I’m working away on my smocked cable cardigan. Above are the two sleeves done, and part of the back piece done. I got up to the part of the back where I should start making the cables and realized I was in trouble. I won’t have enough yarn to finish this sweater.
I have 8 100 gram skeins of yarn and you’d think that would be plenty. The first problem is that ONE of the skeins is a really different color than the rest. Now, if 2 or 3 were different, I could alternate skeins and work them in and all would be fine. But ONE skein being different just makes it unusable in my opinion. Secondly, I think I will really need 9, not 8 anyway. The back piece takes up huge amounts of yarn because it is long, flared and wide at the bottom, and is full of cables at the top. Here’s a photo of what the back will look like:
What am I going to do with this thing? I realized on Thursday night I’d be short of yarn. Friday morning I woke up and got right on this problem. I went to Ravelry to see who stocks Madelinetosh yarn and then I went stocking those sites, looking for Vintage in color Mourning Dove. I only had to look to 2 shops before finding some at the Loopy Ewe, out of Colorado. YAY! Do you know how hard it is to find this yarn? Hard. I am so lucky.
Anyway, I ordered 4 skeins. FOUR? you ask. Yes, four. I’m guessing I’ll need 2 and maybe 3 and what if I’m completely wrong? I ordered 4. I can always destash the leftovers or make something to go with this sweater, like mittens or a hat. You can never have too much Madelinetosh, that’s what I always say (and have the stash to prove).
But I still have the problem of skeins that are not the same color as the knitting I’ve already done. I’m going to try something I hope will be ok. I’m going to knit the backs and fronts up to the start of the cable pattern with the yarn that I have. Then at that point, when the pattern and fit of the sweater changes, I’ll alternate in the new skeins. At least a slight change in color will be at a changing point in the pattern and should seem like it makes sense. Working with hand dyed yarn is beautiful and lovely, but sometimes a pain. No 2 skeins are perfectly matched and you always have to take that into account.
My yarn shipped yesterday and I should have it in a couple of weeks. Meanwhile I’ll continue knitting the fronts and will also continue knitting a secret project that I can’t show you yet. But soon!
