On The Frustration of Mismatched Dye Lots

After being stop-start for a few weeks now, Surface has come grinding to a complete halt due to my last two balls being mismatched dye lots. I have realised this too late (a result of my free and easy, non measuring non planning ways with knitting) and had to rethink how I was going to do the sleeves in order to make the mismatched balls look intentional rather than accidental (as they do now). The only solution I can think of is to do both the sleeve welts in the darker dye lot, as I have already done the banding and collar in this dye lot. Then I can do the plain part of the sleeve in the lighter dye lot. BUT it means ripping out one sleeve, and half of the other, and starting them again. Really, this is not such a big deal - they are half sleeves after all. However, it is a psychological barrier, and so I cast on instead....

I cast on a jumper for the husband, in the 4 ply Cashsoft I bought at Liberty last week (colour "Forest" - nice!). Due to it being 4 ply, and him wanting something classic and plain, I used my 1940s pattern books for inspiration and am knitting a sort of hybrid of two sweaters - one to get the gauge correct, and one to get the style he is after.

I've broken up now for my Christmas break, so am planning Item 2 in my sewing project (all my vintage sewing patterns), and next in line is Simplicity 9139, donated by Julia when she was having a clear out. It dates I would guess from the early 1990s, and I plan to do View D, the long drawstring waist trousers in some dark khaki cotton blend I picked up from a local charity shop. If I don't have enough material I will do View E (capri length).

Great charity shop pick-up today; found a pair of MaxMara black trousers for a tenner. They will be fantastic for work in the new year, and I can look forward to going back and wearing them!