Should have seen that coming

If you were ever thinking that maybe knitting isn’t out to get you, or that there are no knitting fates up there cracking themselves up while knitting screws you over,  I offer you the latest proof.

I’ve been working on this swirl scarf, (that links to the shawl, but there’s a scarf version on the same pattern) and I could tell that I wasn’t going to have enough yarn.  Fair enough, as I stated in a previous post, it’s not like I swatched or concerned myself with gauge, and if you don’t do that, then you can’t complain.  Fine.  Noted.  I hopped online, ordered more yarn (er… quite a bit more, but what’s the point of paying international shipping on one ball? None, I tell you, it just doesn’t make sense.  I practically had a moral obligation to buy a bunch.)  and carried on.  The yarn finally came the other day (The Loopy Ewe ships fast, the border is slow) and knowing it was here I carried on with the scarf until I ran out of yarn.  That, my friends,  that exact moment, was the minute that the cosmic knitting fates flipped me the bird.

I didn’t have enough yarn by  TWELVE METRES.  That’s ONE SWIRL.  That’s right.  I’ve knit 35 swirls and that took 400m of yarn and that means that each swirl takes about 12m of yarn (11.4 if you want precision)  which means that the knitting fates are up there laughing so hard that one of them has had to get a drink of water to stop the hiccups.

Better yet?  The new yarn, which has the same colour number, is a different dye lot, and that dye lot resembles the previous one exactly the way that my mother resembles June Cleaver, which is not at all.  The original yarn was autumnal and had tones of green, orange, copper, brown and a little greeny blue.   The new one is like that colourway on acid.  The blue is really denim blue.  The copper red is shrieking pink. The green is… well. The green is with the brown, which appears to be nowhere.  They are four (I told you I got a bunch) really, really different balls of yarn.  They resemble each other, but not the original dye lot that I had.   If I haul off and knit the last swirl with this, then it’s going to stand out like Britney Spears in a bikini at a bake off.

This doesn’t make me mad at the yarn company.  No sir.  This right here, this exact moment is why we are told all the damn time by yarn companies to buy enough of one dye lot to make a project.  They’re very clear about their own inability to reproduce things the same way twice (though really, I thought it would be closer than this, I mean this yarn has HOT PINK.  As an aside, this is exactly the shade of pink that was my shag carpet when I was 12, but I digress.) and I was the fool who didn’t buy enough.  The shop only had two balls, the pattern called for two balls, I took a shot and tried it with two balls, and then.. .I invited this disaster by not checking gauge.  Got it.  

Now, most of you are at least as smart as me, so you’re probably thinking now what I did. "Make a shorter scarf dummy",  and that is totally clever and absolutely what any rational knitter would do and the first thing that  I thought of.  Sadly, it is the month of December and that means that knitting has to mess with you more than it usually does (I think that knitting thinks this crap is festive? Not sure.) and that means that making this scarf shorter is impossible at this point. 

This is Yoda’s scarf.  There is only do or do not. There is no try.  It cannot be a different size unless you plan from the beginning to have a different size. The length is determined by how many spirals you knit in the the first long course. Then, naturally, all of the spirals are knit onto each other, so it’s not even like I could unpick one of two of the little weenies and have a go that way.  No, no…this is one integrated whack up of pain.  There’s no way out, no way to finish the scarf, except to get 11.4 metres of yarn that I can’t have, even though I ordered it when I saw this shaft coming.

Well played, knitting fates.  Well played.

(Seriously, what I am going to do is unwind all of those balls of replacement yarn, comparing it to the scarf as I go until I manage to cobble together 11.4m of yarn that is close enough. I have 800 metres.  11.4 of them have to match.)

—————————

In 2004 (Wow.  That was a while ago) I did something I thought was really fun and this year I’m going to do it again.  Every year around the holidays the non-knitters who love us are faced with a conundrum.  They would like to get us something we like, but they can’t figure out what we like.  They know we like knitting stuff, but they figure that we have enough of it, and so they haul off and get you a toaster or a book about snails.  (Not that both those things aren’t lovely and I didn’t like them – but you know what I mean.)  This little gift guide is meant as a series of suggestions.  Cool things that I think knitters would like, that non-knitters can buy for the holidays so that we can all avoid those terrible moments where you pretend that you really do like the mega-pack of fimo clay  as much as knitting stuff because you’re right – they are both crafts!
Non-knitters: here is some stuff your knitter might like. (There’s three days worth here because today is the third.  22 days til Christmas.  Don’t let it freak you out.)

Day One:
Does your knitter make shawls? Wear shawls? Wait. Let’s back up. A shawl is like a really big scarf. They can be squares, triangles, rectangles or circles. They are big pieces of knitting with no sleeves or anything, and your knitter would have them on over other clothes.  ("Not if you’re lucky" according to my husband, but that’s our date night. Yours may vary.)  If you think you’ve seen something like that, I bet your knitter would like a shawl pin.  There’s beautiful ones here at Schoolhouse Press.

Day Two: Scroll down on that page from Schoolhouse Press.  There’s a sterling silver ball of yarn pendant.  That’s nice.  Classy too.  (I know. You don’t think that knitting related jewelry can be classy, but I bet you don’t think that "regular people" decorate with yarn year round either, do ya?  Well, they do. Click on the link.)

Day Three: I think most knitters would like these beautiful knit-themed cards from Tilly Flop.  My favourite is "Keep calm and Cast on" but there’s a lot there to love.  "K2tog" for a wedding card? That would be charming, wouldn’t it?  "inc1" to be the card at the baby shower of another knitter?   If I was your knitter I would think those were pretty slick.

227 thoughts on “Should have seen that coming

  1. Now you have almost three whole balls to make something else! Sounds like the knitting fates are on your side, giving you a perfect excuse to buy stash that has a “purpose” instead of just being pretty. Lucky!

  2. YEAH, SECOND!!! Steph, you know that if you post the dye lot number, someone will have the yarn and come to your rescue. That’s what community is about and lord knows you’ve done enough for us.

  3. You’re doing exactly what I would do. It’s all about the spit splicing, and I think you’ll find your 11.4 metres (.4 metres at a time, of course…)
    See you in the new year!

  4. You’re doing exactly what I would do. It’s all about the spit splicing, and I think you’ll find your 11.4 metres (.4 metres at a time, of course…)
    See you in the new year!

  5. I call bullshit. At this moment slavering fans are enlarging the original picture to try to see the dye lot so that they can crawl to Canada over broken glass to offer it up. Just make a second addendum with the dye lot number and allow someone to acquire merit.

  6. Yep, I’ve been there…I feel a little better (or worse) knowing that this also happens to more experienced knitters. Better to not be the only one, but worse because no matter how long I knit, I will still be prone to doing this again…sigh. I agree with your solution too. Somewhere in that 800 meters, you are bound to find 11.4 meters that match your scarf, which is gorgeous by the way and worth the hunt for the yarn to finish it off.
    Now the big question…Whatya gonna do with the other 788.6 meters of leftover yarn?

  7. On the second ball back, in the picture, the greenish color looks like it would go with what you’ve already knit. Good luck in getting your last swirl on.
    I was going to say that I don’t mind getting non-knitting-related gifts, but some of those shawl pins you linked to are really stunning. I couldn’t ask for one in good conscience, though, until I find the shawl pins I bought myself already.

  8. Is it terrible that I am giggling myself silly over your cosmic knitting pain? No, not really over the pain itself–for that I weep with you–but over the way you’ve described it. If you write your disasters funny, babe, I’m gonna laugh. Totally not my fault.
    (And how did you know about that book on snails I got last year? Thanks for the links. Am forwarding them to hubby even as we speak.)

  9. Did you search on Ravelry for the dye lot? I did when I ran out of yarn this summer and a lovely person sent hers to me.

  10. Hey Steph, knit the final swirl in a totally different colourway, like one of the feature colours in the yarn that you did use, make it a point of conversation. I mean if it’s going to stick out like a sore thumb then you might as well embrace it.
    Regards,
    kat

  11. Sorry about the shawl/conundrum… it’s still very pretty. And love the gift giving ideas… all wonderful. Good luck with the 11.4m.

  12. Ah,yes.Gotta love the Knitting Fates.That one ball on the top picture on the top right closest to the scarf looks as though it has the most potential for a colour match(or at least not too much of a clash,anyway.)I think dye lots are a yarn company’s way of being lazy so they don’t have to keep track of the exact colour recipes…

  13. I still have your 2004 list bookmarked. It’s handy for all kinds of gift-giving occassions. : )

  14. Man… that stinks… i don’t want to be you when it comes time to wind through all those balls. It’s a beautiful scarf though.
    For you consideration for knitting gifts….I make knitting jewellry (and dye yarn and make stitch markers) you can see them here
    http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=28545259
    and here
    http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?ref=vl_other_2&listing_id=28544845
    and here
    http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=30351804
    and here
    http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=29175830
    My shop is Wandering Cat Yarns, and you can see it all at http://www.wanderingcatyarns.etsy.com.
    I would be very honoured if you included me in your gift posts.
    Thank you!

  15. Okay I see an opportunity here to get to know your fan base. Tell us the color and dyelot and don’t you know someone will have it and trade with you. You could also check on Ravelry and see who has what, or even ask. Simple. Easy even. This can be done! This is easy the yarn at least is still out there, it isn’t like this is discontinued.

  16. It does look pretty though and it will be worth all the messing around to have it finished in all its not-shrieking-pinkness. The reason I had an odd ball stash of impressive proportions is that I always bought an extra ball (sometimes two) just in case I came up short. It took a whole year of knitting hats and scarves to reduce it to a sensible size.
    I still buy the extra ball, just in case.

  17. Here’s one for you: What do you say to a muggle who asks “Why are you knitting for a knitter?”

  18. Somewhere in this list will there be tape measures and needle sizers? I could happily unwrap those every year because no matter how many I have I can never find one in an emergency.

  19. Joyce R@4:01 — You set your jaw and say grimly “She’s probably not knitting for her self, either.”

  20. I’d find the closest color combination and knit two, put one on each end to balance the difference. That is such a lovely scarf. Looks like it was planned that way. 🙂 GL

  21. I’d find the closest color combination and knit two, put one on each end to balance the difference. That is such a lovely scarf. Looks like it was planned that way. 🙂 GL

  22. I’m with the “post-the-lot-#” group. If I had it I’d send it! This is what we addicted (to your blog) are willing to do for a fix and a thank you!
    Go for it!

  23. How about posting the color number and dye lot? There’s an awful lot of us out here – I’m sure someone would love to give you a hand with your dilemma. Then you won’t have to try to find something almost-matching.

  24. I once needed an extra skein of yarn, and my LYS, where I bought the first TWO, had the same “colorway” in stock. When I arrived to pick it up, the only way what I had resembled what they had, was that they were both wool. NONE of the colors in the two skeins matched, or were even close. It was an indy dyer, and I felt that she should have named the yarn something else if it turned out so very different. Weird.

  25. Why not knit several swirls of a solid, and then do the same on the other end – create a “border” look without having to go all the way around.

  26. “I have 800 metres. 11.4 of them have to match.”
    Oh, Stephanie…. The Fates are not nice when you tempt them like that.

  27. I’m glad I’m not the only one the Knitting Fates get to sometimes. I’m sure you’ll find either enough in the extra yarn you bought, or some kind knitter will be happy to send you yarn that matches. I love the colours in the scarf. Not so much the brighter version of the yarn. 🙂
    So if the Fates have struck you now, will there be a grace period before they land again!? HOpe so!

  28. Yes, do tell the dye lot and I’ll check my stash for 12 meters for you.
    You forgot the all important gift card to yarn shop. While not a true gift in my mother’s eyes, it is one size fits all.

  29. If the splicing turns into a nightmare, could you move that final pink swirl..the one that is currently asymmetrical in the photo, up an to the right, where the missing swirl is? Then then ends would fit together like a puzzle (I think, my spatial reasoning may be waaaay off here)

  30. Am I the only one who sees the irony of this happening on the Very Next Post after the perfectly matching socks? I just couldn’t resist! Thanks for a great blog – I enjoy reading it very much!!

  31. I don’t suppose you have lot 010? I did a yarn search on Ravelry and there’s a nice lady in the US with a ball that she’s selling for $5. It doesn’t look like your new balls. Maybe one of the other people, there’s 4 pages of people with this particular color, might be willing to help you out. Most people have two, might be able to do a trade if they happen to have your dye lot?
    You’re the Yarn Harlot, they’ve be thrilled to death to help you out. 🙂

  32. I am making the Hidden Squares shawl. I have tons (ok, a couple of pounds) of the yarn. Tell us color and dyelot and I’ll check my stash also.

  33. This is why I have come to detest hand-dyed yarn, because no 2 skeins are the same, even when they look the same as skeins. I have made the swirl scarf, and for me, the 3 across was a bit wide. I think if I did one again, I would go 2 wide and longer. I’d love to help, but all I have left is part of a pink/gold colorway. I’m also very glad my LYS offered a class on this scarf, and they suggested 3 skeins from the get-go. Good luck!

  34. Please, please post the dye lot and color number!! You’re going to end up with a pile of it, but we want to help… I’ve got about 8 balls of it to make the same scarf!

  35. Not that I didn’t adore you already but your Yoda comment puts my adoration over the top. Thanks for the smile.

  36. My favorite thing that you posted on your blog the was toll free hotline to help non knitter to buy us knitters gifts. That was great.

  37. Well…you do know that that yarn makes absolutely yummy socks don’t you? I knit up a pair in it and loved it so much I went ahead and got the shawl pattern and yarn (the swirls). Haven’t knit THAT yet though!

  38. Others already suggested, what I wanted to say. search/ post on Ravelry for the dyelot, or post the color and the lot here… I bet there will be someone who has 12 meters or more of it.
    Even I have a ball (though probably there will be someone else much closer to you…), I got as a present, and I am still thinking really hard what to do with one ball.It was a special present, part of a “yarn therapy”, so I really have to find the right project. Any suggestion?

  39. That yarn is really lovely held together with a plain or heathered yarn. I’m doing a wrap with that yarn [are we not supposed to say what it is?] and some DK weight heathered coordinating yarn and the gentle color changes are stunning, like watercolors. Plus that way you can use bigger needles.

  40. Seriously, give Ravelry a try. It’s saved me more times than I care to admit. One thing I’ve learned about fiber folks – they will bail you out of a fiber bind without any hesitation (and sometimes they’ll even do it for free!).

  41. Screw it . . . send me the scarf . . . I don’t care if it is one spiral off . . . I probably am too!
    I would do what you are going to do too. Actually, the knitting weirdness happened the minute you posted your perfect socks.

  42. I don’t have any of the yarn (and haven’t bought the pattern yet) but I’m with other commenters. Post the colorway and the dye lot and ask for 11.4m. If you can’t find it, no one can…

  43. I would like someone to give me the knitter’s basket from Heifer International. Or a share of it. What could be better than providing someone with fiber-producing animals? Especially when I have so much yarn myself?
    That, and the new interchangeable needle set from Webs. I’m not completely selfless.

  44. This wouldn’t be knitting from the near famous List of Christmas Knitting to Get Done By Christmas that you usually hand over to someone to chart and plan and sweat over, is it? Do tell! We may not have your dye lot, but are always happy to cheer you on.

  45. And, by the way….knitpicks now has a wish list option, so you could just send yer shoppers there!!

  46. Thank you for posting that link to the shawl pins! Since my sister makes jewelry, all I have to do is send her a link to this hilarious post I saw about being 11.4 meters* short of yarn.
    I’m with Rams, and everyone else: I know that you regard this as a challenge to your knitterly ingenuity, and I’m totally sure you could do it, but just post the dye lot and make another scarf/shawl with your four new balls.
    (Someone in my knitting group ran out of Kureyon (I think — some Noro yarn anyhow) three feet, yes, less than one meter*, short of a shawl. She needed a particular shade of green, and I just happened to have some roving that color, and a trusty spinning wheel. I felt extremely clever and resourceful. Surely you wouldn’t deprive some knitter of that feeling?)
    *Yes, I know we spell it differently. At least I’m making an effort to think in meters.

  47. I’ve got tons of this yarn in lots of different lot numbers (I like it a lot, so I pick some up everytime I see it!). Tell us the lot number and we’ll look for you!

  48. Last week’s Really Warm Hat. I didn’t have size 15s so I used my 13s and cast on a few extra stitches. I was short about 3 yards of finishing. I was able to get the same dye lot but not until after I frogged it. >:/

  49. Steph, I love your blog. You’ve been making me smile for over a year (k2tog for a wedding? don’t tempt me) and even better it’s my birthday today. I have done not an inch of xmas shopping (I don’t knit to deadlines – bad bad idea for me) but right now I’m happy. Have a great day everyone!

  50. I just knew you should not tempt the fates with your blogging about exactly matching socks. You were asking to be gobsmacked with something like this. Seriously, let us know what the color number and dye lot are and I’ll check my stash.

  51. The fates give you one thing and take another away. It’s a trade. They gave you a pair of perfect socks. And now the yarny matchingness for the swirl scarf is out in left field. It’s a small price to pay. 🙂

  52. Here I was, thinking, Oh, just do the last swirl in some complementary/contrasting color and it’ll be done. Last thing I would have thought of (okay, I *never* would have thought of it if you hadn’t mentioned it) would be to go through 800m to find a fitting section. Which is why I bow to your yarn harlotry. Or your crazy.

  53. Or gosh, maybe someone out there in the mighty blogosphere has another ball of the yarn you need? It could happen!

  54. “which means that the knitting fates are up there laughing so hard that one of them has had to get a drink of water to stop the hiccups.”
    What an image! I laughed out loud. Good job only the dogs are in the house and they don’t seem to mind me being weird.
    Thanks for brightening my day!

  55. The new yarn would make a great addition to your stash. Personally I would make the last swirl in an unexpected color, something that would still go with the rest of the colors (kinda like the Amish and their quilts). Its quirky and would be unique. Or your own suggestion (sounds a bit tortuous though).

  56. Um – I have 13 balls in that colorway at the shop. I’m told they are of an autumnal tone (I am home). I say gift the 3 newbies to someone, go work on other holiday knitting and let’s see if the balls I send you (cuz I think I know how to do that) are a closer match. Worst case is they aren’t.

  57. OK Stephanie–You posted this entry at 3:32 p.m. by my computer. In the less than two hours since then twenty gazillion people (give or take a few) have offered to check their stashes and find you a matching ball. Surely you won’t deprive The Blog of the entertainment of this unexpected plotline? C’mon, tell us the dye lot!
    (I also just found someone on Rav to sell me the two balls I needed to finish a scarf from yarn I’d bought a year before out of a sale bin. She’d bought hers remaindered too–thought she’d need two extra balls, went back for more, then didn’t use them. 3,000 miles away, same dye lot! She was a peach about it and my scarf came out great.)

  58. I have a similar scarf conundrum, but with a discontinued yarn. I found one place online to buy it–10 skeins at a time–that’s a lot of scarf. Saw one person who had it on Ravelry, but she didn’t want to part with it. So, what do I do–knit a WHOLE BUNCH of stuff with my 10 skeins of yarn (only one of which I actually need) or call it a cowl and bind off so I can get it out of my in progress basket???? I started knitting because people say it’s relaxing……liars.

  59. Great ideas. If you want to give your non-knitter friends even more help in picking out your knitting gift, they have started a “Wish List” at the Yarnery in St.Paul, MN. You can fill it out in excrutiating detail (think of a wedding registry from Target) over what yarn or books or whatever you want and then it goes on file for walk-in, phone, or online orders. Cool!

  60. I am working on the shawl version (if you call having it stuffed in a closet about 1/3 done “working”) and my dye lot might just match your dye lot. If you are so inclined why don’t you post or email me or something, and I have no problem sending you 11.4 m. of yarn if what I have matches what you need. Of course if I’m 11.4 m. short when I do get around to finishing this puppy, that would just suck, but it would be my own fault!

  61. Oy. The only thing I can think is to undo the last few spirals (or last row), splice the yarn back together, and try it on a smaller needle. The difference in gauge would be minimal, but might be enough to reproduce 12 meters or yarn, and you might be able to block out the difference in size. But still, splicing a bunch of 12-meter-long pieces of string? That’s gonna hurt.
    I suppose you could also use a skein of a completely different yarn and have one single rust-colored (for example) spiral, that way it looks a little more deliberate. (Or crazypants.)

  62. Dude, unpick that one copper swirl sticking out on the one end; then you’ll have a staggered but gradual end that looks like it was done on purpose; done!

  63. I can’t wait for you to share your dye lot # and see how many metres are available for your fans to offer you!

  64. What about looking over every inch of that yarn for a passable piece for the last spiral? The way the colors morph from one to the other, you just might find what you need. In the second picture, part of one skein looks rather violet-ish, and that section of it might work. Other than that, is there something in one of those skeins that you could tea-dye? What a dilemma!!!
    For Christmas gifts, houseonethehill.net offers cookie molds of people spinning. I saw one somewhere that had a knitter. (I am interested in cookie molds this year).
    Good luck!!

  65. I stand corrected. The skein with violet has a beige-ey color that might work. Do not despair!

  66. What is going on with your Christmas knitting? You’ve been rather quiet about it this year.

  67. I feel your pain. I just had to order a whole new ball of malabrigo worsted to finish a hat. I probably used about 12m. The hat was supposed to help me DE-STASH. Now I have the hat in time for the recipients birthday, but my stash is technically only 12m down.

  68. Question: will there be any unisex/male gifts in the Listings? I am quite sure my siblings are wondering what to get me.

  69. When you were writing that post a couple of days ago about the perfect self-striping socks, did you have the niggling feeling that the Knitting Gods were just lying in wait to bite you in the butt? Well……here ya go!

  70. I have found JoJoland to be notoriously bad about their dye lots. Even when the #’s match, they can be totally off. Ask me about a pair of socks I knitted up to be in a competition that didn’t match at all. When I took the ball bands back to the store to show them, they argued with me that it was my fault. How?? I will not buy their yarn anymore but I have the swirl shawl pattern and loved making it. I have it thrown over the back of my couch and it looks so darned purty!!

  71. So wickedly delighted to learn that even a master (mistress? that doesn’t seem right…) knitter like you faces these cosmic conspiracies. By the time I realized I hadn’t bought enough yarn for my first sweater, the LYS didn’t carry it anymore, which would’ve been okay were I missing an arm and not needing that second sleeve.
    Ordered extra from a NY store, paid almost equal amounts for yarn and shipping…and ran out AGAIN. Ordered a second time and finally got the damn thing made with a little left over for felted coasters. But your story makes me laugh, whereas mine…not yet.

  72. Why don’t you make the last swirl in a complementary solid color? Then send it to me. I would be proud to wear such a scarf.
    (rubs her hands together as her evil plan starts falling into place.)

  73. I’m sure this has been mentioned, but their are hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of us knitters who think very highly of you and would be more than willing to root through our stashes looking to see if we have 11.4m of the correct color and dye lot. All you need to do is mention what is the color and exact dye lot needed. Help will be forth coming as fast as the post and possibly the border can get it to you.
    Also thank you for doing the Christmas list again.

  74. what’s the dye lot? One of us out here in reader-land could have it and may be willing to send it to you.

  75. Stephanie, I have that yarn, leftover from a pair of socks. I just looked for the ball band- no longer with us I’m afraid, but sent on to re-cycling heaven at least. You are most welcome to the leftover if you want me to send it on. The socks are on ravelry-annaed-Christa Tees Walkers, if you want to check the colours.

  76. Isn’t there ANYONE on Ravelry who can spare you a bit of the matching yarn? I bet you can find what you are looking for…

  77. Stephanie….really. I have done this “OMG I have run out of yarn and there is no more in the universe” many times. Knit the last spiral out of a same-weight yarn that is a compatible but obviously different color, and sew a lovely charm or attach a pin or a beautiful vintage button in the center of that non-matching spiral. It’s sort of a thumb-your-nose “I MEANT to do that” thing. Maybe someone’s already suggested it….

  78. This happened to me recently. Searched for the yarn on Ravelry, then I looked through every person’s stash to see if someone had the matching dye lot. As luck would have it, a very nice knitter agreed to sell me what I needed. Happy ending. 🙂

  79. Post the Color and Dye Lot – there might be one of us out there that have the color on hand. Also, Ravelry has yarn trading – might check there.

  80. Here’s the deal about this yarn (I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the swirl shawl since two Stitches Wests ago. Nope, it’s not done. . .), many balls IN THE SAME DYE LOT do not resemble each other! It took a long time to find five which were in the same neighborhood. Gotta love the colors, though.
    You are already doing what I would have suggested, so you are ahead of me.
    I’m finding the shawl very frustrating. Going around in circles more than 60 times has me very bored and ready to do something else, and each circle takes me about an hour. I’m not even sure I like the final project now. Of course, I haven’t finished or blocked it, so it might be better once that is done. I wish the yarn store at Stitches had displayed the scarf instead of the shawl. I’d be done now and using it.

  81. Can you create a “design element” by knitting on the top and bottom? Adding the same amount of swirls at the beginning and end? Just a thought.

  82. My first thought was to do just what you’re doing. It’s the old appearance-in-ball vs. appearance-in-skein/fabric conundrum. I expect you should be able to find a workable length without trouble.

  83. I hope you’ve already sent the call out on the dye lot. If not, I hope you’ve managed to cobble together something useful from what you have. (Though I agree most with those who say let that one swirl be different. Think of the Persian rug makers who intentionally put mistakes in their work, showing that they are not perfect. That’s how I make myself feel better when I have ‘irregularities’, anyway!)

  84. You must have worn the knitting fates out with all that sock luck. They had to get back at you somehow.
    One suggestion – is it at all possible, with holding threads and so on, to select one swirl in the *middle* of the scarf, say dead centre or wherever else seems appropriate, and winkle that swirl out of the scarf, and then knit a new swirl out of your new batch of yarn and put it in that spot, and then use the yarn from the swirl you took out to finish off the scarf? Just a suggestion.
    I’m thinking that if the contrasting yarn is dead centre it will look like a deliberate decoration. And it will fall at the back of your neck, so who’s to see?

  85. I started a similar project with what looks like identical yarn almost a year ago. It’s the “shawl” version of this scarf and I can send you a ball if it matches: JoJoland’s Melody, Color #MS27, Dye Lot 001.
    I finished about 2 “rows” but the project’s been in Knit Jail for nearly a year so I’m not worried about ever finishing it. LOL. ( Plus I dramatically over-buy yarn. )

  86. Someone else has probably mentioned this by now, but I’m not scrolling through the comments.
    Post the original dye lot – here or on ravelry. Knitters are a kind bunch, and someone will send you more so you don’t have to finish with the non-matching dye lot.

  87. If by chance you don’t find some of the correct dye lot from someone on the innerwebs, you could overdye some of the bright yarn with tea, coffee, or even (gasp) real acid dye to tone it down to go with the original color. It might be faster than international mail.
    Beautiful scarf, and thanks for the gift suggestions!

  88. Thanks for the info….I really like that ball of yarn pendant. Wonder if I sent the link to my hubby if he would get the point? 😉

  89. Thank-you for the gifts for knitters. I am usually the last to know about anything. I like to look at what everybody else has already figured out.

  90. Do you have the color # and dyelot? I work in a yarn shop and maybe we have it there? I can check if you let me know.

  91. Could feel that thing in the stomach, trying to figure out the fix. Been there, done that. I’m sure I’ll go there again and again…
    Good thing you are clever! That would have gone into time-out for about two years.
    Here’s the good part: you get to knit it again, with plenty of matching yarn and then you can give the fates a raspberry and a “what do you think about them apples?” Okay, not in a way that they do it to you again, but in that way that you are on to them and appreciate their 11.4 metre wittiness.

  92. What about folding those last two swirls on the end back up onto their friends right above them? Then add a button or a shawl pin and make that doubled area a feature? No one else will know, really, unless you tell them. You might just start a fad.
    Namaste,

  93. I haven’t read through all the comments, but have you thought of searching for your particular dye lot on Ravelry? That has worked for me in the past. Who wouldn’t share 1 ball of yarn with the Yarn Harlot?

  94. Yarn harlot, I am disappointed. You just knitted a precisely matched pair of socks and told the world about it complete with pictures. Did you really think that the knitting gods would just let that go? They cannot let people start thinking that that really happens. They had to do something to bring you down a peg. Besides I agree someone is going to come up with the yarn for you to finish the scarf and a beautiful one it is.

  95. Oh come on Harlot! I’ve read about your steeking abilities among others…isn’t there ANY way to lop off those two on the end and cauterize? I believe in you!

  96. See, I’m thinking it’s a variegated yarn. Sure, the dyelots are different, the colours look different, but all the colours look different! How about you go through the new ball to find a bit that looks close enough? Surely you can find 12 metres in that whole ball that don’t completely jar with the colours you already have.

  97. Or, you know, knit a whole bunch of swirls with that one ball and pick the one that matches the best (not saying that’s what I’d do, but… well it might be)

  98. All of this happened because you went on about the socks so fervently. It was bad karms, I think.

  99. What I always do when that type of thing happens—and judging from my knitting skills compared to your knitting skills, trust me, this happens a lot more to me than it does you—I just chalk it up to that thing about rug-weavers and “Only Allah is perfect.” I’m not Muslim, but the theory translates well enough to Kansas. It’s like a little bite of humble pie every time I look at my knitting. Good for the soul.

  100. When I ran out of yarn for my Malabrigo Sock Ishbel, I went to the Malabrigo Junkies group on Ravelry and Kelly saved my project! She sent me her leftovers and it was just enough to finish. I’m thinking you’ve earned a ton of good knitting karma, and either Ravelry or your readers will be able to bail you out. Do it!

  101. If posting the dye lot doesn’t work (and I’m sure it will), you can always check Ravelry to see if anyone has some they’re destashing.

  102. Many good suggestions about the scarf…it will work out. How’s the hole in the basement? Gone, I hope!

  103. So, I’m not sure what this says about me, but if I just needed one more swirl, my first instinct would be to use a similar yarn in a completely, obviously and utterly different (but coordinating) color and then call it “a design element”. Were I feeling particularly ambitious, I might rip back three or four swirls to insert the distinctly different color between another couple of swirls (so it’s not the last one in the corner), finishing up with the original yarn that I ripped. But maybe that’s just me. Whatever you do, I’m sure it will be great.

  104. Is there any chance it might all blend together if you washed the scarf and the new ball of yarn together?

  105. “Britney Spears in a bikini at a bake off.”
    snort… as an Australian who sees the Britz exclusively photographed in ‘wardrobe identity crisis’ moments, I’m willing to bet she wouldn’t stick out that much. cos, like, no-one would expect anything else, would they??
    and yes, post the dye lot. that way you can not only finish the scarf ‘pure’, but no doubt get so much more of the original wonderful wool you can add it to your stash with not a single pang of guilt, cos it’s GIFTS. just sayin…

  106. My Suggestion: I’m going by your photo here, as I don’t have the pattern. If you were to undo the final swirl in the middle row of the unfinished end, and reknit it on one of the outside rows of the other end, then both ends would be the same.

  107. Can’t top Rams (honestly, who’d try?) but I just have to say how very entertaining today’s post was. The only possible way it could get better would be if you discovered that your matchy socks were, in fact, not matchy by a few rows. Although it would be highly, highly entertaining to see you go completely berserk, I wouldn’t wish it on Joe or the girls. Carry on, and do not inspect the socks.

  108. The Christmas ideas are the best!!! I am absolutely in LOVE with the ball of yarn necklace!!!

  109. This has already been suggested but dude, offer up the dye lot. I’m sure it would just make someone’s day to rescue you from the Knitting Fates.

  110. yes, do post the dyelot, on your blog or ravelry, and someone will come to the rescue.
    I got a mailing from Doctors Without Borders asking for money today, and I thought to myself, “I will give when the knit lady says to give, and you will learn the power of knitters.” Is it that time? Are you orchestrating another incredible deluge of goodheartedness this year?

  111. Gadzooks, woman! Get on Ravelry and find that dye lot!
    I bought some yarn in England. I was sitting with my sister on a country bench, showing her the yarn and knitting. We leave one skein on the bench, drive a hundred miles and I later fly home to North America one skein short.
    I go on Ravelry and look up the yarn. Someone in Massachussetts has the right dyelot “for sale or trade.” I send her a postal money order and a week later I have my yarn. Bingo.

  112. I’m sure you already thought of this, but just in case you didn’t: did you check Ravelry for the yarn you’re using to see if anyone has the dyelot you need? It’s worth a shot.

  113. For God’s sake. POST THE DYE LOT. Your friends will help you. I would except, I don”t think I have the same colorway for jojoland that you are knitting. But how would I know unless you tell us?

  114. We’re expecting a baby within the next three weeks – I now desperately want to have baby cards that say “inc1”. I wonder if my husband would go for it? (insert hysterical laughter here) 😉 Sorry to hear about the swirl scarf and that ridiculous dye lot you received. I too wouldn’t have thought it was possible for them to be THAT different.

  115. We’re expecting a baby within the next three weeks – I now desperately want to have baby cards that say “inc1”. I wonder if my husband would go for it? (insert hysterical laughter here) 😉 Sorry to hear about the swirl scarf and that ridiculous dye lot you received. I too wouldn’t have thought it was possible for them to be THAT different.

  116. Let’s see…you need a certain dyelot of a certain popular yarn. Perhaps you should use your popular blog to POST THE DYELOT, TYPE AND COLOR, and let us take care of you…
    I enjoy the blog, and gosh, I along with a few other readers must have some of that Noro in our stash.

  117. Stephanie, we have lots of that yarn at our shop – http://www.agoodyarnshop.com – send me an email with your original dye lot number and I’ll see if we have a match. We’ve had loads of knitters make that scarf, and I’ve ordered several times, so chances are I’ve got a few dye lots to choose from.

  118. C’mon Steph….RAVELRY! I bet you can get your 12m of the right dye lot there! Either someone will have a ball of yarn to sell you, or a partial ball, of the right dye lot! That yarn swap place works great…it has saved many a knitters….um….well, anyway, it works!

  119. There there. Before you haul off and frog the shiny, I suggest 2 things. First – Ravelry. Trust me, someone has the right dye lot. They’ll even be willing to give it to you….possibly for suitable gratitude on your part, but I’m guessing it’d be in the mail double pronto.
    Second, and I hesitate to point this out…sweetie, you have about a bazillion readers. Cast yourself on their mercies and I’m betting one of them would find it, if not in their stash then in the corner of a yarn shop, be thrilled to death to send it to you and chortle in triumph at their ability to help the Harlot and dis the knitting gods.
    And better you than me. My mojo has completely left me and I have a deadline on a sewing project of Monday. I used up all my mojo on a Thanksgiving deadline and now I’m mojo-less. If I had the yarn, I’d send it to you just to make me feel like someone in this world could do something constructive with it, since I sure as heck can’t at the moment.

  120. Your scarf reminds me of the children’s book about the rainbow fish. In the end the rainbow fish only had one of his pretty jeweled scales left, but it was even more special because it was the only one left after he had given away all his other ones to his fish friends. My two cents? Knit the last swirl with something pretty (and preferably shiny!) and let it be your jeweled scale. Then get on with the Christmas knitting, because sharing your knitting with others is what’s really more important to you.
    ….And then tell the knitting fates where to shove it.
    (Man, I hope you’ve seen the book because this analogy probably sounds completely silly otherwise.)

  121. I think the yarn fates are just made about the perfect socks…
    …I mean, how much utter perfection were you expecting in one two week span?

  122. The first commenter sounds like a smarty. You could always send them a ball of something in return – signed…and then they’ll keep in on their mantel always, like people with their signed baseballs do.

  123. I’ve got it! (someone may have mentioned this already, though, in which case I won’t feel as clever or handy) Get on ravelry and see who has this yarn in their stash. Send a PM to someone who does, and see if they have the same dye lot. If so, ask if they’d be willing to either a) sell you a ball, or, if they’ve used the yarn already for a finished project, b) sell (for a reduced price) their leftovers.
    I’ve had to do this with *two* projects now, and in both cases people were kind enough to sell me leftovers for really cheap and it was fabulous and I felt very connected to the knitterly community and finally admitted that ravelry might be more than just a time suck. It’s good for what ails ya!
    Good luck!

  124. DO post the dye lot! Someone out there is bound to have an odd skein that they have no idea what to do with, and would be happy to send it to you. People do that on Ravelry all the time.
    And YAY for The Loopy Ewe! They are one of my favorite places to order from – so fast, and so accommodating.
    FWIW, this is why I have never bought that particular yarn – the colors look like they vary wayyyyy too much for my comfort zone.

  125. Why don’t you just post something in a Ravelry forum and see if anyone has the 12 meters in your dye lot. Surely someone somewhere has some left over.

  126. I would cut off the extra swirls and then use a crochet hook to bind of the newly livend up stitches. I have no idea how this would work in real life as I’ve not seen the scarf in person. IN my head it works well. 🙂

  127. First, I frogged my entire February Lady Sweater with just a few rows to go because I ran out of yarn and the skein I bought months later didn’t even come close to matching. I feel your pain.
    Second, I’m so happy to see the gift suggestion list. I just mentioned (quite loudly) to my husband that you were doing it again this year, but he didn’t even react. I see a toaster in my future (sob).

  128. If everyone who had a near match of 12 metres or so sent you one, I bet you could make quite a few swirl scarves. Wouldn’t that be fun!

  129. There has to be someone out there with a ball of the same yarn in the same dyelot – Jojoland Melody is everywhere! Hopefully the fates will make it up to you and said ball will already reside in Canada.

  130. That’s the exact same shade of hot pink that my shag rug was when I was twelve too!!!
    And good luck with your search for the perfect 11.4 meters — that’s what I’d end up doing as well. Maybe you could knit a second swirl scarf for someone who still has a hot pink shag rug with the remaining yarn!

  131. Remember the Princess Di jumper featuring one black sheep? This is no error of judgement, it’s a design feature.

  132. If that’s JoJoland Melody, I think I have some laying around in stash that looks quite similar to your nearly-done swirls scarf. Let me know the yarn/dyelot and I’ll be happy to check.

  133. Cheers, Stephanie, and I hope you craft a solution to your problem from the many excellent suggestions. Let me note for the record, though, that apparently Jojoland assigns lot no. 001 to all of their colors and batches, so lot no. isn’t going to help you. Someone correct me if I’m wrong, but I went through a search online for the non-superwash version of two colors of Melody (numbered yxx rather than msxx) and ended up finding enough for two shawls from three suppliers from different parts of the country, including Loopy Ewe. All of the skeins of both colorways had the dye lot 001.
    I think Jojoland just doesn’t try to achieve consistency and so they’ve (perversely) refused to assign dye lot nos. either. Although I must say my skeins look similar enough, though I haven’t knit them up yet. I’ve seen bins of most of the Jojoland yarns and they don’t look like the same colorway, even if they arrived in the same bag from the manufacturer. An LYS owner explained that the skeins look different depending on what shades end up on the outside.
    That’s the news from Lake Wobegon, where all the women are strong, all the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average.

  134. Oh Stephanie, I do love your blog so! It’s so nice of you to share your knitting catastrophes and make those of us who are average knitters feel better. (Which most of the time means that I’m a low level intermediate knitter when things are going well, an advanced beginner when things are a bit dicey, or a total novice when things go to crap and I’m living most of my knitting life in the Frog Pond!) I’ve seen you in action and know that as far as knitting goes, you have me beat all to crap. In the knitting world I’m barely worthy of winding your skeins of yarn into a ball. Sigh. But that’s ok since you are more than happy to let us know that sometimes even you get the knitting crap beat out of you. As I read today’s post, in between the laughter and giggles, I kept thinking that you should just post the color and dye lot, and I’m sure that someone would share with you so you could finish your scarf the way you’d like to. Your friends at Lettuce Knit would give it to you if they had it, so just think of us as your giant knitting group and let us help. Think of it as a big Thank You for making us all feel better about our knitting and it would be a lot easier than doing all that splicing!

  135. I hope you can find the 11.4 meters that you need. Why do I have a bad feeling about this?
    Phone call/e-mail the vendor asking about another ball of the dye lot you have? I know, you’d have to pay international shipping on it, but at this point…

  136. Post your dyelot and color on your blog and in Ravelry = there is a knitter out there with 12 (well 11.4) m extra for you.

  137. Ah…the knitting gods giveth and they taketh away.
    Is this the price you pay for the perfectly matching socks?

  138. Stephanie – your plan to find the best 12 meters is the best. Jojoland is very bad at matching with in dye lots and if you post the dye lot, you may be inundated with lots of mismatched yarn. Your idea is the actually the least frustrating solution.
    (and yes, I understand that “adjusting” the swirls is NOT an option).

  139. That looks exactly like the yarn I have for my scarf and I bought enough to do the shawl and only made the scarf. Post the dye lot and color number and if it matches, I’ll send you a skein.

  140. Memo to self: Do NOT tempt the knitting fates. They strike quickly when irked, prodded, insulted, ignored, or otherwise dissed.
    Good luck with the solution to your dilemma. The most frustrating thing has to be that just a tiny tug here and there throughout the knitting of all the swirls probably would have given you the yarn you need.

  141. I am just thankful that you wrote “Should have” as opposed to “should of”….this second option is becoming frighteningly popular among my (well-educated) friends and frankly, I want to scream “THAT’S WRONG!” all the time…

  142. I made the same shawl and have a little yarn left over — I’m pretty sure it’s the same. If you want it, it’s yours. I’m radioselma on Ravelry, if you want to go see the pic.

  143. Tough question. I think I would 1) order a couple more balls of yarn giving you enough to knit the shawl. 2)Knit the last hexagon with the yarn as is….make it your ‘featured’ signature. Go out with a bang.
    But I would bet money someone has your dyelot for a project that wouldn’t be impacted by the sharing of 12m (or even a ball).

  144. My condolences on the scarf problem. You’re right, though. There must be a small amt of yarn that will match in the new yarn. Good thing you bought more.
    As for Christmas gifting, I got smart this year. My son and his wonderful girlfriend have given me three beautiful snow globes from Disney store for the last three occasions (Christmas, Mother’s Day, birthday). They are beautiful. I love them. The problem? I had to seriously do some organizing to find a place to display them in my tiny house. So for this Christmas, I sent my son the link to my Knit Picks wish list. Done. He thanked me and said, “That’s awesome!”. I sent my hubby the link for some spinning related gifts.
    I should have done this YEARS ago!

  145. Now see — that’s the difference between us. (OY VEY!! believe me when I say there are others!) I’m one of the shawl knitters, and often use things like Homespun, so no worries especially about dye lots. (My Lovely Daughter figured that one out: three skeins make a nice shawl, four make a spectacular one. Twelve…if you begin decreasing after six…makes a grand and comfy throw). HOWEVER! You’d think I’d know by NOW to swallow my tea before reading — the image of ME wearing a shawl over…nothing….thank Joe for me. I was with the knitting gods- getting a drink of water for hiccups. (And I’d be amazed if you didn’t find a deluge on Rav.)

  146. Ouch. If it wasn’t such a unique colorway, I would just pick a yarn that matched my favorite color in the pattern and knit my last swirl out of that. It’s just a different brand of obstinance.

  147. Yes I too have had issues with a swirl scarf may I suggest making it unsymmetrical and the bottom…. You can add swirls on either side. It still has a nice geomteric look but zig zags and balances color…. Mine was a noro incident…

  148. Stephanie, I’m up there with your other fans. POST the dye lot (unless you have tossed to the ball band). This is the time to take advantage of your knitting community. All those people who have knit the swirl scarf on Ravelry. SOMEONE has to have 12m left over from the same dye lot. Good luck and try to be patient and not pick through your yarns cuz you want to finish NOW until you give us a chance to send you what you need.

  149. Um – I have that yarn. In the autumnal colors you are speaking of. Cranberry red and olive green… If you like, email me your dye lot and we will see if it is a match and I’ll send it to you.

  150. I have 2 balls of different dye lots in my home. They look suspiciously similar to your colorway. If either match up they are yours! I can understand how you may be nervous about posting the dye lot. I can envision your home filled to the brim with this yarn sent by helpful knitters. However, you could always insulate the basement with it.

  151. I was afraid that the answer was the start the scarf over with the 3 new skeins of yarn. 🙂
    I hate to ask, but I don’t think I’ve seen mention of “the schedule” yet. Are you working on Christmas knitting?

  152. You do realize that the scarf-issue very well may be retribution for the perfectly-matched socks from your previous post…
    Hope you find the right yarn to match, one way or another.

  153. Really good gift ideas!
    I’m sorry about your scarf… I’m sure you’ll be able to find some matching yarn in all those balls, though!
    🙂

  154. You know – enough people read you, and love your writing, that if you requested, politely, 12 meters of the original dyelot, someone would have it and send it to you. And they would be pleased to do it too. It is a form of giving back that we don’t get to do for you very often.
    Go on, ask! I’ll bet you another three balls of the same yarn that you get at least three responses.

  155. Sometimes, if you contact the yarn company, they can tell you what stores received a particular dye lot, and then you can contact THOSE stores and see if they have any left.

  156. A hot pink shag carpet when you were twelve? It makes me nostalgic somehow.
    And those shawl pins are great.

  157. Had exactly same issue with aforementioned yarn,although I purchased enough I didn’t check the die lot numbers and neither did the clerk. After hours of searching all over the net my LYS got in contact with the yarn representative and she sent the LYS the correct colors. Mine were way different the second ball introduced a totally new color. Now from the picture I think I may haves some of that color. Two balls that I haven’t
    used and would be happy to sell you one if that is the case. go to galndog at ravelry and pm me if that would help.

  158. The scarf looks perfect just the way it is now. Don’t waste time trying to match yarn for another swirl. Wrap it up. Don’t look back.

  159. I think I have a ball of your scarf yarn at home in my stash. I bought it at Madrona Fiber last year. I am at work, no way to check from here, but will check tonight and email you. If I have it and I think I do, it’s yours. If you like you can email at my home email: chloe@roadsendllamas.com

  160. I think I have a ball of your scarf yarn at home in my stash. I bought it at Madrona Fiber last year. I am at work, no way to check from here, but will check tonight and email you. If I have it and I think I do, it’s yours. If you like you can email at my home email: chloe@roadsendllamas.com

  161. 11.4? 11.4?!? WOW. Teehee. I’m sorry, I’m not laughing at you, but I’m laughing because I’ve been there, done that. I know how it feels. It sucks, but without that missing 11.4m you wouldn’t have had this story to tell. 🙂

  162. Just wondering if you try overdyeing a few meters of yarn to see if you could get something closer to what you need?

  163. You do realize that this is cosmic payback for the perfectly matching Fortissima (?) socks of your previous post. I do feel for you, though.

  164. Oh, thankyou for the TillyFlop URL! I saw people who’d bought her cards at the I Knit Weekender in London in September, but never seemed to find the stand which was selling them…

  165. probably pay-back for those perfect socks…. – oops. I see others are thinking the same thing 🙂

  166. If I mention that those shawl pins and silver yarn balls are from Romi at Designsbyromi.com, and that you can get them rather cheaper from the source, is that helpful or bad form? They are very nice, and she has further patterns one might like.

  167. I was going to say what Wendy said above. And Rosemary (Romi) is in my knit group so of course I’m going to plug her stuff.
    And she has more options on her web site than what I could find on the Schoolhouse Press site.

  168. Nope, no luck at Purlescence. (I’m picturing you relieved, given you’ve been inundated with offers. But then we knitters do that for each other whenever we know we can.)

  169. I’m new to visiting this blog (and to knitting), and I loved this post. I loved the bit about the scarf, and I loved the gift suggestions. Thanks so much!

  170. I’m new to visiting this blog (and to knitting), and I loved this post. I loved the bit about the scarf, and I loved the gift suggestions. Thanks so much!

  171. I agree with Rams. Post the dyelot # and you’ll have more than enough yarn arriving at your house to make everyone a spiral scarf!!

  172. I agree with Kat. Knit it in the alternate colorway. The Amish have a wonderful custom of incorporating a ‘mistake’ in their quilts to remind them (and us) that only God is perfect. This is a very handy tool one can use in quilts and knitting.

  173. Wait, couldn’t you just lightly tea-stain the replacement yarn to encourage it to be less screaming neon pink? I’m mean, it might be worth testing a tiny bit…

  174. This is similar to my longies tale of woe. Beautiful handpainted yarn purchased at the same time–all part of the same batch. But the skeins are just different enough that when I cast on ball #2 halfway through the second leg? It’s obvious. Glaring. This is why they tell you to alternate. Oh well.

  175. Hey, this isn’t a problem! The photo that shows both ends of the scarf with the kind-of-a hole meant for the missing swirl – totally not noticeable! I actually liked the asymmetry when I saw the photo and before I read that it wasn’t meant to be that way. Embrace the asymmetry and uniqueness and just call it finished!

  176. “This is Yoda’s scarf. There is only do or do not. There is no try.”
    Hysterically funny.
    The fates can only be so generous – you did get perfect socks earlier this week/month if I recall correctly.
    Surely though, there has to be enough in those 800m to finsh one swirl. Surely.

  177. the new yarn would probably blend better if you tea dyed it to mute the colors a little, not the pink part, but the rest of it is reasonably close.

  178. Hi Steph, I check in everyday. Since the hexes are knitted
    outside-in, I think you could safely unpick the last 2 on the left for symmetry, declare victory and move on to the next projects. Cheers and apologies if this has already been suggested!

  179. Call me crazy, but I would unpick the first swirl or two (or which ever ones on the other end that would work). I’d just unpick the yarn out of the stitches that the next one had been joined into, and put those now live sts onto a holder, and then cast them off. Or, use a crochet hook, and feed the first over the second so they interlock and then you need just a tiny bit of yarn to secure the last loop.

  180. “There is only do or do not. There is no try.”
    A little late here but this was the high point of my week..thanks for the laugh. Tears are actually rolling down my face..LOL
    I guess tossing the matching socks to the knitting fates would be too much of a sacrifice?

  181. A hot pink shag carpet when you were twelve? It makes me nostalgic somehow.
    And those shawl pins are great.

  182. Stop! Don’t rip that baby out. Knit the last swirl in a solid colour, then either embroider a wee deco or sew on a bone button. Your scarf will not be wrong; it will be unique.
    Forgive me if someone else has already suggested this.

  183. Thanks for the gift-suggestions list. Not only is Christmas coming, but I have a Significant Birthday (=ends in 0) coming up!
    Will there be a new daily calendar for 2010? I have so enjoyed this year’s; I can truthfully claim that I NEVER peeked ahead. I use it for your content, not for the actual date, so if there’s not a new one I can just keep reusing 2009. (Oh, if life were only that simple….)

  184. I checked mine but actually it turns out I have a totally different colorway. Seriously, though, post the dye lot…one of your readers is bound to have some. Or you could check Ravelry to see if anyone has some up for grabs!
    Good luck!
    – Heather

  185. I did a quick but non-comprehensive scroll to see if anyone had already said this – I don’t think so. Those shawl pins and pendant from Schoolhouse look like they are Rosemary Hill’s designs, from her site: designsbyromi.com – even the pictures look the same. As far as I could see she is not given credit on the Schoolhouse site, so I thought I’d mention. They really are gorgeous!

  186. Very nice piece and you make us show very good wool work and I like it for making a sweeter. As nowadays fashion of wearing sweeter has became popular than jacket… I like your creation..

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