So, here’s the thing. Bolstered by my wild success with Megan’s sweater, the fact that Samantha wanted a vest seemed like a walk in the park. I should have known that something was up when we entered intense negotiations about the type, size and colour of the vest, but really, all that got sorted. We had a three hour Ravelry marathon a while ago where we looked at a million vests, and narrowed it down to about eight patterns. Sam had comments about each of those patterns like "Like that one, but longer, and with pockets, and Mum, add those argyle cables, but remember it should be baggy, because the eighties are back and don’t make a face like that – they’re back in a good way" and then, right then when I thought there was no possible way I could make the kid happy without contacting the costume designer for Duran Duran videos – whammo – she found it. It’s the Flourish vest. (It doesn’t have pockets, which is a point of possible flaw, but I’m still figuring that out. I’ve decided to move forward as thought an almost eighteen year old wouldn’t choose to lie to me when she said it didn’t matter.) Next point of negotiation was colour. (She knew she wanted wool, so we got to skip that, heavens be praised.) The colour question got solved when Sam said she wanted the colour to be "Blue, or grey, or Jeans colour… or black" and the next thing I knew, Tina had sent me three skeins of Gaea in a colourway that was exactly that. 
Pattern and yarn established, I swatched, got gauge, and started in, only to admit that I am, and have been from the moment I started this a few days ago, completely and totally dogged by the certainty that there is no way on earth that I have enough yarn.
This, by the way, is crazy. The pattern calls for five balls of Rowan Pure Wool Aran, which is 850 metres of yarn, and I have three skeins of Gaea, which is 834 meters, and I understand that 834 is 16 less than 850, which could be why I’m worried about not having enough, but here’s the thing. When was the last time that you finished something, and it took all of the last ball? It doesn’t. There’s always leftovers, maybe a few metres, but usually more. I’ve had a couple of super close calls, but really, what are the odds that when the designer says that a pattern takes five balls of yarn, that she means that she used exactly all of five balls? Plus – two of the sizes on the pattern take five balls, which means that there has to be some play in there, and every ounce of experience I have says that there is a better than excellent likelihood that this vest will use 16m less than it says it does. I’m betting, based on years and years and years of knitting, that one of two things happened – that the designer had at least 16m of yarn leftover when she was finished knitting, or that the yarn amounts are padded on the pattern because it makes people crazy insane lunatics when they run out of yarn, so most of the time, the yarn amounts on a pattern are generous, and both these things mean that I am fine. This is what my experience tells me. 
That said, my intuition, my knitterly spider sense is tingling, and all it says is "You fool. You don’t have enough yarn and you know it. Stop now, before your error is public" but I have kept knitting, because I believe in the power of mathematics and experience over "feelings" and later – when this turns out exactly the way we all know it’s going to, and I get my arse kicked all the way up knitterdom and down the other side, you can all bloody well remind me that I shouldn’t be surprised, shocked or hurt, because I thought from the start that there wasn’t enough yarn, and there won’t be, and I know that… and I’m knitting anyway.
(PS. This vest has a buttonband and armhole edging worked at the end that could be in another dye lot of this yarn if things do get ugly. This is probably making me bold)
(PPS. It turns out that when Sam said "Argyle cables" she meant diamond-ish shaped ones. It’s not a real knitting term, so don’t worry if you haven’t heard it, and for the love of all things woolly, don’t repeat it at the yarn shop.)
Very nice vest your daughter picked out. I vote that you will be fine with your yardage. Look forward to seeing the finished vest on Sam.
Intuition doesn’t always ring true – bought two extra skeins of lovely Aran on a recent trip to Ireland, knit the very complicated cardigan, and ran out just before the pocket and button bands. Went back to said Ireland, searched for a matching yarn, found none, and am still looking here in the states. But you’ll be fine, since dyelots on blues are easier to disguise than cream/white. Keep writing – love your blogs!!
oooh, that pattern is in my queue… can’t wait to see how it turns out and to see if / when you do any mods and how you do them. Also, whether the yarn quantity holds up. Sending you good knitter vibes that you have enough.
That is a nice pattern and I suspect it will get the YH “bump” as soon as you finish it… I may make it for my own daughter, aged 22….. I am now on my third peurperium cardi, inspired by Stephanie’s— making one on consignment for barter with a friend, others have gone to charity-
Happy 2012 everyone….
I do love the color. And vests are one of my favorite pieces of clothing to add warmth–they allow my arms more freedom than a sweater and keep my body core warmer.
But you have THREE skeins and the pattern calls for FIVE skeins, so it’s not 16 meters, it’s more like 1700 meters, or am I just tired?
I’m also in the you’ve got enough camp … but will be checking back to see 🙂
So you’re saying I should quash my plan to turn some of those diagonals on a traditional argyle into cables? Because I think the idea has potential. Potential to drive the knitter right over the edge of sanity and down a nice long fall into the depths of the crazy sea, but potential none the less.
I think you will have enough yarn for sure, I am also sending you good knitterly thoughts for good measure just in case! 🙂
Also sending you good vibes! You can do it!! Also great pattern and after you make I will probably have to too!
You should be fine for wool but I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you just in case!!
I’m in a similar state of denial with a pair of Splitbark Mittens for my daughter. I knit one from yarn of which I have plenty but felt it didn’t have enough character to show off this wonderful pattern. So I started another pair from a skein of ancient, discontinued, but loaded-with-character yarn. We are intrepid; we carry on.
That’s my kind of blue. What’s the colorway?
Ummmm…about the yarn quantity: I made the ‘Silken Scabard’ from Stitch Diva for my dd for Christmas. I thought I’d ordered plenty of yarn (Elann Sonata Soft). I had gauge. I had to add 8 rows to the bodice, but that was it. Sleeve length (my dd likes ’em *long*) was, in the end, fine just as the pattern read. But…after finishing the sleeves (this is a top-down pattern, no seams)…I had to order an extra ball, and even then ended with a narrower ribbing at the bottom just so I could cast off. The collar (a stand-up) has live sts that have to be cast off after the garment is finished — and I ended up casting off 1/2 of them with the pitiful string I’d had left — and half of them with DMC cotton embroidery floss in the closest colour I had! So…
Get Tina to send you another ball!!
And…umm….”Flourish” is lovely — but it’s not in the least “baggy”. Has your daughter decided the ’80s weren’t ‘where it’s at’ after all?
I find that if you can knit fast enough, you can generally get it finished before the yarn runs out – so at your lightning speed, you shouldn’t have a problem at all! (please don’t point out the lack of logic in my beliefs, if I stopped praying to the wooly powers that be I wouldn’t get anything finished!)
If I were knitting for a teenage female recipient (particularly a daughter) the last thing I’d be worrying about was having enough yarn — there are a thousand other perfectly good reasons why she won’t be happy with it in the end. But good luck!
I’m so glad you included that 2nd PPS – I was already googling it before I finished reading. 🙂
I wonder how it is that I have the pattern for that vest (or the magazine anyway) and I never noticed it before. I think it’s really funny sometimes how we don’t notice a pattern on the initial viewing but then see it finished and fall in love only to realize we’ve had it all along. It’s like the Ruby Slipper effect for knitting.
Also I love the yarn color; it’s gorgeous.
I’m with Leta. If you had five skeins each short by 16 I would agree you are safe. But you appear to be short both two skeins and 16×3 that you do have. Although over 4200 for a vest seems a lot even for a long vest. Good thing you know the yarn purveyor so well and she indubitably has your back, especially since it is not a vintage color/dye lot.
When the hell did the eighties come back? I love the color but am still disturbed by that whole eighties mess.
Pockets inserted in the side seams? Dye lot of your choice… ;^)
Your negotiation with Sam is one of the reasons why I don’t really offer that as an option for my family. It might be bad to do that with somebody who at least has familiarity with knitting, but doing it with somebody who knows nothing about knitting…
Just say that my last project involved more socks than a person should get for a single holiday. Whew!
Good luck! Knitting by request is *so* hard.
I am correcting myself as I went back and looked at Gaea yardage at BMFA. You are talking *total* yardage of 834 versus 850. You are way safe.
I’m making a hat with “argyle” cables on it. It’s the perfect description. Mine has diamond shaped cables with seed stitch filling them in. I love them, and I’m trying to find more things to put them on.
Im going for it. I think you’ll be fine. The fronts are going to take up a lot less yarn than the back and that looks like what you did first. If you insert pockets, they don’t have to be the same color, right? right?
Cheers!
PS – can’t wait to see the KWB total.
Trying knitting VERY slowly. It makes the wool last longer. 😉
Totally got the “Argyle Cables” thing.
The other dye lot could go for pocket linings too.
I’m with you all the way; you absolutely should be fine!
Looking forward to seeing how it all works out.
Thank GOODNESS about the argyle cables. I was getting ready to write an email to Casey and Jess at Ravelry about how we need a new pattern attribute tag. But the idea does sound intriguing.
I’m sending skein lengthening thoughts your way.
Has anyone else on Rav knit it up in the same size? That’s where I usually head when I get yardage nerves – it’s often a good sanity check!
I can’t tell you how distressed I am to learn that the 80s are back. Do we have confirmation on this awful news?
Ay ay ay.
Apparently we’re on the same brain wave. When you said she asked for “Argyle Cables,” I knew exactly what she meant…
It the 80s were really back, Sam never would have agreed to real wool. I love the vest, never heard of argyle cables before, but now I know exactly what they are! I’m betting you’ll have enough yarn. (I’m really hoping you do!)
I design patterns for my shop. Since I am an American and so are most of my customers, this is what I do: I work out the amount of yarn needed in YARDAGE as I construct the design. Then, when I actually write the pattern, I round the yardage UP by 20 yards to allow for loose knitters, and put THAT number in METERS. I don’t CONVERT it to meters. For example, if I actually USED use 430 YARDS of yarn for the prototype, I will round it up to 450 yards, and then call for 450 METERS in the pattern. Many yarn companies list their content on the label in meters anyway. This way the person who uses my pattern is virtually guaranteed NOT to run out of yarn. I have never had a complaint.
I also put the yarn weight, i.e., : “450 meters — x ounces or y grams of sock yarn.”
I don’t know if other independent designers do this, but I think everyone should.
I do know that pattern-writers for yarn companies have the objective to sell more of their employers’ yarn, so if it’s a photo-finish with four balls of yarn, they’ll tell you to buy five balls and not four.
I knew what you meant too, about the argyle cables. Although I was thinking like those diamond ones on the must-have cardigan. These are more swirly somehow. And yes, I agree with your logic – you’ll be fine. Unless she wants it longer than the pattern or something…
I do not have knitter’s denial. And, if anyone says I do I will deny it.
Happy New Year!
Probably not your situation due to the cables, but – human hands always get more rows to the inch than a knitting machine and so many models are machine-knit.
This may or may not help, but I just happened to see this vest, which could help with comparisons for amount of yarn required, do you think?
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwbis11/PATTfirelight.php
I wish, wish, wish, i could have heard you read the justification of yardage because I know I would have been even better aloud. Fingers crossed.
Leta is my leader. You’re screwed. Three is not four, which is what your poor, frazzled, screaming subconscious is trying to communicate to you, jumping up and down on your fictitious math.
I assume you started rippng before you ever saw this.
Hmmm, when you said Sam wanted argyle cables, I understood what she meant. I’m not sure what this means other than I, too, have survived being a parent to a teen who always knew exactly what she wanted.
Um, I’m not a math whiz by any stretch of the imagination but THREE balls does not equal FIVE balls. So you have a bigger problem than 48 meters of yarn by my calculations. I would get on the phone to Tina and see if she could rustle me up a couple of balls of yarn.
Sam pick out a nice pattern that will look very good on her and I love the color of the yarn.
Oh, I am in the same place with a vest. I never know if that little voice is right or if it is just anxiety because I love the yarn so much that I fear that there is no way I will achieve the happiness the vest will give me.
Ignore the clothes – “Hungry Like a Wolf” still rules.
You could put the cutest afterthought pockets in the bottom circle type bits formed by the cables.
You know, with all that extra yarn your knitterly spidey sense says you’ll have… Hmmm…
Good luck!
Please tell me that you’ve got a typo in your post & that it’s 3 yards of Rowan that it takes, not 5! That’s over 4000 yards to a vest, which doesn’t make sense, either!
I must be getting old . . . the 80’s might be back, but they will NEVER be good . . . and the Flourish Vest is anything but 80’s. 80’s required bagginess on a grand scale. ;o) And skinny jeans. And keds.
Fair warning if you ever knit a Romi Hill design (all of which I adore); she frequently uses EVERY.LAST.INCH.
Gorgeous pattern and yarn combination. Crossing my fingers that you have enough yarn.
I went shopping with my mom, lifted a sweater off the rack, and said “I thought I’d go to the grave without ever seeing one of these batwing sweaters again.” I’m with Sam on the eighties.
As for the yarn, I would call Tina right away and beg. Then, if you have extra yarn, you can make her a hat (or, if she objects on the ground of “matchy, matchy,” you can give the hat to Amanda!)
About the pockets… since it’s seamed, could you cut fabric pockets, like a lining, and sew them into the side seams on each side?
It would eliminates the worry of having to use up yarn on them, and having been there in a “oh the pockets don’t matter” sort of way … yes they do. I’m seriously considering unpicking the side seams on a recently completed, much-loved, and yet mostly unworn cardigan because of it. 🙁
But then there was the time I had to break into a $40 skein because I needed 16 meters MORE to finish.
I’m feeling the same type of pressure as I take on the unwieldy challenge that is my stash. This year my goal is to knit only from my stash for as long as possible, which will mean lots of dithering on whether or not I have enough yarn to finish my projects and some heavy risk-taking behaviors.
I know this goes against your very grain as a knitter/yarn hoarder, but would you be interested in joining in my stash-busting challenge? : ) I’d be thrilled!!!!
Here’s more info on the challenge:
http://www.creatingafamilyhome.com/2012/01/its-official-2012-knitting-crafting.html
I was in the same camp as Leta and Rams (ie, you’ve either got a typo or your massively screwed by being 2 skeins short) when I realized that you were actually stating that the original calls for 5 balls TOTALLING 850m, while you have 3 balls with a total length of 834m.
Cute vest! I don’t recall anything like that in the 80s, though.
You’re not telling us the colorway because you’re afraid we’ll all go buy ever last meter from Tina, right? And you won’t be able to buy an additional skein if you need it.
Meanie.
;o)
That vest has been in my queue forever. I’m going to watch you finish it first before I try it though. You know, in case things don’t work out 🙂
Of course I’ll ‘bloody well remind you.’ Carry on.
Oh dear God… don’t do it…. don’t do it…. this seems like a giant, flashing neon sign to the knitting fates with the words, “SMITE ME! I DARE YOU!” on it. >.<”
I hate that feeling that I might not have enough yarn. Which is probably why I always order way more than I need and as a consequence have a bazillion leftovers skeins in my closet.
Love the vest choice! I know how hard it is to get it “just right” for older daughters! I have two that I cautiously knit for.
Ololol~
When I read “Argyle Cables” and didn’t recognize it, I totally and completely spent almost an hour on Google frantically searching for the definition. Colourwork cables? Diamond shaped cables? Argyle WITH CABLES ADDED IN???
Then I come back here, defeated, knowing in my heart of hearts that the gloriousness that is Argyle Cables (so important to knitterdom it is obviously a proper noun) shall be unknown to me until you post pictures of this strange and obscure (and probably Newfoundland-born, knowing them) knitting phenomena.
Then I get to the end of the post and see that it’s a term that doesn’t exist after all! 😀
*facepalm*
Good luck on the vest, by the by. I’m always one to trust my gut, and if your gut says “don’t do it” well…Eh, maybe it’s a fluke and the math is right after all. Maybe.
(Also, WTF at everyone spazzing because your total yardage was accomplished with two balls less than the original yarn’s total yardage? It’s meters that matter, not balls!)
Well I knew right away what you meant – I mean really, Rowan packing a skein of ANYTHING in a single 850 metre bundle??? And in an aran weight each skein would need it’s own bag. Heck we could never sneak that into the house. Presb, Rams, Leta, I know you had her back, but you probably sent her into full panic!
I’m all about being optimistic on yardage, but gut feelings have an unfortunate way of being right, and they tell the little voice that exists only to say, I told you so… You have 3 balls of yarn instead of the 5, but the yardage between the 3 balls and the 5 balls is extremely close, Good Luck!
I just got Connie Chang Chincio’s new book, Textured Stitches, and she has at least two patterns with what she calls argyle cables. I hadn’t heard it before, either.
Knit faster. That way you finish before you run out of yarn. Hey, it’s (almost) always worked for me!
You were talking about electronic scales the other day. This is the sort of moment when they save the day. I’m working on a vest too and after weighing the yarn yesterday with the back a third done, went from, no way to wow do I have more than I need. Phew!
Good luck!
it looks like DNA!!!!! fun!!!
We haven’t reached the sweater stage by a long chalk, but my 16 year-old has not only been wearing his birthday hat every day, but has requested another – strike!
I hate to be the Voice of Gloom, but when I clicked on that gorgeous yarn I read that it’s sent from Argentina to Germany and then back to the USofA. I must confess that’s really dampened my enthusiasm, but I’d never thought much about the carbon footprint of yarn before…
I am not a knitter and I must be missing something really important but if the pattern calls for 5 balls at 850 meters each (4250 total meters) and YOU have 3 balls at 834 each (2502 meters total) it seems to me you only have about half what you need. I sure hope there is a typo somewhere so you get to finish the vest witout the front being a completely differnt yarn!
Oh, dear. 5 x 850 = 4250 3 x 834 = 2502. That’s a BIG discrepancy. Call/search/beg for more yarn…fast.
I know from experience that the instinct that you don’t have enough yarn will be false more often than not: I recently made an EZ Hybrid sweater for my dad, and had to estimate the amount of yarn I needed based off of other people who’ve knit it (which wasn’t much help because I was doing it in sport and almost everyone does these things in worsted) and the amount of yarn I’ve used for past sweaters on him. I’ve always had several balls of leftovers for his sweaters, so I tried to cut them down as much as possible. My instincts were SCREAMING at me that I didn’t have enough yarn, when I pressed the “order” button, when I got all the yarn, and while I was knitting it. You know what? I still had two extra, UNTOUCHED 50g balls. You’ll be fine.
You could make someone’s day, and PM one of the people on Rav who made this vest, in the size you are doing, and ask them how much yarn they used!
I can’t wait to have these type of collaborations with my daughter. She is 2 and decided this morning that she should wear the bright pink shirt with the sky blue Like Sleeves tunic that I knit to be more of a dress than a tunic would be a smashing combo (I was encouraging her to choose the grey t shirt but I am learning, girls don’t listen especially to their mums). The ensemble completed with hello kitty socks and blue leggings.
I’d probably sneak the pockets right into the middle of those big ol’ spaces at the bottom of the cables. Just because it’d be different. Of course, I have small hands, so they wouldn’t be just decorative….
I bet you could make pockets in the loopy space between the two cables…
Wow that looks like a lovely yarn. Hope you have enough!
I just knit a cowl for my cousin that required a bulky yarn, but I ended up used a double strand of worsted weight instead. I used my ball winder to coordinate the two balls into one, and discovered that I had good 10m extra on one of the balls! I’m sure that you’ll be good to go with the vest!
Happy Knitting! 🙂
VERY PRETTY pattern and I love the color of the yarn.
Also, if, should the knitting fates be cruel and you end up without enough yarn, you could use a different dye lot and call it a “design feature” (as I refer to all “mistakes” in knitting… there’s no such thing, they’re just “design features” to make each pattern that knitters own.)
This will be an awesome vest! Great color. This cable shouldn’t take up too much yarn, no? I’m not a very good judge because I don’t have enough yarn for my featherweight cardigan that is more than halfway done. Ugh! Fingers crossed you have enough yarn for the vest. 😉
How can I find the pattern for the Scandinavian baby bonnet referenced in ‘Secret Life of a Knitter?’
Thanks!
I thought Collen’s suggestion of checking on Rav had some merit, so out of curiosity, I took a look at the completed projects and here’s what I found:
2 projects made 32″ size- one reported using 552 yards(?!), the other 728 yards
2 projects made 36″ size- both used 740 yards
1 project made 40″ size- used 880 yards
1 made ‘a bit bigger than smallest size’ used 726 yards
1 of unknown size that used 849.7 yards (but added cables to the back)
1 ‘medium’ size that reported 948 yards (which is a bit over the 930 yard mark- 930 yards=850 meters- (but it looks like hers was made long, too).
The sense of the meeting is that most people are using less than 800 yards (or less than 732 meters). That suggests unless you’re knitting a really large size, you’re probably fine.
Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead, no guts, no glory!!
“You fool! You don’t have enough yarn, and you know it!!!!!” (emphasis mine) Save yourself, NOW!
You should be fine — but I hope you have enough for the pockets! LOL
That yarn is scrumptious, lovely, gorgeous, fantastic, I need some…………… now………..
Not to jinx you or anything, but – I once started a project for which I had lots of yarn. The pattern said 8 balls and I had 10. Gosh darn it how could I go wrong? I started knitting and I thought the first ball of yarn went awfully fast. Surely I wasn’t 1/8 of the way through the pattern yet. But I let my brain overrule my gut and I continued. I knitted and knitted and those balls sure got used up fast and the next thing you know there were no more balls in my little bag. @&$*#! I said. Those darned designers – they should be sued! I put it aside, knowing that (1) even though I shouldn’t have, I had run out of yarn, and (2) I couldn’t get any more.
Some weeks later a tiny little thought sneaked up out of the bottom of my brain, and I checked the ball bands. Yep, those were 25 gram balls, and I had been thinking they were 50 and all through all that knitting I hadn’t thought to check.
So: are you *sure* the weight you have is the same weight you need? Does it seem like a reasonable weight of yarn for what you’re knitting? If so, you can reflect that designers *really* don’t want to be sued (or even dissed online by irritated knitters) and you’ve probably got more than enough yarn.
By the way – your spidey-senses are probably tingling because you’re used to knitting sweaters, and this is a vest.
I would hold Samantha to the ‘no pockets’ thing, because I would not be able to figure out where to put them. The cabling goes down the sides of the front, so there is no place for pockets.
If you are a little short on yarn, shorten the vest in general. It seems kind of long for a vest, anyway.
First work one side of the front. it should take about 1/4 of the total yarn weight. Weigh that piece. If it weighs too much to allow for the other 3/4, work the other parts making them shorter. Another option is to just see how many skeins that front took. Weighing may not be necessary. It is not to horrific to rework that first side to shorten it later.
Or, you can check to see if you can get another skein of the yarn from your friend, but ask NOW, while she still has it.
I started Flourish back in June. All of the pieces are sitting in my knitting corner begging to be sewn together. I hate sewing!
Good luck, Stephanie!
I am the person who DID run out of yarn during the 1st “Knitting Olympics,” due to a combination of trying to believe I had enough and a serious miscommunication with the yarn shop owner in another town who, when I called her to get more of the yarn, 1st of all didn’t understand the Knitting Olympics AT ALL (should’ve been my 1st clue), plus she ignored my clear statement about the yarn color number and sent me the color she thought I wanted, which was SO wrong.
Deep breath. You’d think I’d be over it by now, but clearly I have issues. 🙂
May your knitting lengths (heh, heh) be better than mine were back then!
Gaea!! I made mittens for my daughter in Gaea for Christmas, and I’ve promised her a headband too. I love this yarn! It’s airy but thick and warm. Soft and squishy, fluffy and luxurious… I want to bathe in it.
Someone mentioned it already, but I second putting afterthought pockets would work a treat. I also think they’d look pretty awesome in the large cable on the bottom. (Plus, afterthought pockets would be suitable for another dyelot as well.)
I love your blog!!
Faced with this dilemma, i recommend figuring out square inches on the pieces and constantly weighing yarn to drive yourself fully nutso.
…Steph! Say it with me..”I don’t have enought yarn, I don’t have enought yarn”. STEPH! I really think you should not jump off that cliff….AGAIN!
You would probably get a lot of anxiety relief if you go read the remarks on the Rav project gallery of completed projects for this vest. I second those who pointed out that whether or not you have enough yarn really depends on what size you are making here. Do yourself a favor, go read. Then you can knit on in peace. Good luck with that. Apparently, there is a lot of “at the same time-ness” in this pattern. I’m mid-knit on something similar and am not knitting like someone with 40 years of experience at it, due to the aforesaid “at the same time-ness” in my pattern, too. I just keep thinking how warm I will be wearing my lovely cabled sweater – under my straight jacket.
I’m with Leta. See if you can get an extra ball just for peace of mind. I also like Marilyn’s suggestions.
I have also been searching for a great vest pattern on Ravelry and elsewhere. Thanks for the link to this pattern!
I lived my entire teens in the 80s, and I don’t remember seeing this sweater. Which, in my mind, is A GOOD OMEN.
The 5 skeins recommended would likely allow for mittens, hat, scarf, or a felted bag, but where would the excitement be if you knew you had enough wool? In any case, enjoy the knitting!
I’m confused how 3 slightly smaller skeins would be enough to knit a garmet that calls for 5 slightly larger balls. ??? Typo I hope.
Love the yarn. It should turn out beautiful and ” I’m sure ” ( she says with breath held) there’ll be enough yarn to complete the vest !
If the 80’s are back does that mean that I have to start making those ridiculous sweaters that fall off one shoulder and are big enough to put two Sam’s into?
Well, those huge sweaters were great to nurse the baby discreetly…
So, if I were designing a pattern, I would try to overestimate the yardage, just to be safe. But If I were Tina, I’d reserve a skein, just for you.
I love how the cables get smaller, and smaller, and the yarn is too beautiful.
I’m sure it will sell out fast.
I am so annoyed that the 80s are back. Who thinks it’s cute that when you raise your dolmen-sleeved arm, your belly shows? Gag me.
Can’t wait to see the results of your math magic.
Okay, but now I actually want “argyle cables.” There must be a way.. (I really like that yarn too – it’ll be a beautiful vest, and you’ll totally have enough yarn.)
*fingers crossed for you*
It’s a great pattern–I hope all goes well!
Oh my glob!!!! Have any of you “math whizzes” EVER EVEN KNIT A SWEATER BEFORE?!?!?! You could cover a damn Volkswagon with over 4000 yds. of yarn!!! Unless Steph is knitting with thread, she’s talking about TOTAL yardage, one happens to be in 5 balls, the other in 3! Get a grip, people!
Now Steph, my words of wisdom to you on the matter are this: Knit fast! You’ll finish faster, and you won’t run out of yarn. Everybody knows that!
One more correction of myself. You are talking meters, not yards. So, total meters of 834, versus 850. You are way safe.
(What is the metric equivalent of “yardage” ? “meterage” ? “Total meterage” doesn’t sound like a real expression. Inquiring minds want to know. … Or to be closer to the 80s “things that make you say hmmmmm”)
If you really want to get nuts, read all the different advice in the comments.
I bet that since Tina reads your blog and is such a good person she’s. Already sent you an extra skein.
I, too, think you’ll have enough yarn. You may need to block the living daylights out of the vest, and sew the buttons on with scrap yarn that matches the color of the buttons (so it isn’t too obvious), but I think you’ll have enough of the main color. Just enough to make Sam a lovely midriff-baring vest. 😉
I do hope you cleared the yarn color with her after swatching. Denim-ish colors can be so difficult to get right. One person’s perfect shade of faded Levis is often another’s garish nightmare. Just sayin’.
And, cause I’m not on Twhatter — Yes, the cat IS cold. And she’s phoned the local humane society to report you. And she’s contacted a lawyer to divorce you and sue you for damages. (And she’s every bit as lovely as her human “mom” and “sisters”!)
Hi, Stephanie,
So,… there are 2 possibilities, 1. You have enough yarn, no problem or 2. you run out. In which case you call Tina and see if she can round up another ball. Or maybe these button bands need to be contrasting, as in black. I really like contrasting button bands, but you’ll have to discuss it with your 18 year old. My grandson has a great green/blue and black pullover. It looks great on him and nobody knows I ran out of the green/blue.
Julie
Is it just me or would this vest be so bad-ass with a hood?? 🙂 can’t wait to see the finished product!!!
Oh my goodness. Stephanie I love you, and Sam, and Tina. I’ve been looking for something to knit my 18yo daughter. I showed her Flourish and she said “yes, yes, that’s really pretty. I would wear that”. Then I showed her the yarn on your blog and she said, “if it was in that colour.” so now my job is to source that yarn (we live in Australia) and knit it. Woohoo
The eighties are back? When did this happen? Was there a vote? is there something I need to do? I missed the whole thing.
The vest is fabulous…..
Get another skein of Gaea right away. It will give you psychological relief and you can use it for pockets. You’d have to match them up so the yarn colors fall in the same places and that means more yarn is needed. Can’t wait to see the finished vest!
I love the phrase “Argyle Cables” and now want them on everything!
May the blessing of all things good and knitterly be on you as you go forth into the black hole that is yardage +/-.
You could always tell her that for a truly 80’s look it needs to hang off the shoulder and be cropped along the belly button to show off your incredibly high waist-ed pants… but then again I was born in the 80’s so my memories are kind of wooly.
Other than that I think you’re luck will hold, the only large garment pattern I made had gauge smaller than called for so I adjusted some and then I had two whole balls leftover. The force is strong in you!
Lol… Argyle cables! I love it! It’s a great term and gives you an immediate clear picture!
And I think you’re fine. Your experience must be right. And if it’s not, then I don’t really think it could be considered your fault. I was just talking to my friend who publishes designs (not to drop names, but Yumiko Alexander, only because I don’t want you thinking I mean someone who doesn’t do it for a living) and she was saying that she used two entire skeins on a project and she was going to put a requirement of three skeins on her pattern just in case. I think most designers must do the same thing.
Anyway, I’m cheering for you to make it! ^_^
I had this exact same experience knitting Knitty’s “Morgan” for my 2nd daughter’s teacher this holiday season – pattern called for a 240yd ball of yarn, and the yarn my daughter wanted me to use came in balls of 220yds. I used the same reasoning you did, only I was more nervous because the very next size up (which didn’t require too much more knitting than the size I was doing) wanted *two* balls. My knitterly senses were also tingling the whole way through, but fortunately, there was a bit left over. Hopefully your experience here will be the same!
I know that you’re supposed to listen to your little inner voice but I would like to point out that during the ’80s, my little inner voice made a lot of really bad suggestions. Neon socks and high heeled pumps! Shoulder pads! Red Heart yarn! I think it may just be an ’80s thing and you’ll be fine.
I did a lovely sweater with 12 entire balls of beautiful (discontinued) yarn from my mother’s stash. I ran out right at the end of the front, back and both sleeves. Turns out the sweater looks just fine without the button bands and collar. Just saying.
I figure I’ll wait a month or so and see how many things are tagged “argyle cables” on ravelry …
interesting cable pattern. Tanis Fiber Arts just did a faux argyle pattern on socks. I think that is the ‘argyle’ pattern your Sam is thinking of.
I believe the yarn should be enough.
And for the pockets, maybe you could put semicircle-ish shaped ones in the lowest diamond shape? But that would take more yarn…
Want to feel much better?I just now figured out how to post a comment on your blog.I am a HUGE fan of yours!The biggest!now i can actually say it,being i finally figured out my own laptop.see?i knew you’d feel better.
You are an inspiration in knitting,motherhood and sisterhood.Thank you.
I think the pockets issue could be solved by extending the width of the purl between the last cable curve [ the bottom () on both fronts], and putting the pocket there, using the edges of the cable as a seaming guide and to frame the pocket.
It depends on how big she wants them; if nothing else, the cable can come together in the ribbing and still look quite nice, while adding even more depth to the possible pocket.
Knitting AND Duran Duran in the same post = Awesome!
For the math challenged – she’s talking about TOTAL yardage, not per ball yardage – so 5 balls at 170 yds per ball = 850 yards TOTAL, and 3 balls at 278 yards per ball = 834 yards TOTAL
really, when have you seen a ball of ARAN that is 850 yards long? It would be HUGE! (for example a 100g hank of laceweight is around 800 yards)
Crap! One more vest in my queue. I LOVE the Flourish!
OK. So if Tina sent you the vest yarn, just how long did it take to get from Scappoose to your house? Most of the time, from barn to Sudbury takes 21 days-I’m doomed. I’ve become philosophical about it(lol).
Cheers and red wine, Hazel.
I have 4!4 second sock syndrome lonely socks waiting for me to stop casting on yet another new yummy fber.I really need to stop avoiding this & just get them done.
It’s probably too late by now, but you could put pockets in the bottom cable diamonds – the semi-invisible way by casting off and casting back on, and then backing them with a square (or diamond) of knitting.
Years ago my daughter knit this lovely Celtic knot aran sweater. She spent hours and hours and hours on it (we estimate at least 300) then when she got to the neck we realized that there was not quite enough of the unique homedyed yarn to finish. Fortunately, she was able to use a contrasting color for the torque neck band and then finish the ribbing with the original color. However, I know that both of us spend the last days of her knitting that gorgeous sweater with that same sense of doom you have. I also know how hard it was to find a color that actually worked with our original home dyed one. Henceforward I dye way more yarn than I think a project could ever take. Of course that means that I end up with these random bits of yarn that I didn’t end up needing. Someday, I really must knit a scarf or something out of them… However, I definitely vote that you’ll make it work and that Samantha will have a gorgeous vest.