I started knitting a sweater for my husband in September or October of 2019. I’ve written about it several times (here and here) as I made progress, but to sum up, I knit three quarters of the thing, then stopped due to project fatigue and a repetitive motion injury. Six months later I started the second sleeve, but set it aside again when it wasn’t the same size as the first (this is a prime example of shifting gauge. The first sleeve was knitted on vacation, the second in the middle of a pandemic). After doing a little math I made the new sleeve work. Then I sewed up the seams, knit the front bands and neckband, and sewed on the buttons. I was so excited to finally be finishing the sweater, and I documented my progress copiously on Instagram.
Seaming the body up.
Setting in the sleeves.
Adding the front bands, collar, and buttons.
I thought it was perfect…until my husband tried it on. The sweater didn’t fit. The fit issues were partly due to gaining the COVID 15, but equally at fault was the too-loose gauge I chose for the sweater. The front bands gape and refuse to hang straight even on a smaller body. And the neckline is wonky. It’s too low to be a crew neck, but too high to be anything else, and it stands out from the body instead of fitting snugly to the chest and neck. Part of me wants to rework the neck portion and the front bands and see if that will solve the problems. Another part of me wants to burn the thing and then pretend it never existed.
What do you do when disaster strikes your knitting?
Dramatic Lyric 
I put disappointments into bags, thinking that someday I’ll want to fix these poor, benighted things. Still waiting….
I spent months (!) knitting myself a silk-merino tunic in 4-ply. I’m a very fat woman, and this thing took forever-size 3 needles and I didn’t enjoy working with such a slippy yarn. I finally finished the bloody thing and looked really good, but then I washed it and it grew hugely in blocking- my gauge Swatch had lied to me because of the sheer size and weight of the jumper pulling it down I think. I ended up with the armpits somewhere around my stomach button- I looked like a four-year-old trying on her mother’s dress. So it sat in time out for another year (pandemic + major surgery-I couldn’t face it until this january) then i cut it into 4 pieces-yoke, body & separate sleeves, cut it down in size & re-knitted smaller arm holes, decreased body up the way etc-i learned a huge amount & kitchenered it all back together again-it looked great on & i really was so, so proud of myself-then the bloody yarn grew AGAIN in blocking and now it has horrible 80s batwings and armpits that come out under my bust. I had cut the stitch count down significantly and used the yarn from before which was already blocked so I didn’t anticipate it growing so much. It’s in time-out again, I’m determined to beat it, but unravelling it this time is going to be a nightmare because of the number of ends I have woven in now with the Kitchener and some of the adjustments I had made. It’s just going to have to sit until I’m ready to face it once more.
I don’t know if that’s any help to you or not; I really feel your pain!! I’m trying to view it as a learning exercise and I do have hope that it can turn out and look lovely because it did pre blocking. It’s a challenge but that can be enjoyable in itself as a learning experience, once the disappointment and anger has faded. Your cables are beautiful and the colour of the yarn is lovely; it’s up to you what you decide but but I hope you keep us posted- you’ve made me feel better sharing your journey so thank you for that
Wow, your sweater is taking you on a journey!!! Way to persevere! I think I need to take a page from your book and just to what needs to be done to make it work (after a break, of course).