Houston, We Have A Problem...

Progress on the circular blanket was going swimingly.  And, while knitting a 600 stitch row is the PITS and takes forever, it's an easy pattern and really I couldn't complain.  Yesterday I sat down and looked at where I was and decided I needed one more pattern repeat before I put in the border.

(Again I apologize because you can't tell progress here but WHOO BOY is there progress.)

I also, when deciding to do another repeat (1 less than the pattern calls for), determined that I would need to buy 2 more balls of yarn.  I bought this yarn fairly recently in March, shortly after I got home from Vogue Knitting in Seattle.  I bought it from the yarn shop mere short blocks from my house.  When I bought this yarn I specifically paid attention to the dye lot because I said to myself "if I need to buy more, I need to be sure there will be enough".  I bought an entire bag, and ensured there was about 5 or 6 balls of the same dye lot on the shelf.  I didn't think there would be a mad rush on the stuff.  I tell you about all of this trouble I went to, to give myself a buffer, because I went back to buy 2 more balls today and THE COLOR IS SOLD OUT.

I repeat.  THERE IS NO COLOR (never mind dye lots) LEFT.

This. Is. So. Bad.

Baby is due on May 15.  I really want to finish this project before the baby comes out. (For a friend, in case that sentence isn't clear...)  And so- I am humbly begging any of my CALGARY area readers (and hell- ANY OF MY READERS WHO LIVE IN A TOWN WITH A LOCAL YARN SHOP) help me get 2 more balls of this yarn!!!  In fact- to further incentivize you.... whomever helps me locate this yarn (preferably in the same dye-lot) I will knit you a pair of fancy pants mittens this summer.  You can pick the pattern/colors or leave any of those decisions to me.  Just help me finish this project.

Here is a pic of the ball band- GO FORTH AND HELP ME FIND IT.

(No need to check Pudding yarns, they are sadly sold out!)

I'm trying to stay positive that I can locate 2 more balls of this stuff- and look for a silver lining.  Silver lining is that I can no longer put off the mystery project for Stampede and I'm planning to cast it on this afternoon.  (yay- vague pictures coming!)  The thumb still isn't finalized completely, but I figured I'd start on the cuff since it usually acts like a guage swatch anyways and starting isn't a bad thing.

I do plan on searching Ravelry stashes (and god I know how some people hate that, but desperate times call for desperate measures) and seeing if any online retailers have the dye lot.  But if you find yourself in a yarn shop sometime in the next few days can you stop and check this for me?

I'm going to try and not freak out over this.  Really.  I am going to do it.  But I cannot promise I will succeed.

UPDATE!  
My delightful MiL immediately sprung into action and sent me a link to the Jimmy Beans Wool website that did carry the color.  A quick email inquiry (that was answered QUITE PROMPTLY, might I add), and they have the dye lot!!!  I. AM. SAVED!  I'm still on hold until the delivery shows up- I ordered  3 balls just to be safe.  I AM SO RELIEVED!

A Quickie

The problem with knitting a circular blanket is that it just gets bigger and bigger and bigger- so that eventually your circular needle stops showing off your progress and pictures of the project look the same over and over again.  I've made lots of progress- you just can't really tell.  Great project but makes for crappy blog fodder.

I'm on the final section of this blanket now and had a small mishap already.  The final section is a simple feather and fan pattern which is great, but also tedious because you're knitting like a million stitches.  (Well, close to 600 but still- it's a LOOOOOOOOOONG knit per round.)  Anyways I began the section and was 6 rows in when I realized that I was actually knitting section 1 stitch pattern instead of feather and fan.  UGH.  Tinking back those 6 rows was NOT FUN, but we're finally on the right track now so I'm happy to report progress is moving along.

I also had a very helpful text message from Knitting Under Water (Hi Anne!) this week and she suggested something for the thumb that I think is really going to work.

Better?  Yes?  I would like to work on the horse a little more, I'd like it to be a little clearer but I'm quite happy with this now.  Happy enough that hopefully I can CAST THIS ON NEXT WEEK!?  Let's hope so.

Other than that, we're also dealing with a little situation at our house that's made knitting time a little bit more sparse.

Ouch.  It seems you can jump off the couch 999 time without incident, but should you attempt the 1000th jump you'll likely hurt yourself.  Aside from one's leg being in a cast being an enormous inconvenience, Parker is actually doing really great. He's a little annoyed by his "Cookie Monster leg" but he's already cruising around on his cast like it isn't that big of a deal.  Nothing showed up on the X-ray but since he wouldn't weight bear on his foot, the assumption is that he has a tiny fracture in his growth plate in his ankle.  We'll find out if that's the case on Tuesday, but for now- gigantic leg cast.  (Also- for future reference, fiberglass casts scratch the crap out of your floors.  Boo)

So there you have it- I'm knitting- there's progress, just not a lot of photographic evidence.  Happy Easter everyone!

Going in Circles

THIS. CIRCULAR. BLANKET. IS. ADDICTING.  It's really the only project seeing any action these days.

I think once it's on a longer circular needle you'll be able to see the pattern a little better as right now is still just looks like a circular blob.  BUT- oh people, this one is going to be nice.  There's a little part of me that's sad that the baby it's intended for is due in the middle of May, because I kind of wish I could enter this in the Stampede.  I do have other blankets in storage, but I picked this pattern because I thought my friend would LOVE it and it feels like cheating not to give it to her.  On the other hand, this project is knitting up fairly quickly, if I wasn't completely sick of it when I was finished, I might cast on "part 2" and make that for Stampede.  Insanity?  Maybe.  Circular blankets are really addicting!  I don't usually like to make the same thing twice, but I may have to make an exception to the rule.

My goal is have the lettering section of this blanket finished by Thursday- and then I can get to the last feather and fan part.  (Which is 500+ stitches per row, so I imagine it's going to take a bulk of the time.)  It would be really, REALLY amazing to have this done by April 25th.  If I could have that done, I could cast on the actual Stampede project that I've been devoting so much time to.

That is, if I ever finish the pattern.

Here's a sneak peek at what I'm totally stuck on.  The thumb.  Specifically the gusset.  After a lot of working and reworking I'm really REALLY satisfied with where this project is headed.  It is only this blank space that I'm just stuck on.  It's like I've hit a creative wall and I can't seem to design my way out of it.

I've decided my best course of action is to just walk away.  Not work on it.  Not think about it.  Not do anything with it for a week.  Just knit and enjoy knitting other projects and then come back and see what it needs.  This pattern needs to be done.  I'm putting a "FINALIZE THIS" date for April 16.  I must have a finalized plan and have tested the yarn by April 16.  (I need to make sure the yarn I'm planning to use it color fast and not going to bleed on the white... what would be TRAGIC.)

And, this week, because I just needed something totally mindless one night that didn't require a lot of thinking, I picked up my Maui sock and made a little progress on that, because why not?

I seem to be big on the circular knitting right now!!  So I'll be on my couch, sitting in the sunshine spot going around in circles!