Something resembling knitting

It seems like forever since I have actually finished a knitting project. There are several reasons for that. Jumping back into the dating pool seems to have taken up a great deal of my time. I also did a ton of prep work for Knitting in the Heartland last month.

But the main reason for not completing anything since December is my main current knitting project. I've been working on the Somewhat Cowl by Wendy Bernard since last October. October was a bad month for me to try to knit a sweater. October is also the same month that I sew Halloween costumes for my nieces every year. Last year for the first time, I travelled to Michigan to visit them for the holiday. Thirteen hours of driving each way severely cut into my knitting time. So I put it down until the beginning of this year. 

Then it happened. And I'm not really sure what to call "it". Knitters will know what I mean. For non-knitters I will describe the process.

1. As you are knitting, you notice a slight anomaly in the fabric you have already knit. You look at it closely and decide to ignore it. It can't be that noticeable, you think to yourself...and keep on knitting.
2. You get a little further along and try on your sweater in progress. That mistake is still there but you are quite certain that you are just imagining it now since you are looking for it to see if it actually is noticeable. You continue knitting.
3. Now you have made some significant progress with your knitting. Now you are pretty sure that you are hyperfocusing on the issue with your knitting. You rationalize to yourself that once it is blocked it will look fine. Plus you have knit so much already, it would be a shame to rip it all out now. You keep knitting some more.
4. It's too late. You can't fool yourself anymore. Your knitted item looks horrible. If only you had ripped it back at the time you suspected an error. You may as well give up knitting forever because everything you make ends up looking like crap in a box.

There should be a word for this phenomenon. As I was telling my friend Christine yesterday, there has to be a better term for this than "dumbass knitter is in denial syndrome". If any of you have thoughts on what to call this, let me know.

My recent experience with the Somewhat Cowl had to do not with an error in a stitch pattern since it is a very plain knit. This had to do with the fit. I thought I had figured it out correctly this time.  But I'm starting to think that the problem I have with fitting myself in knitwear has to do with the fact that I learned to sew first. In sewing, you pick the pattern size according to your largest measurement and then alter everything down from there. After you assemble the pieces, you can always take the seams in for a better fit.

Yeah, you can't do that with knitting. So while I did decrease significantly for the waistline after knitting the bust section...I still had eight inches of ease around my waist. Yes, the sweater was too big in the waist by eight inches! This was after I thought perhaps the armhole was a bit too big. And so I finally decided to rip back.

So can you see how much fabric is gathered under the arm? And how there seems to be no waist shaping at all? This sweater is making me look very boxy when in fact I have a defined waist in comparison to my breasts and hips. Plus I was dangerously close to running out of yarn. (Elsbeth Lavold Silky Wool is the yarn for those that want to know.) And I should have had plenty. So I ripped it back.

Now we come to the big problem. I forgot that the neckline was lower than the armholes in this sweater. In fact, I had already picked up stitches all around the neckline, knitted the ribbing AND stitched it down on the inside. And now I need to rip this all back to point where the armhole meets the body of the sweater.  Can it be done without taking out the neckline?

Hold me. I'm trying it.

 Also, send vodka. And chocolate.

Comments

[TreasureGoddess Christine]

That disease not only needs a NAME but some form of a CURE! That will be a gorgeous sweater on you, but you're right, you've got to show off the curves!