Saved by the Sweater

It's been one of those days, you know?  Feeling dumb dumb dumb, socially inept, talentless, stagnant, unproductive, dyspeptic AND way too hot. 

Since I don't really have the luxury of doing this:

 

I drowned my sorrows in knitting, and with some trepidation, paused to see what I had wrought after dividing the sleeves and body:

 

Amazing.  The body has appropriate ease, the sleeves are just right, and the neckline is no longer strangling me.  I think.... (though I hesitate to jinx the whole thing).... I got it right this time. 

Here's what I did:

1) Measured the neckline I actually wanted, added 7 stitches for button band overlap (which is oddly missing from the figuring in the original) and cast on the appropriate number of stitches, which was way more than called for in the largest pattern size.

2) Picked a reasonable number of stitches to mark off for the sleeve sections, based on the assumption that I was starting an inch or so lower than the neckline called for in the pattern (15 stitches, as opposed to 11, that is.)

3) Divided up the remainder and placed the 4 raglan increase markers, being sure to include the extra for the button band in the front. 

4) Worked out about how big I wanted the armscye to be, and how deep the yoke needed to be at that point, with the idea that I wanted the raglan increase lines to show all the way down, but bearing in mind that an initial faster rate of increase wasn't such a bad idea, given the square shoulders thing.  Played with the numbers for a bit, and it turned out that increasing on right side rows x 14, followed by increasing on every other right side row x 8 worked out just right.

5) Worked a couple of evenly spaced increases in the arm and back sections to bring them each up to a multiple of 7.

6) Took a bit of a design leap (the success of which won't be apparent until the body is mostly done) and worked increases across the front every 6 stitches (similar to the original) for a gently gathered effect, which will hopefully accentuate the bust in a babydoll-ish fashion. (And then fudged a few more increases on the following row for a multiple of 7.) I plan to work evenly spaced single increases down the side "seams" to gradually bring the back stitches up equal to the front, such that the bottom of the cardigan will skim the top of my hips in graceful fashion. I'm not 100% sure it will work, but I have my hopes!

Comments

[elan]

Sounds like you've mostly rewritten the pattern.

[johanna]

the neckline looks great!!!

[Gillian]

Well, it's starting out beautifully. Long may it continue! And you've explained it out quite thoroughly for someone else who wants to experiment.
I didn't know all dogs would try those amazing positions. I had one who, when young, used to plant himself against the front door like that.
Cheers.

[punkin]

Your design modifications on the sweater are brilliant. I look forward to more pictures.

(I am surprised YOU have feelings like that, because it is so obviously not true)...(except I can imagine you feeling too hot - we are in the heat wave here, too).

[Leonie]

you are a marvel!

[Jan]

That looks great! And like Gillian and Punkin said, thanks for the explanations of your thought process.