Damask Kauni: The Whole Story

In 2007, the knitting world was introduced to Kauni yarn.  It’s this very cool, bright yarn with long color runs.  Ruth Sorensen did this gorgeous sweater and it took the knitting world by storm.  I spotted it and tracked down the yarn.

I don’t even remember any more how I came up with my idea, but I decided to use Ruth’s pattern, which is still free, and use the Damask chart from Dale of Norway for the colorwork.  On September 24, 2007, I did this post.  I put it on Ravelry and it got quite a bit of attention.  Then The Rainey Sisters linked that post and it went crazy.

I got so many requests for the pattern, but it was from Dale of Norway and was out of print.  Someone actually blew up this photo and charted it.  Now I think it’s readily available, but I’m not sure where.

I worked on the sweater a couple of times in 2008, and once in 2009, but I knew it was going to be way too small, and I just shoved it in the back of the cupboard.

In January, I decided that my Olympic knitting was going to be to finish some cardigans, so I dug Damask Kauni out.  All I had left was to finish one sleeve and do the second sleeve.  Seriously!!!!  It sat in a cupboard for five years because of that.

Drumroll……here she is!

I bribed Miss In Charge to do a photo shoot for me.  Lets just say we’re going shopping tomorrow.

I think it might be one of the coolest things I’ve ever knit, but all I feel is relief that it’s finally finished.

I did a picot hem on the hem  and on the sleeves.  I should have gone down a needle size on the cuffs, but I was too lazy to hunt for smaller needles.

I actually don’t mind that little bit of flare.

One side note.  If you buy the rainbow Kauni now, the gold is much more bright yellow.  I really like the older colors better.  The other thing to note if you knit with this yarn is to make sure that when you start knitting, make sure the two colors are opposite on the color wheel.  Some colors together just make it look muddy.

Yep!  My model got a bit goofy!

So there are two days of Olympic knitting left.  I need to get back to my knitting.  I have my third project almost finished.  I do have lots to watch this weekend.  There’s the last of the Olympics and Sunday is the Daytona 500.  Woo!  Hoo!!!  See you next week when I shut the tv off!

Damask Kauni. The End.

I did it!!!!!  My Damask Kauni is finished and it only took 7 years.  Seven.  Long.  Years.

I knit most of the day today, stopping only to put in the next load of laundry and fold the last one.  I finished the picot edge on the sleeve at about 7 PM tonight.  I wove in the  rest of the ends and threw it in the sink.

Isn’t that the most inspiring photo you’ve ever seen???

It’s now hanging out on the floor of my bedroom.  I really didn’t think my second sleeve was going to block very well.  I’ll have to admit I wasn’t very careful knitting it.  I was so over this sweater!!!  It looks pretty decent though.

There will be a proper photo shoot next week.  I’m either going to have to bribe Ms In Charge or a niece to model it.

Now it’s time to clean up the kitchen and pack.  Part of us are heading out after school tomorrow to Northern Minnesota for some serious snowmobiling. Dreamboy is taking some friends.  I’ll be the only girl along and I’m only allowed because I cook.

My goal is to finish another sweater.  This one was started in 2006.

I’m going to have so many empty knitting needles.

Mediocre Olympic Showing!

So…It’s day four of the Olympics.  I’m working on my Olympic knitting, but it’s slow going.  Let me just say I really hate colorwork sleeves in the round.  I’m so desperate, I’ve now switched to double points.  I hate double points.

Here’s what I’m working on.

I mentioned in the last post that I was going to try to finish some projects, rather than starting new things.  Does anyone recognize this?

How about this?

Yep, it’s my Damask Kauni.  It set off a pretty big craze for a while.  I started it in 2007 and never finished it.  Why?  Because there is no possible way it will ever fit me.  I think it’s destined to live out its life on a mannequin as a decoration.  I last worked on it in 2009.  When I stuffed it back in the bag, I had about 4 inches left on one sleeve.  During the opening ceremonies of the Olympics, and later that night, I finished the first sleeves.  On day 2, I picked up stitches for the second sleeve and knit a few rows.  Day three was pretty slow too.  This morning, I pounded out a bunch.  I ‘m still only about one third of the way through the sleeve.

I was wondering why my knitting looks so uneven, and then I realized I steamed the rest of the sweater.  Colorwork loves steam!!!  I steamed the rest of the first sleeve and it looks pretty decent.  I’m going to knit as much as I can the next couple of days because I want it finished!!!

The other thing I mentioned in my last post is that I had hurt my right hand.  I rested it for a couple of days, and it seems to have cleared up.  It gets a bit sore when I knit too much, but a nights rest takes care of it.

Gotta go.  The color work is screaming at calling me.  I need to work hard.  Doesn’t every Olympian want their mom to be proud???