit that I did have a few occasions during the making of this sweater where I had muttered a few choice words for Eleanor!

To add to some of the discouragement, I actually had the opportunity to speak with Alice Starmore herself during the making of this sweater. I had telephoned her with the hope of having her participate in an upcoming Scotland tour. Let's just say the telephone conversation did not go very well and this made me want to pack away my needles even more.

But I persevered and finished all of the knitting. Eleanor is an incredible finisher. Seriously you often can't tell how she has put sweaters together with invisible seams and no ends to be found. My pal Kate kindly informed Eleanor that since she had been responsible for getting me involved in this sweater in the first place, I felt that she should take on the responsibility of helping me finish it. So Eleanor was kind enough to invite me for an afternoon of knitting where she shared some of her finishing techniques with me. I also asked Eleanor to inspect the sweater with her eagle-eyes and I was amazed that she only found two small mistakes (a shocking miracle to me). She also showed me a trick to fix both mistakes without anyone being the wiser.

So when I say this was my present to me it really was. After this project I have to say I am now a fearless knitter. I can't tell you the pride I felt with Brian showing off his sweater to friends and family on Christmas day. I graciously accepted the compliments. During one of my more heated moments constructing this sweater I "explained" to Brian that if he ever dirtied,
dog-haired or bled on this sweater it would be grounds for divorce. I think the part that made me feel the best was when we sat down to dinner and he used his cloth napkin as a bib.
Now that is true love in the spirit of the season ;-)