The nattrøjer chronicles I

Nattrøjer: A nattrøje (nattrøjer is plural) is a knit-purl patterned sweater/blouse that is part of the Danish national folk costume. Nattrøje translates to either nightshirt or knitted vest. For interesting pictures of traditional sweaters, see the latest issue of Piecework for the article by Lita Rosing-Schow about Danish Knitted 'Vests'. Knitting in the Old Way by Priscilla Gibson-Roberts also has a 'pattern' or guide for making a nattroje, as do the books Nordic Knitting by Susan Pagoldh (1987, OOP; ISBN 0-934026-68-8) and Knitting in the Nordic Tradition by Vibeke Lind (OOP, 1-1887374-31-0). Parts of Norway and Sweden also had a similar sweater tradition, some museum examples can be seen in Swedish Sweaters by Britt-Marie Christoffersson (1990, Taunton Press, ISBN 0-942391-80-2).

Thursday 3 February

The Danish Nattrojer pattern in Interweave Knits by Beth Brown-Reinsel:
While discussing using a smaller gauge and larger pattern size to adjust for yarn changes, I do some math. Aided by my calculator I realize that if I can get an exact gauge of 8 stitches per inch, I will get a 36" (app) sweater, which would fit me perfectly. Somehow, this information doesn't translate in my brain into the fact that I'm talking myself into making a sweater with a gauge of 8 spi, giving me even more stitches per inch than the original pattern calls for.

Friday 4 February

After having foolishly spent two days blathering on the blog about future knitting plans, I went and photocopied the pattern from IK, enlarging the charts and darkening them to make them more readable. I also confirmed that I own one 16" size 1 circular, and 2 32" size 1 (2.5") circulars. How I came to posess the latter in duplicate is a mystery.

I locate both of the yarns I'm considering for the sweater, and the original gauge swatches. Having a huge amount of faith in a memory I no longer posess, I did not deem it necessary to write what size needles I swatched with, anywhere. I must swatch again.

Saturday 5 February

I begin to reread Gunnar's Daughter by Sigrid Undset. This is neither here nor there but is obviously related to typing 'ø' so much. I've read all of Undset's books (in English) at least twice. I had forgotten that she was half Danish. This is not going to help me knit the sweater, and is actually a somewhat disturbing book about rape and vengeance, written in 1909.

I spend over an hour searching for pictures of traditional nattrøjer online. I was not successful. If you're interested in Danish costume go and look at these paintings by F.C. Lund. None seem to show any detail that would indicate that the blouses are knit, but they're interesting.

I swatch for the nattrøje with Blackberry Ridge fingering weight wool and 2.25mm needles. I got gauge. Please, don't point out to me that I'm using 2.25mm needles. It's mean spirited.

Because I have sweater guilt, I worked on the sleeve (still on the first one) for the d*mn sw**ter. It's past the elbow now. I tell myself as I work on it that I prefer small gauge sweaters and so will need to move onto the nattrøje for inspiration, knowing all the while that this is a pathetic excuse.

Sunday 6 February

Rather than working on getting ready for a class I was teaching in the afternoon, I spent another hour looking for nattrøjer pictures. I did find one, but wasn't able to get the pop-up to work, so if you want to see a tiny picture of an old nattrojer-type blouse, you can see it here.

1st quarter Superbowl Sunday

Cast on for the 41+" size of the nattrøjer pattern from IK. Because my gauge is supposed to be 8", this is supposed to be a 36" (or so) sweater, when I'm done.

4th quarter Superbowl Sunday

About 9 rows in, I'm not sure that I'm getting my 8 spi gauge. It seems like I've loosened up a bit. Rather than pitching a fit and ripping everything out, I'm willing to wait another day and see how the welt gauge shapes up. I have, at least twice in the past two hours, thought about simultaneously casting on for the 33.25" size in the 5 ply guernsey wool, just to compare stitch definition and gauge between the two yarns.

Patriots win:
I have fantasies of knitting oversized pullovers in 3.5 stitch-per-inch yarn but ignore them. I repeat my incantation that precision = perfection and continue to knit on the oversized swatch. Most probably Monday will find me trying to knit the 5 ply guernsey wool version of the same pattern, with a slightly looser tension than the pattern calls for.

At some point, realizing that my gauge is off and there's no reason to be triumphant, I give up. I will not try to justify an ill-fitting sweater, but will admit that my attempts are just.... a large swatch. It does not photograph well, with or without a flash.

Please bear with me.

Comments

[Emma.]

But you're having fun.Right ?
It's a learning experience.You're finding out about the pattern,how it works in various yarns,and getting used to the smaller needle size.I find I knit a lot faster on smaller needles,and my fingers and wrists hurt less.Being a sock knitter 2.5mm needles doen't frighten me at all !
It will be worth it in the end.It will be a work of art.

[Janet]

Yes, I agree with Emma. Smaller needles result in lovely fabric that drapes nicely too. It doesn't matter what the needle size is anyway. You'll end up knitting the same amount of stitches in the end, whether it's on 2's or 8's. I'm glad you're doing all of the test work for the rest of us though!

[Jan]

Phew! Hang in there...we'll wait.

[erin]

You've got more guts than I. BUt it'll be gorgeous when it's finished.

[Cara]

I should've done what you did during the Superbowl. Instead I was sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my fingernails. Knitting would've been better.

Glad your working through things - it's necessary - in the end you want to be knitting something that's satisfying.

[jo]

I once knit a sweater for my daughter with fingering weight yarn and 2.25mm needles (the pattern was from a Dale book). I thought I was nuts too but it wasn't that bad and she wore it a lot (before losing it on the bus or in the library or something, luckily after she'd pretty well grown out of it).

That pattern would look lovely in a small guage. Keep it up.

[Lauren]

Doesn't concentrating on knitting make football so much more fun? Am I totally ethnocentric because I don't know what 2.25 mm converts to? I never keep track of what needles I use to swatch with either. Or I do write it down, and then months go by and I've definitely lost the sheet of paper.

[Adelaide]

Too bad Mr. Bush doesn't give as much thought and care to running the country as you give to obtaining the correct gague.

[Nathania]

It happens to the best of us, Cassie. Persevere. It will all work out in the end.

[Margene]

When you are working that small and with all the unknowns it has to be the process that keeps us knitting. It will be worth every single stitch when you find the right combo of design, yarn and gauge.

[susan]

8 spi. Slacker.

[Mary Beth]

after reading all that, i think i'm the slacker.

[Siow Chin]

I've a feeling I'm reading a detective story. Let's hope you solve the 'mystery' soon.

[Teresa Nielsen Hayden]

I see your frustration with the pictures of traditional Danish costumes, though they're interesting in their own right. I think the nattrøjer is most evident in the picture of the girl from Røsnæs:

http://hjem.get2net.dk/vofl/DanishFolk/Costumes/FC-Lund/RefnaesPige.jpeg

The diamond-shaped pattern on her sleeves has to be a knit-and-purl stitch pattern (which would be fairly usual for this garment anyway), because if those diamonds were a woven pattern, the sleeves would have to have been wastefully cut on the bias: very unlikely, in such a traditional costume.