Another one where I make a sweater too big

Ya know... I really do still have that body image complex.  Why is it that every time I try to knit a sweater I make it about 3 sizes too big?  

Can you guess what today's post is about? 

I started the Lightweight Pullover by Hannah Fettig.  Super cute!  Even though I'm not a cowl-neck sweater person, I really like this sweater.  And it was a major bonus that it is a top down construction sweater and super easy with just stockinette stitch -- something I need right now as I can only knit for about 1-2hrs a week.  

I am using Knit Picks Palette yarn in colorway Fog (a discontinued color so I better have enough yarn!).  This is a fingering weight yarn so I just held it double and it was perfect.   

I CO for one of the medium sizes and started knitting the cowl.  Within a day I had most of the cowl done!  




So over the next 2 weeks I would sneak in a row or two here and there.  Before work.  After work.  Between class lectures.  Between writing a paragraph of a paper.  So yeah, knit a little here and there and in 2 weeks I had this much done!


Those little lines - those would be life lines.  Not because this pattern is difficult and I needed to rip back.  Nope those are where I held stitches together so I could try it on.  From very early in the process I could tell it seemed a little big.  But I figured, I'm always cold.  I can just add layers under the sweater.

And all my troubles stems from the fact that I could not try on the sweater.  I am knitting this on my KnitPicks options interchangable circs.  One of the bonuses about topdown/bottom up sweater knitting is the ability to try on as you go.  Um yeah not with a size 24inch cord!  Well not on my body at least!  I did find, however, now Knit Picks is offering a connector for the interchangables.  Both times I have tried to order they have been sold out.  So all of you knitter out there... let me buy some... please!  My sweater knitting depends on it!

So yeah, I couldn't try on the sweater.  And I was in denial.  So I kept knitting... until the SO looked at it the other night and was like... "um... I think you did it again."  Shitty!  So I took out some waste yarn and tried it on....





Yeah.  Waaaay too big!  Even with layers, it just bulks in the wrong places.  So I frogged it.  Yep.  The whole thing.  Funny Story:  this is the first time I utilized the split-splice technique.  I have never done it, but because this yarn is so thin and it is 100% Peruvian wool, I figured I could split-splice the ends and no weaving in.  Boy it worked!  And I do like that I won't have to weave in ends.  

However, frogging back 4 or 5 balls (don't forget held double so we are talking 8 or 10).  I ended up with this monster: 


It is rather comical.  Here is another shot.  


And just to give you some more laughs... here is The Ball as compared to Kyle Bun.  I think he was rather frightened by the monster of wool.



So back to square one.  I'm going to CO for the same sweater again... this time I'll try to keep my actual body measurements in mind!  Wish me luck!  

Comments

Sigrun said…
Good for you, never give up! I would advise making a new gauge swatch, since frogging and wrapping (looks like tight wrapping) onto a big ball could change the behavior of the yarn. I notice that it's bunching just over the armhole mitre--is it doing that in the back, too? If not, maybe you need fewer sts across the front. (I agree that whole thing is also too big, but there's no rule that says that front and back have to have the same # of sts, if that's not what fits you) The good thing about a SNAFU is that you can learn what to adjust, so #2 just has to work out. Keep knittin'
Lupie said…
First how could you think you are a medium! Second Mija you need a winder and swifter.
I love the fingerless mitts you have on. I'm sure you posted them in the past. What yarn did you use?
It looks like Jitter Bug.
Kristin said…
Oh, I hate it when a sweater turns out too big! Good luck with knitting it a second time.
VeganCraftastic said…
Ugh, hate when that happens! And that is one massive ball of yarn! :)