Finished object... Debbie Bliss Cable Jacket

At last I've finished the Debbie Bliss Cable Cardigan which I started last July - with just a few hiccups toward the end.

Any sensible knitter would take the pattern and highlight the size they are actually knitting, wouldn't they? Nah, not me, mate. So that's why, when I find that I'm running out of yarn I suddenly notice that the first sleeve I finished is over an inch too long. ON the pattern it says, after finishing the increases - work a further 32/24/16 rows. I'm knitting the medium size folks. So what do I do? I knit an extra 32 rows. So that's 8 rows too many. So I have to frog the top. I would have saved me so much time and effort if I'd just got the highlighter out in the beginning.

Well that surely means I'll have enough yarn to finish, right? 'Specially as I've knitted it in the round and saved some yarn on not knitting extra stitches for seams. Well noooo. I'm definitely going to run out of yarn.

I can't get the same colour yarn from the place I originally bought it, let alone the same dyelot. After much gnashing of teeth and wailing at the dogs and anyone else who will listen to me, I order a different dyelot but same colourway from a different company: Cnyttan wools (my saviours) - lo and behold and all saints be praised it is so similar to the original dyelot as to not make any difference.

I carry on knitting - only to find I'm STILL going to be short of yarn - by about 20 rows. You can see how much yarn I had left, with the entire of the top of the sleeve shaping still to do. I've photographed the top of the finished sleeve so you can see just how close it was. I suppose having several rows to finish is better than having just a few stitches left, but it's so frustrating to see the end and not be able to finish because I have to order yet another ball of wool then wait for it to arrive.

The pattern asked for 19 balls of wool. I needed 21. Did I swatch, you ask? Don't be ridiculous.

Today I finished it. It was all worthwhile.

It was, it really was.

I grafted the back collar - Now I'm really quite impressed with that. Not fantastically tidy - see the not very clear picture - but perfectly adequate AND I grafted CABLES for goodness sake.

The collar has a tacked down facing which makes it thick and snuggly, like wearing a scarf. And the Debbie Bliss cashmerino is lovely and soft and warm, mmm. I wore it to the Bovey Tracey Stitch 'N Bitch today and was suitably gratified by the positive response when I did a twirl. (We are such a lovely knitting group!). I shall wear it to Skip North.

Next week I'm off to the Lake District on a 'Walking Women's Holiday' - and I'm going up by train! I love travelling by train - all that knitting time! Cross fingers (and toes) the weather won't be too wet.