I just finished a project I started 8 (yes, EIGHT) years ago. I’m not sure exactly when I started it, but I know where I was living when I was blocking it originally, and I haven’t lived there in a very long time. I also know I got the yarn from a store that doesn’t exist anymore.
The project is the Perfect Turtleneck, from Patons Design Series. It’s a chunky cabled sweater with lots of ribbing and a giant turtleneck. The cables are quite pretty, and I recall it being a very straight-forward pattern. I’ve been looking for mistakes, but apparently my knitting was better back then than I thought it was.
The reason it had hibernated for so long is that when I tried seaming all the pieces together the yarn would untwist and pull apart. I got so frustrated with it that I put it away and forgot about it. I mentioned this to someone in passing recently and they suggested using a different yarn in a matching colour.
After finishing all my Christmas knitting and not knowing what to start next, I resurrected this beast and got down to business. It took 3 evenings of work, but it’s finally done. Unfortunately, I have aged 8 years and gestated 2 children since I began this sweater and it just doesn’t work for me anymore.
So, if you’d like to receive this sweater for free, leave a comment telling me about your Longest Project Ever (knitting or otherwise) and I’ll do a draw on January 11th (my birthday!). The sweater is a size small (fits a 34″ bust).
Cowtown Knits 
My longest project ever would have to be my first scarf. I was using a knitting wheel for the first time, and was doing alternating three inch stripes of black and white. It took maybe 3 months, and ended up being 11 feet long!
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I think it looks great on you!! Are you sure you want to give it away? Hmm…longest project ever, that’s a tough one. I have several that haven’t ever been finished. I started knitting a scarf over 8 years ago that I have never gone back to. I have a mixed media piece of art that I started in May…on Mother’s Day with my ‘me’ time 🙂 But my longest start to finish, that’s tougher…probably a month or so for a baby blanket. I think I’m more of an abandoner, lol. Maybe one of those project is yet to be one of my longest projects ever 🙂
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I think it looks great on you, too! (And there is no way on earth it would fit me – Willow, maybe!) My longest project was a sweater I was working on for Andrew – but he is 6’2″ and broad, and I lost interest about 18″ into the back! Luckily, a bug infestation (since cleared up) saved me from having to finish it…
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I lurve that sweater! I agree with everyone above though, you look fantastic in it! My longest project ever is still on the sticks. A sweater for Henry that I started immediately upon finding out he was a boy (so that would be, ahem, about 4.5ish years ago), I got frustrated on the neck stitches and put it away, pulled it out again when I was pregnant with Michael, got annoyed again and spied it in my knitting bag over the weekend. I am about 98% finished with it and just cannot muster up the will to pull it back out.
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Thanks for the comments ladies, I loved hearing about your projects!
Now, a day late, I used a Random Number Generator to determine that Julie J. is our winner. Julie, just send me your address and I’ll ship off my eight-year wonder this week.
Kate
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Well shoot, I just saw this! 🙂 Am I still the winner?
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You sure are Julie. Send me your address via pm on Rav and I’ll send it to you. Sorry I didn’t do a better job of chasing you down.
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