The Cardigan Chronicles: Letting Go

I thought to name today's post many things:  Epic Fail, Misery, Jumping Ship, UGH!  But Letting Go is the most appropriate because that is how I'm feeling this morning.  I feel that it's a more positive way to describe my huge disappointment in the cardigan that I've been working on for the past four months.

It was a busy weekend mainly spent in the city doing wonderful things (dance class and an audition for a summer intensive for Miranda, attending a contemporary dance performance with friends followed by tea and great conversation) so my time working on the second sleeve was precious.  My KAL partner teased me last week when I wrote about abandoning the two sleeves I had already knitted and trying the top-down sleeve method instead -- yes, I was avoiding doing the maths!  So, on Saturday night, with one more sleeve to go, I picked up the one I had already knitted (yes, the one with the too-long sleeve cap), frogged back to what I thought was the right measurement to fit into the arm opening, bound off, and began sewing.  I did this four times and none were right.  I have a feeling I know what I did wrong but I don't want to talk about it.


I ended the evening where I began, with one sleeve left to finish.  Last night, I decided to do the top-down sleeve method again but no matter how many times I picked up the stitches around the arm hole, I couldn't get the same number as I had on the other arm.  I pushed on, knitting the short rows, going on until I reached the bottom of the opening, only to discover that the sleeve would be too tight. I'm not one to easily give up so I frogged back and did this two more times. By the third hour of working on this miserable sleeve, I threw the cardigan back into my knitting bag and went to bed in a huff. 

I usually like to sleep on problems that I'm having and this was no different. So, this morning, I woke afresh, put my cardigan on, and after looking at the way it fit, decided that I have to let go.  There are too many aspects about this cardigan that doesn't work for me.  The rib collar is unflattering, and the one sleeve that I did manage to knit is too puckered around the arm opening and even with severe blocking as Julie suggested, I don't think will smooth out to my liking.  Perhaps more than that, the shoulder seam is now mimicking a dropped sleeve look which on my frame is really unattractive.


So I've come to the only conclusion that makes sense (to me, at least):  I'm going to let go and chalk this experience as a lesson learned. I'm not vowing to never knit a cardigan again -- far from it -- but for now, I think I'm better with knitting a top-down or raglan-style sweater instead. Setting in sleeves is a real skill, one that I just don't have yet, and that's okay. I'll learn it and I'll try again.


Thanks for all your incredible support during this failure of mine -- I really don't see it as wasted time (okay, maybe a little) and instead can appreciate what I have learned in the process.  I'll be frogging this little terror soon as the yarn is just too beautiful to let languish.  I'm sure you'll see it done up in something much more successful soon!

Berocco Ultra Alpaca Light