Anybody got a 2x4?

I am an IDIOT.

This weekend I started another sweater. I had meticulously swatched (something I tend to avoid...I don't have much time for liars) and then I figured, crunched numbers, drew sketches and charts, and came up with another version of Dancing with the Devil that has a higher neckline and is shorter in length. The swatching is what killed me.

I decided to use a thin sportish wt. (fingering? shetland?) wool that's been sitting in my stash for a very long time. I had plenty of yardage and its blue, nearly identical in color and feel to one of my fav store bought sweaters. A huge snuggly wrap style from Eddie Bauer that had seen it's last day a few of years ago. (I still wear it around the house though, sometimes a person just can't let go, it's been my comfort sweater forever)

But of course, a thin yarn like this wouldn't do for my purposes so I had to swatch. I hate swatching. I never swatch, but I had to. I swatched and swatched using various other yarns held together with the thin sportish wt. After several hours of swatching getting the right gauge, but not the right look or feel, I smacked myself upside the head and convinced myself that merely holding two strands of the thin sportish wt. together and fudging with the needle size a bit I could get gauge. That is when I should have backed away from the needles, cuz you see, after all those long hours of experimental swatching (ick) not to mention the frustration, I was not in the proper frame of mind. I was so obsessed with getting gauge and finding the right feel and look I totally forgot about one other, somewhat important, aspect one needs to consider before setting out to knit a sweater, can you guess what that might be?





I stopped knitting it on Sunday when I realized what I had done. Yesterday I refused to look at it. This morning I got out my scale. Sure enough, one third of a the sweater done, more than half of the available yarn used.

I am an IDIOT.

damn

Now I'm going to go smack myself upside the head with a 2x4.


BTW if you haven't noticed yet, there's a link to a pdf of the Dancing with the Devil Sweater. It links directly to a pdf that Ravelry is hosting. Can I, or anyone else, express the shear awesomeness of Ravelry??? Even those of you who haven't gotten your invite yet can get this download. Isn't that the slickest thing ever?!?