Eyelet Cardigan

The knitting on the Eyelet Cardi is done, with modifications.


Click here for a bigger pic, and here for a detail of the neckline.

Stats:
Pattern: Eyelet Cardi, from Bonne Marie Burns (who gives great pattern support)
Size: Who knows? (I used the 6.5st/in numbers, in an Ex Lg)
Yarn: Elann's Endless Sonata, Burnt Orange (13+ skeins)
Started: April 29, 2004
Finished: ... not quite til the ends are in...

I have been foiled again. It looks kinda big, huh? Sort of wide...? Well. It is. While I was very careful to check that my gauge was spot on at 22 st/4 in while working the sleeves, I apparently never checked it once on the body, because every random sampling I took after the fact was exactly 20 st. Exactly.

I didn't notice the whole hugeness thing until the neckline. It was WAY too big to only pick up 100 or so stitches and I scrambled to try to find the cause. I was convinced I had screwed up the decreases somehow. Unfortunately, I read patterns very closely. [I just need to start pencilling in little tidbits like "check your gauge right now" and "are you still making gauge...? Are you sure?" throughout the patterns going forward. ] Anyway, in the end, I checked the damn gauge.

Since the neckline was [is] huge, I added five rows of ribbing to hold it up. I also added a couple of extra garter stitch rows to the fronts to help with the curling factor. (I am certainly not going to go through the heartache of grosgrain ribbon at this point.) The neckline looks ok, for being sort of spontaneous.

I haven't found a bit of decent advice about the ends, so I am taking it with me to my sock class tonight to ask the fine folks at Woolwinders for advice. I will post any good info. I also may throw the thing in the washer/dryer and see what happens...

In conclusion, it is a very roomy sweater. My stitches grew straighter by the row, and overall, I am pleased with the way the actual knitting looks. ...But I am mostly crushed. I have so many sweaters planned, but am obviously cursed with my inattention to detail. I had already started a small sweater for nephew #2. It has no shaping, so I am going to see if I can manage to get it at least mostly right. That, and stick to scarves for adults for a little bit.