Here's the last sleeve for the bookworm sweater
and to the right is all of the Orkney ASC I left.
This pattern calls for 5 balls of yarn. If there's one thing I've learned from the vast number of Miss Bea sweaters I've made, it's that I never use all of the yarn called for so I started this project with only 4 balls. Partway through, I realized that I'd used some of this yarn for Joshua's Bob, but since it was just a few stripes on a newborn vest I didn't think it would affect this project. As I was finishing the second sleeve, I realized I might not have enough to make the turtleneck in the pattern, so I started looking online for a place to get one more ball. That is when I realized I was in trouble. The color was discontinued, and the best I could do was pay around $40 on ebay for 18 more skeins. Considering that I need less than 18 yards to finish this, I couldn't really justify it. I then realized that on the Bob sweater, I'd used this yarn for the bottom border. It wasn't a whole lot, but the rows of ribbing combined with those few stripes used just enough yarn to make me run out.
So, I don't have enough yarn to finish the pattern as written- time to prioritize. I love the turtleneck and front cable. I really like the sleeve cables and the exposed shoulder seam. I can do without the back cable.
Plan A
Reknit the back in stockinette stitch. Seam the shoulders and knit the neck. If this doesn't work then we go to plan B which involves reknitting the sleeves in stockinette also.
Wow, tough call, I hope plan A is enough because frankly it is no fun once you scavenge the yarn from elsewhere to reknit anymore. Did you try an ISO post in the Knitter's Review forums?
Your plan sounds pretty good, but I hate reknitting! You can always save yarn by using another yarn to seam with. Size 5 or 10 Crochet cotton (in a matching color) works well as a seaming thread. I hope you can find just one ball of it somewhere!
Here's a thought--I found this blogger on google. She recently completed something with the same color of ASC. Maybe you could contact her and offer a trade? http://www.yarnismymetier.com/2006/04/knittin-to-see-here.html
Aww...geez...I hate it when I run out of yarn...I just end up over buying like by 3 balls most of the time?!