Loaves and Fishes

It's been a while, but I do realize that this blog is supposed to have some knitting content. Here it is:

This is a sweater that I started knitting for Thomas way too long ago. I fell down and got pregnant so I found working on it very difficult for a month or two. Also, as much as I'm enjoying the way this yarn looks, knitting with it is like trying to knit with cotton balls.

The Sweater Miracle that you are, perhaps, not seeing is in that wee tangle of yarn laying next to the Unfinished Sleeve. A closer looks, perhaps?
I didn't think I'd have enough yarn to finish this sweater. I didn't think I would have enough yarn to finish the sleeve. I was trying to figure out some sort of plan so that I could actually make a real sweater for my son using much less yarn that the pattern called for (how did I mess that up?) The yarn has a distinctive, nubby texture that doesn't lend itself well to mixing with other yarns. I bought these skeins a year ago or more, so obviously buying more of the same was out of the question, even if I knew what dye lot I was looking for (how did I manage to loose the tags? Crazy woman.) Also, I bought this yarn from a small yarn company online, so I didn't feel very confident coordinating colors from a website. Luckily, I remembered the name of the yarn's color--Big Sky Blue--and when I went back to the website I saw that they also made a Big Sky Heather. Worth a risk. So I ordered a skein of what I hoped would coordinate nicely. You can see it at the end of the finished sleeve.

I decided to use it for the neck ribbing (to be completed) and the cuffs. I thought I would just knit the first sleeve and then do as much as I could of the second. I thought I would rip the bottom of the sweater back and use the yarn to finish it up and then use the lighter yarn to do the bottom of the sweater.

As I finished the first sleeve I looked at my remaining dark blue yarn and thought No way, there is no way I'll have anywhere near enough yarn to finish this sleeve. I'm going to have to rip the bottom half-way to the arm holes. You can imagine my surprise when I laid the sleeve out and measured a full length of sleeve.

*cue angelic chorus*

I'm absolutely amazed. It's a little like how the disciples must have felt after feeding the multitudes and having leftovers. And I'm so, so glad since this isn't the best yarn for ripping and reknitting as it's pretty soft and fluffy. Now I can't wait until this sweater is all knit up and ready for Thomas to wear. He's pretty excited, too. He asked to try it on before I even had the second sleeve on the needles. I hope to get it finished tonight and will have pictures to show you if the weather holds out tomorrow.

I'm spending the morning in a neighboring town, though, as they start their city-wide garage sale weekend. I was unable to find childcare, however, so we'll see how long it lasts with the kids in the back seat.

Until then, I have a little miracle to celebrate!