Disasters in Knitting 101

Okay so, after almost a year of knitting, I finished knitting my Sesame cardigan and it was ready for seaming. I worked on this sweater off and on and in between other projects, but I really wanted to have it finished before the weather got too warm and I would not want to wear it anymore.
End result?

DISASTER!

I'd show you a picture of it's hideousness, but I'm way too embarrassed. It's sitting in a pile of long arms and panels awaiting its fate. I'm not sure if I'm going to frog it, or toss it out. I may even burn it. A ceremony of erasing a year's worth of knitting. But again, a part of me wants to finish it. WHY? Because I hate leaving things left undone. I want to finish it out of principle. That's how I roll.

Let me list for you the reasons why this UGH-O sweater exists.

1. Bad yarn choice. Not that wool-ease is a terrible yarn. I'm no yarn snob. But I should have used something with 100% wool so I could block it. I was on a budget and I didn't know any better.

2. I chose the wrong size to make for myself. When I started this sweater, I had never knit a garment before. I spent 10 years of off and on knitting to make scarves. I didn't understand ease at the time, and was way too paranoid about it being too small. So I picked a size that was too big. It was destined to fail.

3. Wrong needle size. Not only was I not at gauge, I wasn't even close!! Not by a long shot. I was using size 10 needles on a pattern that called for a size 6! I am a tight knitter, so a larger needle would have been necessary, but not a size10! What was I thinking? I remember knitting a gauge swatch for this. I know I understood how to adjust needles to obtain gauge. But I can't recall for the life of me how I reasoned that a size 10 needle was the way to go. I was doomed.

The combination of choosing the wrong size and the wrong needles gave me 15 inches of ease. 15! It was loose on Eric. *face palm*

I knew it was too big while I was knitting it. My inner voice told me so. Told me it would not work out. I knit on. Everything the Yarn Harlot says about Knitter Denial was happening to me. I knew this. And yet I knit.

4. I picked up the wrong number of stitches for the button band, and knit it anyway. WHY? Why did I knowingly make this errors?

It is quite frankly, the worst thing I have ever knit. Some people suggested I finish it and give it away to charity. It's too ugly for that, I think. It should be finished and put in a museum of horrors.

But I learned my lesson. And I'm a much better knitter now, thank you very much.

To console myself, I started the Wicked sweater with my Mmmmmmalabrigo. It's so soft and yummy I want to eat it.



Also, I FINALLY finished the Nutkin socks I started so long ago. I used Happy Feet yarn form Plymouth Yarn Co. I love red, it's my favorite color, so these socks are now my favorite too. They feel so marvelous. I have to shimmy them on my foot, since the pattern does not have a lot of stretch, but they fit so perfectly once on.



I'm also working on the shawl, but it's not on my priority list. And I cast on yesterday for Eric's new hat. He wanted another one to wear in the spring and summer. One that will "not make him too hot" So I ordered Main Line from Knit Picks in Oregano. It's a cotton wool blend, very soft. I'm going to try the Straun pattern again, but in a snugger fit and not so long so it won't go over the ears. Knitting up quick!

Time for breakfast now.