Wednesday, November 08, 2006

Wallabee Woe

So, here is the long promised tale of Wallabee woe. Let's go back to Maryland Sheep and Wool. I wasn't all about a Wallabee, I was all about the Clapotis. So, I purchased this pretty Brooks Farm Four Play for a Clappy - 3 skeins, at 270 yds a skein. A few hours after I bought this, I found what would eventually become the Clappy, a merino/silk blend resembling Josephs' coat of many colors. And, I don't know how I got it in my head, but I just felt the Brooks Farm needed to be a Wallabee.

Ummm . . . but I only had 810 yards -- the pattern calls for somewhere around 1400 for the medium. I spoke to a few people who had already made the Wonderful Wallabee, and they assured me they didn't use nearly as much yarn as what the pattern called for, and that it might work out if I did the pocket and the hood in a solid. I mulled it over. I thought about doing a provisional cast-on, and doing the 3 inch rib in another color if I ran out of yarn. I thought about stripes. In the end, I thought, I'm going to buy more Four Play.

And so I did - at Rhinebeck - 1300 yards - of this pretty green:
Problem 1 - Looks a little small, doesn't it? But, Courtney checked my gauge, I'm on gauge - and the pocket is allegedly the center of the front - so hopefully, everything is just bunched up on the needle. This problem is easily rectified - in an inch or so, I'll fuse the pocket to the body of the sweater, and then I'll take it off the needles and try it on. Of course, if it's too small, I don't have enough yarn for a large, and it'll be back to the provisional cast-on drawing board.

Problem 2 - if you look at the picture again, you'll notice that the body of the sweater is much darker than the pocket - the skeins, while marked that they were from the same dyelot are clearly different - of course, I didn't notice this on the darkened trainride from hell. The solution would probably have been to work with a two balls of yarn at a time, and mixed in the darker skein -- way too much work for a Wallabee, and even if I had noticed in time, I probably wouldn't have done it. I think the pocket is making it ok, but we'll see as I go along -

But, the true potential disaster is this skein -
No, that's not a blurry shot - the yarn is all f-d up. I went to wind it, and it got stuck. It turns out that the skein was wrapped up before the dye dried, and while it's not quite felted, it's all stuck together, and the areas that are fused, are a bit rough. This skein will have to be wound by hand, uch, and disaster will really only strike if I have to use this yarn for anything other than the hood. I mean, who's going to inspect the hood anyway.

Ah the suspense - will it be too small? will it look like two different sweaters sewed together once the color differentiation between the 2 skeins becomes more distinct? will the f-d up skein sort itself out and become usable? Will I buy a solid green of something worsted, and cast on the large? Will I ditch putting the hood on if I can't get the f-d up skein to work out? It's almost as good as a Friday cliffhanger, and it's only Wednesday.

13 comments:

Wendy said...

Could you soak the skein and then hang it up to dry? That might loosen the dye that's dried (maybe) and make it a little easier to wind ... Just a thought. The other one is to call and complain -- and get a replacement skein.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry about the Wallaby--I think it will all come out in the wash. Ha! The yarn will soften up and maybe the colors will match a bit better. I actually like the pocket in a different shade. It gives it definition!

Anonymous said...

I agree -- call and complain and get replacement skeins! I'm sure they don't want the negative publicity...

Liz K. said...

I would consider calling as well. I think Brooks Farm has a reputation for good customer service. It never hurts to ask.

Phoebe said...

I think that everyone has the right idea...call and get a replacement. And I was just listening to the podcast this morning when you purchased the yarn...your voice filled with excitement. Maybe when you call, the dishy Brooks Farm guy will answer...then it would make the wonky skein worthwhile.

Theresa said...

I always have that problem with Koigu. They TELL me it's the same dyelot, but I think they lie.

Dorothy said...

Ugh, that sounds like the yarn purchase from heck. I would call and complain about it. Give them a chance to rectify the matter.

Christine said...

I noticed yesterday that my Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran is shockingly close in color & feel to the 4-Play, so maybe that would work for a solid for you? If there is a color that matches, of course.

I'm going to learn from your experience though, and when I knit sweater #2 from my yarn (I posted photos of sweater #1 today), I'll alternate my balls.

Christine said...

By the way - were there any skeins of that color left when you bought yours? Because, you know, I'm going to see Brooks Farm this Saturday...

Anonymous said...

I don't think the color variation is so bad in a circular sweater like the wallaby. I made one last year from nature wool, and had the same sort of issue--skeins the same dyelot, but looking a lot different than one another. As long as you make both sleeves from the same variant, and most of the body from one variant, it looks kinda cool when you have a stripey effect on the yoke where you connect the body to the sleeves. The stuck together skein I agree should be returned for another.

Marian

Carol said...

Hey Wendy, sorry to be a chooch but i can't find your email address. Your laceweight is in the shop in the office....

Christine said...

So, I talked with them about your yarn. They told me to tell you to *please* call them so they can discuss it with you directly, but they have a good idea what happened. Some yarn was dyed the week between their show in Taos and Rhinebeck, and it went to NY in the back of their trailer, hanging down and drying. Since it wasn't reskeined like they normally do, they didn't catch this skein of yarn. Something that would not have happened otherwise, as they normally reskein their yarn.

Oh, and you did get the yarn that the owner's sister was hoping to buy for herself. They knew exactly which green yarn I was talking about when I told them that part of the story.

So call them and maybe they can help. They were an absolute delight to talk with at Kid n Ewe, and I know they would definitely want to at least know about this situation and help you out as best they can.

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