Yarn Requirements: The Rub

I thought I had a new strategy: Knit the largest size hat I plan on offering, one that I *hope* will only take one skein of dear, dear yarn, and see what happens so that my pattern's yarn requirements are spot on.

See that in my hand? That wad is all I had left when I was done with this sucker. Now I wonder, if I do indeed write up the pattern in this gauge, should I warn those who want to knit the largest size to buy just one skein?  Or, buy two to be safe?

I have a problem.

I am damned if I do and I am damned if I don't. The last thing I need is an angry mob waving knitting needles at me.

If I warn that there was *this* much left on my version of the size large using the Madelinetosh Tosh Chunky and they go out and buy just one skein and end up needing another one to finish the size large . . . perish the thought (this isn't cheap yarn--and the dye lots vary quite a bit).

If I say they'll need two skeins, and they end up like me, you know, with just a little teeny tiny wad leftover and they purchased two. Oy. Perish the thought, again.

And if I say that they *might* need another skein and to check the return policy at their yarn source, will they decide to not knit it at all?

I don't need this kind of pressure.

Not needing this kind of pressure is the way I'm rolling these days. Hence, the lack of lots of posting. I am knitting for pleasure, however. Kate Davies came out with this gorgeous over-sized cowl pattern called Funchal Moebius. Since I don't really have the need for a large cowl like this, I decided to cut down on the number of pattern repeats to two. I'm using some of the sometimes controversial yet ever so gorgeous Wollmeise. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to see the patterning with this subtly variegated yarn, but it's actually working out. I highly recommend this pattern. She's a genius.

(The other reason I chose to cut back on the motifs is because, based on her yardage estimates, I wasn't sure I would have enough yarn. Ahhh: That's the rub all the time, isn't it? Having enough yarn.)

 

Comments

[Theresa]

I think it's nice you give to yarn issue. Plus.
giving the cost a thought also!!

[Michelle]

I feel like as long as you warn people about the yarn issue then you are doing your duty. And it's not like they'll never use the extra yarn if they do buy it and don't use it. It's madeline tosh...I'm sure they'll find something to do with it!

[Margo]

I think as long as you indicate exactly how much yarn was left over you have covered your butt. The knitter can decide whether to purchase additional yarn. I know I usually purchase more than required just to be safe.

[Tracey]

Isn't the hat top down? If I ran out of yarn a few rows short of the end, I'd just rip out the last couple of repeats and redo the ribbing. Having been warned that it might be close on yardage, I'd probably only swear a little, and not at you. (A whole different story if I ran out an inch from the top, and the decreases were part of the design, so I had to rip it all out and start over - just so you know....)

[Annette]

I'm loving the Tosh Chunky! Which color did you use? It looks to me like you had plenty left over from that one skein :-) I knit the Dream Duo scarf with one skein of Tosh Pashmina (yarn sub), had about that much left over, and considered it perfect.

[ErikaC]

That is a gorgeous pattern! I can't wait to see what it looks like smaller! :)

[Crystal]

I second the person who mentioned that you would just adjust if you were running low. I would rather be told to just buy the one hank than to have an extra hank (of pricey stuff) hanging around. Even if it's brim up, I have been known to undo the crown shaping and take out a few rows of height if needed.

[jomamma]

I think it's more than considerate of you to think of including this info. I think that you would be the first designer I've ever run across that would put something in their directions to warn me of this. Bessides, I prefer to end up with just enough yarn left to do mending if I need to.

[Maryse]

You may include this post in the pattern! I don't think that people wouldn't knit it at all. Personnally, I would buy 2 skeins for sure and if I'm lucky, knit 2 hats! ;-)

[Melissa]

You see, there are two kinds of knitters (or crocheters or seamstresses) in the world: those who try to use the least amount possible and those who tell their husbands that yarn only comes in 12 skein bags.

Since I belong to the second group, I buy all the extra my budget will allow. That works out to an extra skein every time.

I don't know what the solution is, but surely you have made the problem clear at the outset.

[Dara]

There's always the chance you will need more or less depending on each persons gauge... i think... so a warning is fair.

[Allison]

I can't wait to see how your Funchal Moebius turns out! I've been drooling over the pattern, but I can't tell if it's actually a moebius strip or just a really cool tube. Can you comment?

[Rhonda]

As someone who often falls into the large size category for most items (socks and hats included) I always appreciate some forewarning that it could possibly dip into a second skein for a pattern. Some knitters might find that their LYS will put a skein on hold for them for a day or a week, so they will have one if they need it, without having to buy it at the outset. At worst, if they do buy a second one and not use any for the hat, they will have a second whole skein - enough to knit a second hat for a gift, or maybe a matching cowl or fingerless mitts.

[Kristen S.]

The Fetching fingerless mitt pattern from Knitty has a warning about how you'll need to unravel your gauge swatch in order to eke a pair out of one skein of the suggested yarn, with only a few yards left. Fetching has more than 18,000 projects posted on Ravelry, so that kind of warning doesn't necessarily scare people away. I say provide full disclosure and let people decide what works for them.

[Stef]

Umm, why is Wollmeise controversial? Just clueless and curious.

[Barb]

either way I vote that you post your pattern and given w/ the fingering weight,
w/ note: the yarn requirements are tight?? my $.02
I appreciate all your considerations

[Retro Jordan 5]

either way I vote that you post your pattern and given w/ the fingering weight,