Around here, we have an unreasonable hatred intense aversion to sweaters that bunch up under the arms. Since this sweater (Ravelry link) will only ever be worn over a long-sleeved shirt, I decided that the armholes had to be a little bit deeper than the pattern specifies. So, I was knitting merrily along, this past week, working on the left front panel, measuring carefully to ensure a nice, deep, non-restrictive sleeve opening.
Yesterday morning, I finished what I thought were the last two rows before shaping the neckline. Then I consulted the instructions. That's when I realized that I should have worked the neckline decreases four inches ago.
Oh, bother.
Okay, I could handle this. I am a knitter and I like to knit.
I ripped back to the lifeline, double-checked the directions, and re-knit the front of the left shoulder, this time with decreases on the neckline.
After I decreased a total of nine stitches along the neckline, I realized that at the rate I was going, I was going to have knit a twelve inch deep armhole.
I don't like a tight, strangling sleeve, but I also wasn't planning for this sweater to be a kimono. I decided that I should (triple) check the instructions. The pattern said to work decreases on every row for the first eleven decreases, not every other row - as I had been knitting.
Double bother.
People say that the third time's the charm and I am here to confirm this theory: after unravelling the work back to the lifeline, I very carefully re-read the directions and re-knit the front of the shoulder correctly.
If practice makes perfect,
then this is a perfect neckline.
then this is a perfect neckline.
I am working on the back of the sweater right now. After that is done, I shall cast on for the right front panel of the cardigan. It should be pretty easy, right? After all, I took copious, highly detailed notes on the left front panel shaping. And those detailed notes will come in really handy when I need to:
Work in patterns as established and work armhole, neck, and shoulder as for left front, reversing all shaping.
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Oh, those are my LEAST FAVORITE WORDS TO READ EVER.
Knitting really is an adventure over there isn't it!!
Sometimes I wish you could get "big picture" instructions. Like, here are the detailed instructions (i.e., the reversed shaping) and here's the big picture: you're doing the same thing, reversing all shaping. Because I like to have the detailed stuff, but I'd also like to know the big picture.
I hate it when it says "reversing all shaping" because it means the pattern is really 1/3 longer than it looked like, only I have to do more non-knitting paperwork calculations.
I wish sometimes that patterns would have a bit of pithy EZ-style directions.
Something like, okay, we are now well into the front of the shoulder, the next thing we want to do is make the neckline. The neckline shaping starts over here and then we need to do a bit more to finish up the shoulder.
Everyone together? Good, let's move right along, then.
froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity froggity
Sorry, had to do it,
NG
Oh, I totally did the same thing with the neckline! I did the entire armhole before I realized I should have been working the neckline "at the same time." Aaargh. (In fact, I'm pretty sure I blogged about it, which makes the fact that you did the same thing after my bad example pretty darned funny, actually!)
I always tell myself that mistakes are good. They mean that I have learned something and will never repeat the error.
I lie to myself a lot, but I feel better...
Loving the sweater, though. Nice job and way to persevere!
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