What's this?




The leftovers when a sweater which is supposed to look like this:





Grows to look like this when washed per the freakin' yarn label instructions:



Yarn: Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed - colour 401 Celestine

How the disaster happened - I soaked it gently in Eucalan and then laid it out flat to dry.

Musings to self: I wonder if it grew because it was a single not a plyed yarn? Should have followed the advice I give in class and wash the swatch to see how it would lie to me (they all do - really). Swatches are like politicians - they tell you what you want to hear until they are elected and then tell you that you misinterpreted what they said they would do for you

Tonight I cut the sleeves an entire 8" shorter and cast off with 3.25" needles to make a really tight cuff. I'm worried that this will continue to stretch every time I wash it. I really like the way that this yarn looks - almost homespun. But I'll never ever use it again.

I do have to say that there is a really neat-o story to accompany this tragic tale. I bought the kit a year ago on one of my infamous weekends of Wine Women and Wool in Kingston. I bought what they called for, knitted to gauge and still managed to run out of yarn. I tore my stash apart looking for the rogue ball, but although I found yarn I'd completely forgotten about (a sure sign that I may have a tad too much in the "resource centre"), I couldn't find the missing ball.

I posted to a wonderful forum in Ravelry and a lovely lady in Australia emailed me that she had a ball and a half that I was welcome to! Woo Hoo!

Without that I would have never finished the sweater (or had enough to fix the sleeves after I had to rip them back).

I loves me my Ravelry!