Spring is Sprung - well, maybe!

My sweater from the last post is done and well worn. I am extremely happy with it. This is the mirror selfie that I shared on social media, but forgot to share here. I wasn't sure if I had anything that would go with it, but it turns out I do. And it is perfect with denim, so I am good to go. 

Not all sweaters have such a happy ending. Once in a while I either have picked the wrong yarn for a pattern, or the wrong pattern for the yarn. And sometimes it takes more than a couple of tries to get it right.

I shared a post a few years ago about some Madeline Tosh Vintage yarn that had two incarnations before I got it right. And even then, I had to shorten the vest that is now in a regular rotation in my wardrobe. 

Another sweater kept reminding me that it was not my favourite as I passed it over - over and over again - in favour of something else. Since the original yarn had cost a fortune, I decided to try yet again to make it into something that I would love.  (Here's the original post and I am shocked that it says 2010!! This poor yarn is a teenager).

 https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/9152499513632375208/2257711226976518030

Deconstructing a sweater is a tedious and extremely time-consuming proposition. And this is the second time for this yarn- OK, it is a bit excessive, but I feel like I owe it to the yarn, and it is the ultimate re-use, recycle project. 

Ravelling a sweater back takes hours - and hours - and hours. I think I started in the fall and then stuffed it away because it was taking too long. But yesterday, thanks to Tanis Lavalee, I was reminded of a pattern that would/should/will be perfect fo the third time for this wool. It is called Tensile. The designer is Emily Green, and you can find it here. 

It has a lovely open (easy, according to the reviews) lacework, and is perfect of layering and will be lovely if spring really has sprung.

Here's a recap of what I have done and where I am now: (with a few images for visual interest)

• take sweater apart, which means cutting off the neck and cuffs
• ravel all the yarn into very kinky balls, dealing with all the knots you encounter
• resist the urge(s) to throw it away, or at least hide it
• use your swift to wind the very kinky balls into skeins to soak

• soak the skeins to remove the kinks - the many, MANY kinks 

Are you tired yet? Cuz there are still a couple more steps before it is ready to knit again.

• put the (hopefully) kink-free skeins on towels to squeeze out most of the water
• hang the skeins on a drying rack to dry
• put the skeins on the swift and spin into cakes
• cross your fingers and hope to heck that you have enough yarn for the pattern.

Keep in mind that all of this is happening while I am a third of the way through another sweater. Am I totally insane? Well, yes, but I have been having trouble with an arthritis flare in my big finger on my left hand, so decided to give it a little break from knitting and hooking. Going through this exercise is using completely different muscles, including the patience one. lol.

If this third time isn't the charm, I will stop. I won't even make socks with this yarn. Our affair will be over.

But I am the eternal optimist and hoping that Tensile is the right choice for this old, lovely yarn. 

Stay tuned.