Making the Most of a Mistake

Despite my knitting needle woes, I'd been happily knitting Swing Thing for my son's friend Emma using my Denise needles. Then I realized that I only had two more balls of the yarn I was using and for the first time I checked the pattern to find out how many yards of yarn I'd need to actually complete the project. I don't have any where near enough--I'd need about four more balls to finish. I'm not sure how I just jumped into the project without making sure but here I am, 55% done. I have a few options.

1. Try to hunt around at local yarn stores to see if I can find the exact same yarn, dye lot and everything. There are no guarantees and I really don't want to be dragging the boys around from yarn store to yarn store as yarn stores are notoriously anti-children [and rightfully so--kids like to touch, pick their noses and drool and you can't (or shouldn't) have all of that going on around yarn].
   
2. Keep knitting until I run out of yarn completely and then add on a different yarn for the bottom and sleeves. This might look tacky but it also might come out looking interesting and different in a good way.
3. Frog (take out) the whole thing and use the yarn for something else. I wouldn't want to do this necessarily or at all because I really have labored over it so far. It is a pretty tight stitch on somewhat smallish needles--a lot of stitches. And I really like how it's coming out. It's very pretty and I know Emma would look so adorable in it.
   

But I find myself leaning towards choice 3, partially as a "punishment" for not being more careful/observant before starting a new and rather large project, but also because I really have a vision of how I wanted the sweater to turn out and it did not include a different color. Also, I know how frustrating finding the exact match of yarn can be but for the sake of the work I've already done, I may have to just bear down and try. Choice 3 is also appealing because I have another project in mind that I could use the yarn for: a yoga mat bag.

So I've been trying to find a yoga mat that I could use on top of the carpet in my living room and it has been quite a hunt. Every yoga mat I've tried just moves around the carpet and makes doing the yoga a royal pain in the rear end. Well, I finally found one that's serviceable: a Gaiam Eco Conscious 100% rubber yoga mat. Although I really only used it for the first time this morning, I'm pretty sure it will do. It stayed in place for the most part during my whole yoga routine and I'm also pleased because it doesn't give off noxious fumes like others I'd tried. It does have a rubber smell but it is mild and manageable. It is supposed to have come from a renewable source and is supposed to be biodegradable which are huge plusses.

In any case, to extend the life of the mat, it's recommended that you store it in a yoga mat bag. I've already found a few great patterns for yoga mat bags on the web but I'm pretty sure I'm going to pick a funky crochet stitch pattern from The Ultimate Sourcebook of Knitting and Crochet Stitches and come up with an original bag. The 100% cotton yarn I'm using for Emma's sweater would be perfect--natural fiber, easy to wash and care for. I'm a little leery about the light peach color of the yarn but the bag wouldn't really be going anywhere so I can't see it getting all that dirty. The hardest part of the project itself would be getting the bag to be the right size so that the mat comes out and goes in easily.

Anyway, the yoga mat bag may be the best way to make the most of my mistake.

I spent the last paragraph of this post holding down both the Z's on my lap and trying to type with one free hand. Currently Z1 is waving a book in Z2's face and annoying the hell out of him. Z2 is trying to wiggle out of my arms, pressing buttons, and is taking this drooling thing to another level. My hands are soaked. Adventures in motherhood.