For many knitters, the Morgenröte would be a prospective once in a lifetime experience. It was so for this knitter before venturing to embark on a meandering quest. A vision of the finished product lures one on stitch by stitch, both empowering and tormenting with all the promise of a mirage.

150 hours of grueling attention to detail culminate with chart No. 1 at eight repeats only to explode into 16 with 2,500 sts from about round 210 to 270 and another 550+ hours to go. No, it is beyond comprehension. Not a soul could forewarn of the enervation this entails and I shall not waste time trying to explain.

Succinctly, this is not a knitting journey, it is a crusade.

Herr Niebling’s brilliance shines at a blinding magnitude via this piece, with several rounds displaying mathematical sleights of hand; sinuous, unexpected stitch combinations and variations in technique. Hidden amid bouts of repetitious ennui, fiber nuances lurk to unfurl, overspilling with their evident numerical enigmas, ensnaring the tired unwary needle worker to hours of labyrinthine correction.

Replete with the precision of a Bach fugue and the romance of a Ravel fantasie, tinged with decadence exotic and familiar, this synergistic magnum opus awaits an occasion befitting its splendor.

Such a tablecloth I have never known.

Additional notes: The yarn was recycled and split from a medium women’s sweater (4-ply.) A slightly lighter color was recycled from a toddler sweater, both to complete the yardage requirements and to accentuate the outer 2 inches. This effect further complements a matching brocade ballgown. All total, I estimate that about 4,000 yards were needed. The finished product was modestly blocked and may be stretched to a full 8’ across.

The chart is perfect throughout, no errors were encountered.