Maybe I am a process knitter…

I have two things to report on today. First, the cowl that I kvetched about for so long is finally on track. Here is how the tiny scale stitch looks in the yummy gradient yarn from Miss Babs: It’s hard to see all squinched up on the needle, but you get the general idea. I’m headed back down the gradient scale again, getting darker and darker. I know I knit some of this yarn THREE times, but I’ll be happy with the final product.

So does that make me a product knitter because I want the final product to be right? Or a process knitter because I don’t mind investing in the process?

Now, for another tale of woe. I case on for the Sprig sweater in early April, just after buying a pile of Quince & Co Lark yarn when I was in California. Remember this? It’s a vibrant emerald-y green and the yarn is so springy and soft:

Sprig is basically a top-down raglan pullover with an interesting, asymmetrical neckline (this is the designer’s photo from Ravelry):

That ridge around the shoulders is the CO edge. At the end of the project, you pick up the stitches around the neck opening and work the leafy motif which makes the asymmetrical opening become symmetrical. You can see that if the sweater did not have that the leafy motif, it would hang off the shoulder in a Flashdance-y style. Can’t you just picture it? Wait, I’ll help. Here is my sweater at the point where one would do that neck edge treatment:Oh, what a feeling! Seeing’s believing!

I have it on over a shirt that doesn’t lay smooth, so excuse all the lumps and bumps. The holes you see are where I changed balls and the ends aren’t woven in yet.

Okay. I applied Amy Herzog’s CustomFit principles to this pattern. I used all my CustomFit measurements to modify the waist shaping so that it would hit my actual waist and be the length I wanted it to be. This is falling a little longer than I wanted. It isn’t absolutely terrible in front, but it isn’t great.

The real problem is in the back, where there seems to be a LOT of extra fabric: I don’t think that putting the leafy neck treatment on will help that. My photographer, Barb, tried to put the fabric where she wanted it to be – you can see just how much ends up in the fold:

This just isn’t right. It’s got to come out.

I know I pledged not to knit a raglan sweater again, but I thought I would be okay on this one by (a) knitting the right size and (b) not choosing a cardigan. Part of the problem with raglans is that they slip over my shoulders. But with no cardi opening, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Still, this obviously doesn’t fit. Clearly I’m not meant to have this sweater from this yarn. I’m setting it aside for now and will pull it out later.

In the meantime, I’ve begun a big blanket project. I’ve chosen the Heirloom Chevron Throw and have six colors of Cascade 220 Superwash (purchased during the WEBS Anniversary Sale). I’ve begun and am almost done with the first ball. Only 17 more to go! Here are five of the six colors (from left: Turtle, Pacific, Walnut, Aporto, Provence): And here is the sixth one, Doeskin Heather:

I feel certain I won’t have to rip back a garter stitch blanket that need only fit my couch, but I’ll still be careful. I’ve done as much ripping as knitting the past month.