I had a quick trip out to Charleston, SC the end of Sept, where the weather was beautiful, and the town charming. I managed to work in a little shopping, and a quick trip to a shop called K Knit where I managed to spend way too much on some yarn from Copper Corgi.
I was seduced by the colors, and ended up paying nealry as much for 50g as I usually pay for 100g, so I am anxious to knit this and find out if it is made from spun gold or something else to justify the crazy price :) I bought two pretties--one in green/pink called "stormy marsh" and one deep blue/black with lighter blue streaks called "Clifftop." And did I mention the shop owner seemed super relieved and excited when I made the purchase? Times must be hard in the Charleston yarn market.
I was glad when I had 2 back-to-back trips to Western Canada in early October to allow me some time to actually knit some projects rather than just buy yarn. I had started a pair of Shur 'Tugal socks in a SG rust and denim blue colorway I found at Rhinebeck last year during one of the summer concerts in July, and had yet to make it past the cuff. I completed this pair and ended up making the feet sized for a man. Not sure who I have in mind for these, but it seemed such a masculine pattern I went for it. I also finished up the lace Camino Alpaca kneesocks I started nearly a year ago at long last, using every last bit of yarn from both skeins.
So here is my first October dilemma: as much as I love the lace knee-highs, they don't quite make it to the knee. I would adore them if they were only ~2.5 inches longer. However, making them longer would require buying one more skein of yarn. Bear in mind this is a yarn I found in northern Germany and have never been able to find a place to buy it in the states, so I would pay as much to ship one more skein as I paid for the other two together. I think I can hide any differences in dye lot by ripping out the ribbing, continuing the lace until I run out of yarn, then doing new ribbed cuffs in the new color. Or I could just live with them being high-calf-but-not-quite-knee socks. Or hope I have a German, Austrian, or Swiss swap partner who might buy a skein of Camino Alpaca in Teal as a swap goodie. But that last one seems like a long shot.
October always makes me want to finish up projects in preparation for winter, so I came back to my Umaro blanket and the second October dilemma: I started this with 2 skeins of Cascade Eco wool held together, and neither skein had a dye lot or color listed on the label. I got to exactly the middle of the blanket when I ran out of yarn. I bought more yarn from a different store (original store no longer carried it) that is also color and dye lot-less (which I am told is the same color, though Eco has 6+ shades of undyed) and when I hold a strand up to a strand I think it matches, but when I hold a skein up to a blanket, I don't think it matches. I bought 2 more skeins in the next darker color, and skein to blanket looks right, but strand to strand looks too dark. So do I take a chance on the lighter of the 2 knowing I may have a color line across the center, or do I start a new blanket from scratch with my four new skeins and hold one darker strand and one lighter strand together? And if I do that, what do I do with my half-Umaro? Rip out and find something to do with the 2 original skeins? Or bind off, felt it, and call it an entry rug or make a pillow/cover of some sort? Help!
Dilemma number three: I bought a bunch of Blue Sky Alpacas organic cotton on clearance (which makes it close to affordable) and decided to whip up a quick baby blanket. I keep feeling someone close to me is having a baby girl, and even if I am wrong, I figure it never hurts to have a gift on hand. I chose to do a color-block afgan using the Moderne Baby Blanket pattern, which I have made before and absolutely love, but I wanted to add a simple crochet edging to dress it up. Sure enough, I ran out of all four colors just shy of being able to finish the edging. So do I leave it plain or buy one more skein? I swear that what I spend in purchasing yarn to finish projects outweighs what I save on sale yarn. So do I save money or finish it how I envisioned? I already had to buy a little more of the purple and the green just to finish the color blocks and never dreamed I would run out. I also have one full skein of white, which is nowhere else in the blanket, that I could use for a border, but I am not sure I like adding a new color just for a border.
And now the fourth and final October dilemma: to Rhinebeck or not to Rhinebeck? In case I had not mentioned it before, I decided about a year ago to do something completely and totally out of character, and take a real vacation. One could argue the first real vacation of my life. So I am taking a knitting tour of South America in November, and the departure date is only about a week after Rhinebeck. I know I will spend too much money at Rhinebeck. I know the weekend would be better spent packing and putting my house in order pre-trip. I know I still have shopping to do. I know I have enough yarn, and then some. But I really love Rhinebeck.
Oh what to do!
Aargh! Your knitting is so perfect. The last picture made me swoon.
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