Sunday, October 29, 2006

Alpaca Dilemma

Here is the boy's sweater in 100% Alpaca from Elann. I don't have a pattern, I estimated yardage and dimensions from another pattern I had for a similar gauge yarn. But different than the pattern I have, I worked it in the round and did my own design on the front. So when I got to the sleeves, which are knit from the cuff up in the pattern, I picked up 60 stitches around the arm whole to work the arm down. In the pattern, you work increases all the way up to 68 stitches then work 4 sets of decreases to 60 stitches and bind off. So I followed this. But now I'm worried, I don't think I'm going to have enough yarn to finish the sleeves. I had planned 1 ball for each arm. I think it's close, but not quite enough.

Of course my first instinct was to go buy another ball. I know there is no chance of getting the same dye lot. But, I was hoping it would be close enough. Particularly since the alpaca has a nice halo, maybe it wouldn't be too noticeable. And if it was only around the cuffs, would you really notice the contrast since it was rib stitch? You can probably guess they don't have anymore of the colorway I chose, Cedar. And I checked the swap boards and no one has any Cedar 100% Alpaca to swap.

Now that I am looking at the picture of the sweater laid out. I'm not sure I like those increases anyway. I think I might rip back to before the increases. I don't know how much more it will give me, but maybe, just maybe, it will be enough.

Wish me luck!

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