In my last post, I sort of wondered about my present mental state - whether I was delusional, or unreasonable, or simply not very smart.
I have some evidence to submit.
Here we have a lovely finished and blocked sleeve, and most of the second sleeve. Notice how little yarn is left attached to the sleeve-in-progress. I was fully expecting that, because I needed a bit more than a skein to do the first sleeve. When I got to the end of the yarn the first time, and was not yet at the end of the sleeve, I sort of shrugged like no biggie, and reached for another skein to join on. I have lots of yarn. Whatever. As I approached the point where I would need to join on again to finish off sleeve number 2, a little alarm bell sounded in my head. It was a question.
Do I really have lots of yarn?
I gave myself a little shake. Of course I've got lots. I started with 5 skeins of madelinetosh tosh vintage, that's 1000 yards. Should be plenty to do a sweater.
The alarm sounded again. Are you sure?
I reminded myself that I had checked the yardage requirements before starting, and I wouldn't have started if I didn't have enough, and then, when the alarm wouldn't shut up, I pulled up the Rav pattern page so I could double check and put my mind at ease.
The pattern page does not have a yardage line.
I looked at the pattern, and it doesn't give a yardage requirement either, but it tells you how many skeins of the recommended yarn are needed for each size. I'd decided, since the pattern was designed for positive ease, to do the size S (38" finished bust), and the pattern said I would need 12 50 g skeins to do it.
12 x 50 g = 600 g
5 x 100 g = 500 g
OOPS. When I looked at the pattern initially, I had looked at the finished measurements and figured I could get the size XS (34" bust) to work with what I had. Then I totally forgot about that, and then hauled off and made a larger size. Big problem.
But wait! That's not the end of it! The recommended yarn is 125 yards to 50 g.
10 (the number of skeins needed for the XS) x 125 yards = 1250 yards.
Now, now I have a major problem. I have almost two sleeves that I have shown to my sister, and she likes them, and likes that they are a bit roomy, so they're going to stay, but I absolutely do not have enough yarn to finish the sweater as written.
I'm going to trymessing with modifying the pattern for this particular round of yarn chicken. First up, the body will be knitted as an XS. This means it will be a leaner fit sweater, which honestly I like better anyway. I spent a bunch of time staring at the modeled sample shots, and that thing looks pretty huge on the model in a lot of them when the intended 4" of positive ease are in there, so I think I can get away with going down a size in the body without ending up with a sweater that's really too small. Second up, I'm lopping 2 inches off the bottom hem. My sister is the same height as me - short - so we don't really need 16" of length from underarm to bottom hem. In fact, that's probably a particularly good mod, since it should make the sweater length fall at high hip, and my sister is a pear (I'm sure she'd be thrilled that I just told the Internet that), so having the sweater not end where she's widest should be more flattering. Third up, I'm seriously considering narrowing the fronts a bit - as written the sweater has a wide shawl collar - like, 6" wide that folds over - and while as written it's cozy, I think I can take it down a touch without sacrificing the cozy factor. As written, each of the XS fronts is about 10" wide at the bottom, so I think some of that can go.
Think that futzing will result in a complete sweater with the available yarn? Gah, I get a little mentally sweaty just thinking about how this game of yarn chicken is going to play out.
Pretty sure this one should be tallied as evidence in favour of option #3. In fact, it could probably even be strengthened. I am not merely "dim". I am apparently a moron.
Sigh. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a sleeve to finish, and a decision to make about whether it makes more sense to then move on to the back piece, or one of the fronts.
I have some evidence to submit.
Here we have a lovely finished and blocked sleeve, and most of the second sleeve. Notice how little yarn is left attached to the sleeve-in-progress. I was fully expecting that, because I needed a bit more than a skein to do the first sleeve. When I got to the end of the yarn the first time, and was not yet at the end of the sleeve, I sort of shrugged like no biggie, and reached for another skein to join on. I have lots of yarn. Whatever. As I approached the point where I would need to join on again to finish off sleeve number 2, a little alarm bell sounded in my head. It was a question.
Do I really have lots of yarn?
I gave myself a little shake. Of course I've got lots. I started with 5 skeins of madelinetosh tosh vintage, that's 1000 yards. Should be plenty to do a sweater.
The alarm sounded again. Are you sure?
I reminded myself that I had checked the yardage requirements before starting, and I wouldn't have started if I didn't have enough, and then, when the alarm wouldn't shut up, I pulled up the Rav pattern page so I could double check and put my mind at ease.
The pattern page does not have a yardage line.
I looked at the pattern, and it doesn't give a yardage requirement either, but it tells you how many skeins of the recommended yarn are needed for each size. I'd decided, since the pattern was designed for positive ease, to do the size S (38" finished bust), and the pattern said I would need 12 50 g skeins to do it.
12 x 50 g = 600 g
5 x 100 g = 500 g
OOPS. When I looked at the pattern initially, I had looked at the finished measurements and figured I could get the size XS (34" bust) to work with what I had. Then I totally forgot about that, and then hauled off and made a larger size. Big problem.
But wait! That's not the end of it! The recommended yarn is 125 yards to 50 g.
10 (the number of skeins needed for the XS) x 125 yards = 1250 yards.
Now, now I have a major problem. I have almost two sleeves that I have shown to my sister, and she likes them, and likes that they are a bit roomy, so they're going to stay, but I absolutely do not have enough yarn to finish the sweater as written.
I'm going to try
Think that futzing will result in a complete sweater with the available yarn? Gah, I get a little mentally sweaty just thinking about how this game of yarn chicken is going to play out.
Pretty sure this one should be tallied as evidence in favour of option #3. In fact, it could probably even be strengthened. I am not merely "dim". I am apparently a moron.
Sigh. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got a sleeve to finish, and a decision to make about whether it makes more sense to then move on to the back piece, or one of the fronts.
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