Well, poop.

Despite the title, things aren’t all bad. Missing Rhinebeck was sad, but I did get a nice consolation prize in the mail.

I’m not doing any yarn-buying these days, so I’m enjoying Seasons all the more. The colors are simply divine, this time, and I’m not at all regretting being a glutton and signing up for 3 seasons. The boys like it too.

Two seconds after this picture was taken, Jacob asked for his turn. 🙂 In fact, Daniel seems to be taking after his brother, in terms of the hand-knits. He just loves being wrapped up in wool.

…and there, in his lap, is my current problem. Daniel’s tomten jacket is gorgeous so far, and he seems to love it. But I’m going to run out of yarn before completing the sleeves. Normally I’d scrap my plan of making it large enough to wear now and in the spring, rip back, and start over. But there’s not all that much extra room in it as it is:

(The white jacket fits well. Even snugly.) I’m really afraid that there just isn’t enough sock yarn in two hanks to cover my little sumo, at least in the jacket-length I’m going for. So… well, poop. What should I do, gentle reader? Here’s how it looks now:

I’ve got a message out on the Rav Seasons Club board, of course, but I’m not hopeful. My husband suggests a vest, which might work–I’d end the sleeves just before the side seam (and maybe crochet a trim around a mandarin-style collar, the sleeves, and down the front?). I’d planned to zipper the thing.

Alternately, of course, I could try using a different yarn to finish the sleeves. But I’m afraid of that just looking silly. So how about it, folks? Do you see another way?

25 thoughts on “Well, poop.

  1. geez, that’s a pisser. I’d probably hold out hope for a Ravelry trade (maybe go full-bore and PM everyone with some in their stash? you certainly have good colors to trade)…

    If that’s not fruitful, can you rip back the first sleeve, and do the 2nd sleeves with a complementary color, with stripes/cuffs in the main color to help tie it together?

    I will now go summon the yarn fairies on your behalf.

  2. gah, can’t think of any suggestions but wanted to say good luck in finding extra yarn or a solution. that is a gorgeous colourway so I am sure it’ll look fab no matter what you end up doing.

    just found you blog yesterday btw. you have some gorgeous knits. 🙂 and kiddies. 🙂

  3. If the yarn fairies don’t come through (needles crossed):
    1. I’d find a complimentary yarn and use it with the main color to stripe the sleeves. You can vary the width of the stripes so that a ‘long border’ of the new color at the end of the sleeve won’t look out of place.

    2. Work both sleeves at once so that even if they are short, they will at least be even.

  4. Yup. I’m with Kat and Ann on this one. I doubt you’d find a vest very useful. Raverlry is awesome, so really hoping for the yarn fairies to come through for you.

  5. I hope someone is willing to swap with you! Garter stitch is such a yarn eater, huh?

  6. with those colours I am seeing I wish Id have joined… sigh. hope you find someone willing to swap so you can finish!!

  7. Aw, bummer on the sock yarn – I hope someone might come to your rescue! Otherwise sleeves of another color might be sweet! I love all three seasons you are getting, I went for Winter and Fall – but that blue – I love it!

  8. I think it could look great to finish off with another yarn. I’d aim for something about the same depth of shade and mottled-ness. I even like the idea of it being totally uneven in terms of one sleeve being one color and the rest of the jacket being green – could look very cool. Honestly, with that gorgeous kid, no one is going to notice anyway!

  9. Yeah, I’ll have to agree with the others… rip out the first sleeve, and add some complimentary stripes into both sleeves. You could add a crocheted edge around the body, too, to tie in the other color.

    Love that red yarn!

  10. what a cutie patootie!!! hmm.. if you’re going to go with a different colour for the sleeves, I suggest something darker in either the same colour or maybe a black (neutral).

  11. i love the idea of contrasting sleeves! that green is gorgeous, though! i really want to try that yarn!

  12. What a pain about the yarn running out. I wouldn’t do contrasting sleeves. Maybe make it into a waistcoat? I love your new yarns, the blue is gorgeous.

  13. I don’t think sleeves in a different colour would be all that bad – it just has to be the right colour – not too close to the green but not too contrasty either.

  14. I think different color would be fine – do the kangaroo shoulder part in your Sundara yarn, a contrast for the body of the sleeves, and cuffs in Sundara yarn.

  15. What a bummer! I don’t have much left but I’d be more than happy to send what I have to you.

  16. I think Abby has a great idea. I think contrasting sleeves, even if they were the entire sleeves could look good, especially if you had enough yarn to make a hat in the contrasting color to make it an ensemble. Good luck!

    I predict that Daniel will want a pet sheep by age 3, an alpaca by age 5 and a cashmere goat by age 7.

  17. Oh, look at those big baby smiles! I’m sorry, I’m just too distracted to think about sleeves right now. 🙂

  18. Your knitting is lovely – and your children are cherubs!
    I enjoy checking into your blog and reading about your knitting journey. Thank you for blogging!
    Take a look at the book “Alterknits” by Leigh Radford – page 75, a photo for a pattern “Cardigens for Clark & Lily.” The designer has done some clever things with color -using different colors for parts of a child’s sweater and using embroidered motifs to carry off the multi-colored sleeves, yolks, etc. Maybe this can help and inspire you if you can’t find the matching yarn.
    Kind regards – Lynn

  19. You can do it like Griffin’s and just incorporate a second yarn – it’s really cute. And there’s no need to rip all the way back to the bottom – the i-cord will pull it all together and isn’t hard to do.

    D is adorable – I see your face in there!

  20. Is there enough for short sleeves? I love the color. The boys are so cute!

  21. If Daniel’s as attracted to water as Ian is, you’d definately get use out of a vest – no sleeves = no changing due to wet cuffs & sleeves. They’re also good for layering on top of lightish PJ’s for season changes if you have blanket-phobes like my two.

  22. Those skeins are gorgeous – they go well with little Daniel 🙂 I hope you find a happy solution to your jacket yarn problem…

  23. I think a solid color would look ok, and something somewhat darker than one of the shades in the knitted yarn might work well.

  24. I had to smile at your post – I’m in the same predicament. Though I’m using up stash yarn from elann.com…..I can’t believe how much yarn I’m eating up making a Totem for my 5 yr old. I know that garter stitch is pretty stretchy – so I am holding hope that I can squeak by with sleeves that look a bit too short. My back up plan – a border around the whole shebang in a complimentary color.

    This whole thing has been knit by many people before…but why oh why are my instructions for this sweater different in three of my zimmerman books? Makes for a confusing knit – trying to remember which ‘recipe’ I started with. (Do you call EZ pattenrs patterns? or recipes *grin*)

    Happy knitting – may the yarn fairies come and kiss your yarn….to make it last till you get to the end!

  25. […] season of Sundara’s first Season’s Collection. Convinced I’d run out of yarn well before starting the hood, I begged and bought and traded my way through several other hanks of these colors before finding […]

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