On Coats

Well gosh darn it.  I had a post in my head, was ready to write and then started watching an episode of Rumpole of the Bailey and forgot all about it.  If you have never watched Rumpole, you ought.  I went to bed awash in the complexity of the stories and in amazement that the two episodes I watched remain absolutely relevant today even though the stories were produced in 1978. 

Yesterday was a waiting day.  I was waiting for a call back that never came.  And that is ok.  But I am still waiting today for that return call.  In the meantime I am knitting.  

I started by opening bins of WIPs and picked up my jacket.  I ordered a deep grey yarn to do the colour blocking this jacket will need and then started knitting.

I knit and knit and then wouldn't  you know it.  The ball of yarn ran out.  So I measured. It's  actually just about what I hoped for.  The green ran out right about 3/4 of the way down my arm.  I may extend it a bit longer but that will have to wait to see just how much green yarn I need on the body.  Since I only had one skein allotted for the sleeve, I put the stitches on a holder and picked up for sleeve two.

As you can see, the sleeve is huge.  It looks particularly odd because the width of the coat is pulled together on its holder so the center looks small and the sleeves, weird.  It is perfect though.  I want this coat to fit better over the top of another sweater.  The roomy sleeve means minimal pulling as I put it on, and no binding as I move.  Everything about this sweater is made to be an outer layer, a coat.

I don't  know  why but moving to sleeve two has been such a boost.  I felt as if completing sleeve one  is confirmation that this sweater will get done.  I will get by till it is done, but I do need it.  

I have been using an Argo sweater that I knit several years ago for my outer garment, 

but it does have issues when using it as a coat.  The sleeves are a bit short and it isn't quite roomy enough for over top other layers.  It's a perfectly marvelous sweater though, made from the warmest locally produced yarn (Custom Woollen Mills Mule Spinner) and I wear it as much in my house as I wear it outside.  It's difficult to explain just how much I love my Argo other than intensive use.  It isn't a great coat though.  It's just an acceptable over layer and I want more and better.

There are five skeins of dark grey Macausland's yarn  on order and five skeins of this green left.  It seems like a lot.  It well may be, knowing my deep seated fear of running out.  I meant to order four grey but I found myself telling the lady five.  I guess I will have lots now to if I decide to make the hood I've been thinking about and plenty for the generous button bands. 

 I hope.