Wednesday, June 3, 2009

What to do with a Spotties bargain?

Last Saturday, Shelley wanted to visit Spotlight in Wollongong before we went to SnB at the Novotel. Did we get the fine cotton she was looking for? No. Did we buy something else on a whim? Yes .. and .. yes. THEN we while we where leaving, that's right leaving the shop.. heading out the door, nothing left to tempt... I saw some Patons Washed Haze cotton/acrylic 10ply. How much? says me. 20cents a ball says the sales girl. 20 CENTS A BALL??? this stuff is $5/50g, too exxxxy for me, way over my budget. No longer. I dumpster dived and got 18 balls of the lovely blue = $3.60. Shelley decided that the purple would do just nicely for herself - 19 balls later, $3.80.

Being a distant relation to a giraffe, 18 balls will leave me with either 3/4 sleeves or cropped length, which I'd have lived with -- however -- On Sunday I decided to see if Rockdale had any.. They did, after asking the lovely, helpful, fellow knitter from the wool counter, who went and found the last 5 @ $4.99/50g ball. OK, I decided I could pay the $25, I was happy. I told her about the fab buy yesterday at the 'Gong, she said she couldn't match it, of course I said, didn't expect her too, but she did say she could do it for half price!!! then said - where's mine, why didn't you buy ME any? well - only the orange was left - not my colour and I thought it nice to leave it for some other bargain hunter. Fair enough, orange isn't her colour either.

Then to decide what to make... I wanted cables (ME? cables? who'd be surprised at that?) I've been on Rav since, scouring the cables tags.. rejecting everything. Almost giving up and thinking I'd make the blue cabled cotton jacket from the Knitter #3, that I thought the Bendi Harmony would work better, I can do the garter edged and pop it onto the machine to work the cables... grr.. No I don't want to make Central Park Hoodie with a collar. There is a spectacular jumper from Bergere de France that wont convert to a jacket/cardi.

Then I had a find.. not only that, I actually HAVE the mag.. I can't get a link of the pattern, #29 Slant Cable Jacket from Vogue Fall 2008. The red version photographed for the magazine doesn't do it justice at all. I'll put in some photos when I get it going.

I will print off the charts, and knit it on Saturdays for a bit, as my home handknit is my Zetor scarf, which I'm nearly 3/4 the way through. I'm on 9th repeat of the pattern, with one or two more before I finish it.. I hate to say it, but I'm seriously thinking of the clear beads on the edge. but that's another story for the other blog!! (Best link I can do is ElliJaAura's version for anyone on Ravelry,)

Here is the photo of the Washed Haze. The top one is the #29, however the cotton yarn is too unforgiving to support such thick cables. It has the outer cables going the wrong way, which annoys me, and the very thick twin cables and other cables are too much for it. I'll remake it, but in a thinner yarn, ditch those thick cables and side ribs are just too much for me. I really like the second choice. I got a VK Holiday 2004 mag from Debbie in Arkansas, and have chosen #20 Rib and Cables. I'm not going to do the pockets on the front, but put the Celtic knots and smaller twisty ones on the sides and up the centre of the sleeves.

5 comments:

bobbins said...

What an unbelievable bargain. I'm waiting eagerly to see some pictures! Are you sure you might not have enjoyed...orange cuffs on the sweater??? LOL...
Tobey

ozlorna said...

As luck would have it, I've done one repeat of the cable pattern and have gone out in the cold rain and taken it's photo, just for you!

and no.. no orange cuffs.

bobbins said...

wow! I love the color blue you found, and amazed that no one grabbed it all before you. I do like the second one better, too. The first one is quite impressive, but the second pattern is more delicate and lighter.

Thanks for the pictures!

ozlorna said...

Oh, thank you, I liked the second one too.

You know there was no way could I leave it there either! It was in a big bin with all their remnant stock. It's 50/50 cotton/acrylic and a gorgeous feel. I've had my eye on it for ages, but it's been way out of my budget. I'll ask Shelley to bring her purple to SnB and take a photo of her colour. (she's a regular size person and the 19 balls of purple is just right for her).

bobbins said...

Don't the new acrylics have a wonderful feel to them? the 50% cotton should be enough not to feel as if you are encased in plastic wrap when wearing the sweater.

Forgot to say thanks for the trip out in the rain for the lovely pictures. I could use a bit of rain and coolness right now - it has been in the mid 90's (F), nearly 39 C (looked it up...LOL)for two weeks with little change. It did cool off a bit last night with a little rain but back up to sweltering today.
Tobey