There is nothing more fun for me than diving into a new project, and nothing more irksome than projects that drag on and on…and on. This sweater has been one of those irksome projects that I couldn’t seem to finish. Finally, I tore everything out, reknit the swatch to check my gauge, then re-casted on and forced myself to push forward.

I am not even sure why I had such a hard time with this project. I loved the yarn, loved the pattern and am now very happy with the results. I KNEW this pattern would look awesome in red, and I was right. I’ve already worn it to church, to a party, doing my everyday routine…

I originally had problems with getting it started. The hem is assymetrical, and so each side requires a drawn-out series of short rows. I chose the pattern because I liked the hem, but the knitting of it proved to be less fun than expected. The construction with the neckline and sleeves is also interesting…to say the least.

But sometimes a knitter’s got to do what a knitter’s got to do. I ended up not entirely following the pattern toward the end because it wasn’t making sense. After making it so far, I wasn’t about to give up when the finish line was in sight. I finished the way that best made sense to me, and I am very happy to finally be wearing it instead of trying not to send it dirty looks while it was taking up space on my coffee table. Red lipstick optional.

Irksome