What October Means to Me

For many October means football, Halloween decorating, or Sunday drives to look at the falling leaves. Not for me. For me October means righteous self discipline and personal suffering. For years now, at least 8 of them, on October first I turn off the AC and I don't turn on the heat until November 1st. I do the same in April. Although in April I have been know to cave and turn on the AC as my birthday present to me. But not October. October I can hang tough.So why do I do this? I could say it's because I enjoy breathing the fresh air from the open windows I don't experience the rest of the year in a closed up house, because I do. I could say I'm saving the environment, because I am. But I do it for a different kind of savings. A more personal one. But not running the AC or the Heat I cut my electric bill by 80%. Do you know how much 80% is? That's two sweaters worth of yarn.
This year I bought my little Joey an electric heating pad. I am ready to take this as far as I can, to go as long as I can. We have wool. We are ready. We can take it.

I Haven't Given Up (although signs say I should)

I'm still knitting on the Blue Gansey although things are stacked against me and this knit. One ball finished the front and back yoke and a nice rolled collar. That left me with 2 balls of yarn. One for each sleeve. That actualy gave me hope since they are nice big balls. Each ball knitted 4 inches of the sweater body. That's a lot of sweater body but there is a lot of sleeve to knit too. Looking at it that way one ball of yarn a sleeve is very little.

So I started the first sleeve knowing it would be close, but feeling good about my chances of not having a short sleeved sweater. But this yarn wasn't done with me yet. The ball is moth eaten. 2 inches down the sleeve and I already have 6 joins.

And before I am judged for having moths I will admit in my early spinning days years and years ago I did have moths, twice. But I have learned. And this yarn went through a lot before entering my stash. A closing yarn store. A few attics before mine. I feel confident that the yarn wasn't damaged in my care. Still, I am not pleased to be knitting with weak and breaking yarn. I do believe I am knitting an overly large, short sleeved, weak and breaking sweater. I just can't stop even though I know I should. Go back and look at the charming pattern. I am in love with the pattern.

Or look at a nice well behaved knit instead. Oak Ribbed Socks by Nancy Bush knit in Koigu.

Mmmm Koigu.

Deja view

A new sweater.

A charming knit.

Nice smooth yarn with crisp stitch definition that almost knits its self.

Gauge is off half a stitch an inch.

The sweater is huge.

I'm running short of yarn.

7 balls should have knitted the whole thing. I just finished ball 7 and I still have half a yoke and 2 sleeves left.

I only have 3 balls of yarn left.

But I'm wearing a shirt. Any day with a top is a good day. Yes, I saw YH this week.

Time Out

I have split for the armholes and am knitting the back yoke. I have 3 balls left. Out of 10. Only 3. I still have 1/2 a back yoke, 2 front yokes, and 2 sleeves. I don't think it's going to be enough.

The pattern said I would need 7 balls for my size. My gauge is right but the sweater is looking too big. Probably where the extra yarn is going. I am torn between finishing the last 3 balls and seeing if a miracle happens or throwing the whole thing in the trash. Instead, I think it will go back into time out. It's time to cast on a nice well behaved sweater in easy to knit yarn.