No way am I doing nupps, even for a beloved future DIL. Will use beads instead, and hopefully avoid yarn chicken from nupps eating up all the yarn.

The main pattern row of the flower chart is very difficult to work, three 3-stitch techniques in a row, unless the preceding purl row is worked VERY loosely. I made up a strategy of loosening them as I purled, using a cable needle along the right-hand needle to hold them as bigger stitches while purling the intervening 3 stitches normally.

After 8 repeats of flower chart, spine is only approx 27cm and top edge approx 50cm. 48gr = 42% of yarn used. Way too small to start border, so plowing ahead to another repeat.

After 9 repeats of flower chart, spine is approx 33cm. 56gr = 49% of yarn used. Mr. Pythagoras says it’s big enough, but just in case plowing ahead to another repeat.

After 10 repeats of flower chart, and replacing a snapped-tip fixed circular, I just weighed the remaining yarn again, and have 48 grams which is 41.73% or 229.5 yards left of the original 550 yards. (Used 67gr total so far, 11gr on the 10th repeat.)

There are 16 rows of the “border” mesh with beading-instead-of-nupps, where the stitch count (295) per row doesn’t increase, so surely surely there is enough for that. The 8-row “edge” flower motif, which does increase stitch count by 150 stitches per row if I read the pattern correctly, and also calls for a yarn-held-double Russian-ish bindoff which will eat up even more yarn. The “edge” flowers could be done in a complimentary colorway from the same dyer on the same base:

does this add too much color?

Another possibility is that SIXTY different Ravelers have this same colorway in their stash, some have multiple skeins, I could go on a groveling campaign.

In the meantime, I guess I run a lifeline at the last “body” row, and plow ahead.

After 8 rows of mesh ‘border’ chart, 34gr = 29% left. (Used 81gr total so far, 14gr on the 1st half of mesh border.)

12/30/20 Sent website message to dyer asking to buy an undyed skein, and today it was listed so panic-bought one!

1/7/21 Finished 16th row of mesh ‘border’ cart. 30gr left. I had been calculating percentages based on 115gr original total, but now I see my note on the skein label that it was 111gr original total. Assuming my last weighing was accurate, I only used 4gr on the last 8 rows?

1/10/21 I weighed the yarn again after row 1 of the flower edge (that expands each stitch repeat from 12 stitches to 17!!!) and it used SEVEN GRAMS leaving only 23gr left, and rows 2, 3, and 4 have the expanded stitch count. Deep sigh. I am now tinking back row 1 (did not run a second lifeline) and will wind the cake of the ivory supplement yarn. Tinking beaded stitches, lace stitches, 3-into-9………..

Also lost at bead chicken, the extra two repeats of the body lace used just barely more than my calculated extra allowance of #3 AB iridescent clear beads, I was exactly two beads short. At suggestion of klothingme put the two edge beads in #3 blue beads from stash, for bridal something-blue, and one more on the center stitch of row 5 of edge chart to complete the V coming from either side.

Used both colors of yarn for the held-double BO.

Might have won the original yarn chicken: used 20gr of the Eggshell, and have 20gr left of the April Diamond. Too close for comfort, and the edge has a subtle accent that is pleasing.

Unblocked dimension approx 32 inches wide, and 21 inches deep.