There is nothing more stressful to a knitter than the impending doom that is running out of yarn. Except, maybe, overzealous cats and unattended yarn balls. Maybe, working on a sweater you aren’t sure is going to fit. Or working hard on something only to
One of the most stressful things to a knitter is running out of yarn mid project. Constantly checking to see how much you have left, reading the pattern ahead to see how many rows you have left. That is how I spent my Thursday! Because, even though I thought I would have enough yarn for the sleeves of my Charvet on Wednesday, I underestimated the size of the sleeves and quickly realized that it was going to be close. Really, really close.
Sleeves! Yes!
I ended up needing to skip about 8 total rows in both sleeves and adjusting the shaping a little, but I worked it out and had about 4 feet of yarn left over. Not even enough yarn to seam it up with.
Why was this disaster averted? Because I was knitting two sleeves at once!
Before starting the sleeves, I pulled out my food scale, make four identical balls of yarn, two pink and two gray, and started working my sleeves two at a time. Had I knit them one after another I would have happily finished the first sleeve, not realizing I was going to run out of yarn until halfway through the second sleeve. Instead of having two identically altered sleeves, I would have had one sleeve as written and one sleeve 16 rows short, and unusable without a trip to the store for new yarn.
Not sure how to knit two sleeves at once? Next week’s how to video just MIGHT be able to help you out!
Oh Yeah! Three Colors!
And how about that third color?! I picked Patons Classic Wool Tidepool Heather, which I use so much I didn’t even have to look up the color to write this sentence. I think it looks fantastic with the pink and gray, and I can’t wait to finish this puppy up, get her blocking, and show you the FO next week!
Beatnik Week 1: Complete!
And I’m finished with the Beatnik Week 1 Goal! How beautiful is that?! I would spend the entire weekend knitting that cable pattern, but it’s too fun knitting along with everyone to pull ahead. I hope everyone else is chipping along on their goals for the week and getting a beautiful start to their sweater, too.
I’ve got another weekend full of football watching, pizza making, and knitting ahead of me, and I couldn’t be more excited about it. the only way I would be more excited about it is if I were working on my Beatnik!
Awesome! I you tweeted something about two sleeves at once at the beginning of the week which made me think to try it with the sweater I am currently working on. My sweater is in the round (seems to be the only way I make sweaters) and I’m doing the sleeves on two 24″ circulars like you would if you were doing two socks at once. Thanks for inspiring!
rAchel.jones @ontheround´s last [type] ..Handspun Yarn- Cozy 160 yards of 2ply merino wool yarn- MULTIPLE SKEINS AVAILABLE
Comment by rAchel.jones @ontheround — January 14, 2011 @ 9:37 am
Making two sleeves at a time scares me. I’ve never done it! I’ll check your vid for sure!
Beatnik… yum!
Comment by Ariane — January 14, 2011 @ 9:58 am
It looks great, though! That color is perfect with the navy & pink. Way to salvage it!
Comment by Katie — January 14, 2011 @ 11:42 am
ooh, nice save on the yarn famine!! it looks great, by the way.
Julie´s last [type] ..Stockholm Scarf- Now in Swedish!
Comment by Julie — January 14, 2011 @ 2:31 pm
ohhhhhhhhhhhh shew. I know how that feels.
your charvet is coming OUT so cute!
and I am jealous of how your Beatnik is coming out.
I have 1 inch (barely) of twisted rib started after I broke down and went to Jo Ann’s for yarn.
I like the color though.
I’ve got some catching up to do.
Comment by Cindy — January 15, 2011 @ 12:35 pm