Posts from — November 2005

I have nothing particularly witty to say or interesting to report. No lists, no tutorials, no crazy roman parties and no packing conundrums. Darn it though, I’ve made a commitment to regular posting so post I shall. I finally got my new sewing machine out of the box last week. A couple of days later…voila! A tote bag. I could’ve started with something a bit less complex to ease me back into it, but it was fun and educational anyway. Apparently I learned a lot more just watching my mother sew than I thought.

I can’t believe what is now becoming known as the ten pound sweater needs yet MORE yarn. Yep, 26 skeins of Jo Sharp Silkroad Ultra is just NOT ENOUGH. I still need two more skeins. One skein to make the collar longer and sew up the side and arm seams and another to keep on hand for the yarn eating sweater. I can almost promise that whatever I think it will actually take to finally finish it…it will take more. This sweater is hungry folks. At least the sweater fits Jim perfectly and he loves it and it is VERY WARM. Exactly what a man on blood thinner needs for the winter (try having your blood thin y’all…you can’t ever get warm). I guess this is one of the problems of adapting a pattern…one never really knows exactly how much more yarn/time/patience it will require. It will probably be quite a while before I make him another sweater. When I do though, I’m finding a pattern sized for men’s XL and it will NOT have cables.

Still chipping away at Jane’s Christmas Scarf and just cast on for Beccie’s Christmas Scarf. I just found out one of my oldest friends (Beccie) who lives in England will be visiting around Thanksgiving. WOOHOO! It’s been way too long since I’ve seen her. We were supposed to spend half a day with her and Brent on our way to Rome via London Gatwick this past spring, but ended up getting a direct flight to Rome instead. Good for subtracting travel time, but disappointing since we didn’t get to see them. I am using Berroco Foliage that I found when I was in Chicago for the Knitapalooza. I had planned on making a scarf for myself from it, but it is just so Beccie. I am really enjoying this yarn. It’s very soft with a thick and thin texture spun loosely in spots with 53% wool and 47% acrylic. I’m hoping it will only take two skeins but again…that is a problem with making up patterns…you just don’t know until it’s all finished. Even with “the math” the yarn somehow decides on its own how much it will really take.

There are some people who are not wild about “the math” but as I have mentioned before, I love the math. Especially when it allows for a larger yarn purchase. “But Cheryl,” you say, “I really don’t need more yarn, nor can I really afford it.” Not to worry, I have developed a special math system whereby you too can purchase more yarn, because purchasing MORE yarn=greater savings. For those of you who are ok with the math, the proof follows below.

I began working on this proof many months ago, but after my visit to the Fuzzy Mable website the other day for emergency yarn, I decided to work on the proof. Although the actual equations may vary from purchase to purchase the general principle remains the same. The process is best explained by the proof equations and explanation of each step.

To purchase the 6 skeins I needed to finish Jim’s sweater, it would cost $7.50 per skein for at total of $45.00. No choice about that…it was either get the yarn while they still had it or be totally and completely screwed on a sweater that is 90% complete.

Equation: ($45.00 worth of yarn needed to finish project that is almost complete) – (purchase cost of $45.00)= $0=(Free Yarn worth $45) + (Shipping). In following equations free yarn and shipping will be denoted by FY and S, respectively.

Since S=$4.95 the next equation is FY+S=$4.95.

In this particular situation, shipping was free for purchases over $100. Not only that, if a dozen skeins of the same yarn were purchased, an additional skein of the same yarn is a free bonus.

Now there is $45 worth (FY) of yarn with an additional $55 (denoted by MY, more yarn) to spend in order to get free shipping, (FS). Now comes the more advanced math. Since the shipping would have to be paid anyway to receive the FY, one really only needs an additional $50 purchase. ($55-S=$49.95)

FY+FS=$0.00=additional $50 purchase

In this case, 14 skeins total (ST) are needed to put the total over $100.00.

So, FY+(MY-S)(*original retail price-sale price)=$3.60.

$3.60 x ST=$50.40 (big fat savings, BFS)

* the original retail must be factored in because that is what the yarn is worth…discontinuation does not affect the true worth of the yarn

So far there is a $50 savings plus the FY AND there are now enough skeins to earn the free ball (FB) of yarn worth $10.50.

Final equation:

BFS+FY+FS+FB=Total Yarn Savings (TYS) by substitution, 50.40+45+4.95+10=50=$110.85

Got it?

My proof will be submitted to the Journal of Yarn Purchase and Internet Shopping, in partnership with the Advanced Mathematics and Contrived Calculation Institute.

The Chicago Knitapalooza ’05 was great fun! I’m glad I finally got to meet everyone from KH in person. It WAS a lot of driving and Chicago traffic on White Sox parade night…not so fun. Overall it was worth it. More on the trip later.

For now, I leave you with my many WIP’s. I have been quite the knitting slut this last week! Indiscriminately I have switched back and forth between my many yarns with no regard to safety or pleasure. Hat, scarf, sweater for dog or man…it doesn’t matter what project, I do them all! Broke out the new sewing machine too! Even my dogs are looking at me a little funny this week with all the crafty activity.

I had a minor emergency Sunday while knitting Jim’s cable sweater (see…safety IS important). I bought the Jo Sharp Silk Road Ultra at Knit On! when it was going out of business. I thought 20 balls would be PLENTY for a “Jim Sweater”. Little did I know the chosen project would involve cables and lots of them. Apparently, that takes more yarn. Quite a bit more yarn. Did I mention Jim is 6’ 4”? Even more yarn. I was going along just fine until I began the sleeves. I had about six balls left and that *seemed* like it would be close but no problem. After I ran out of the first ball though and only had about 6” of knitting I realized I had a problem (by the way knit your sleeves at the same time…great knit tip). I didn’t think it was going to be big deal since I bought it on sale not because of “its being discontinued” but rather a “going out of business please clean us out” sale. Little did I know in the short amount of time the yarn has sat in my stash, it really was discontinued! Fortunately it was Fuzzy Mabel to the rescue. In this situation, a girl just can’t afford to be picky about dye lots. I was just lucky they still had some left in my color!

Oh and another problem. My luck with hats…turns out I have none. I wanted to whip up a cute fall hat for my Chicago trip…sort of a cloche style was what I had in mind. So I took out the crochet hook for the first time in a while. While I hadn’t forgotten how to crochet, I didn’t suddenly gain mad hat making skills either. It fits but a cloche it is not. It will soon be frogged…is it still “frogging” if it’s crochet? Good question for Drew. Note to self, ask Drew. Guess I will just have to use a pattern for hats from now on.