Steps forward, steps back

I was so excited last night about my knitting. I have been diligent about working my way through the 30 Day Sweater ebook recipe for a basic long sleeve pullover. I really like how it is broken down into a percentage to work each day. It has been manageable, and that’s impressive if you also note that i have worked on two other projects, finished a third, among the usual day-to-day life distractions as well. This has become my auto-pilot knitting. So, last night, I double checked my measurement, put the sleeves on waste yarn (day 6 done right on time!), put the body on waste yarn, and put the sweater on.

Tah-dah!

Except it’s not so much with a trumpet fanfare, but more of a trombone’s “Whomp-waaaahhh”.  There’s just too much fabric in the front.  If I sit it way back so that fold of fabric in the front goes away, the raglan increases sit at really odd spots on my body. Ugh. I tossed it aside, scoured over my notes for the pattern, and went to bed angry at my sweater. I am positive the mistake is all mine, in that when I cast-on to start working in the round, I cast-on the total number of front stitches instead of just the number of center front stitches. Big difference. This morning I was still fuming. I thought about chucking it, ripping it out, starting a different project entirely. I have also thought about letting it be, but then it’s just another sweater to wear only around the house and the yarn is too nice for this project to be a dumb house sweater right from the get-go. By lunchtime I had decided to rip back and re-do that cast on. The deed is done, and it’s back on the needles. I’m back at Day 3.

It’s only yarn. It’s a plain stockinette sweater, not some heavily patterned cabled lace in mohair. But still, nothing bruises a knitter’s ego so swiftly as having to rip back because you didn’t read the directions properly.  Are you doing the 30 Day sweater challenge? How’s it going?