There are a lot of notes here, but so it doesn’t get lost in the fray-this is one of my favorite sweaters. Everything came together perfectly, the yarn, the design, my knitting ….I love it!

If you are knitting this sweater and purchased your pattern BEFORE 3/10/10 then you need to check out the errata that Anne has added for the pattern.

3/4/10. Gauge swatch knitted yesterday (the third), cast on and knit nonstop, I’m so excited about this sweater and I love this yarn. Little details: After working through the first few decreases at the waist shaping by working the 2nd and 3rd sts together, I decided that I would like it better working the decreases on the 3rd and 4th, maintaining the garter column on the edge. I think I will like it better seamed up like that. Then I had to rip back the top when I realized that I totally didn’t get the pattern for about 15 rows.

Detail Casting on for ribbing I use a longtail and a reverse longtail (or continental and reverse continental) cast on so that I have smoothness at the bottom of the knit sts and bumpy at the bottom of the purls. It’s just a little detail that I like when working ribbing and you can use it in any combination of knits and purls for any ribbing. Here is a video example.

3/5/10. About half way up the back and I remembered that I usually do the fronts first so I can line up the pattern to end where I want it and then I knit the back to match. So, onto a holder needle go the back sts and I will cast on for at least one front and knit it before I finish the back.

3/7/10. Got to the armhole decreases on the left front and decided that where they fell wouldn’t work with where I would like to see the neckline decreases. Bummer. I sort of thought I would get lucky because the decreases in the photo on the pattern were good, but then I realized that on Anne’s sweater photo, the chart was not worked as it was written for the pattern (if you look closely at Anne’s sweater you can see that the full diamonds on each side of the button band begin with three purls-not the sets actually on the button band, but the full column of corrugated diamond-while on photos of the others that have been knitted that column starts at the widest part of the diamond. The right side chart starts at the same spot for all sizes so Anne’s is different), so I ripped it back and started the chart on row 13 instead of row 1. I will have to rip back what I have done above the peplum on the back as well, but that is okay. I almost left it, but I know it would have bugged me that it could have been better, so I just pulled it out. Onward.

3/8/10. Okay, I have thought about this almost exclusively all day. I won’t have to rip what I have worked on the back at all. If I work the back as written and the fronts from row 13 this is what I should get: The pattern will mirror image under the arms and at the shoulder seam, so the diamonds will end at the same spot at the shoulder and mirror on each side of the shoulder seam. Being 4’11” the shoulder is always important to me. If I worked it as written, the back diamond would finish at the narrowest part and the fronts at the widest. I have one front finished, the second started.

3/10/10. So, it only took me a few days to get my thoughts together. It is simple, the motif chart wasn’t centered similarly front to back and that was what I was trying to get at, using too many words. It looks like Anne figured it out, too and put up errata. Onward!

3/11/10. Two fronts finished. Sleeve being a pita. I had it all worked out, shortening the sleeve and getting the motif to end right where I wanted it to at the shoulder. And that sleeve was still too long. So I ripped back, took another inch off and still. Too.Long. So I have ripped back. I am not going to reknit the entire sleeve so that the motif ends where I want it to, I am the only one that would notice that detail. But still. As usual for me, I will be knitting two or more sweaters’ worth just to get one sweater. ;)

Modification to sleeve: Cast on 42 sts, work cuff increasing 3 sts on last row and work sleeve inc every 6th row 11 times and every 8th row 6 times. Shortened sleeve, working about 15” to armhole.

3/21/10. Update. Ugh. I hope I love this sweater because I have reknit enough of it to make it twice, and the issues, with one exception, were all mine. Gauge changes, mistakes, knitting the sleeve too long. Twice. And you would think I could keep track of the corrugated diamond pattern in my sleep by now, but I keep screwing that up and having to rip back and reknit. Honestly. The thing should have been done a week ago. I am working the armhole shaping for the back right now. All other pieces are complete. Same gauge on all? Probably not, but I am on vacation and will worry about it when I get home.

3/24/10. Shoulders were seamed on 3/22 on the plane home from FL. Neckband was put in, but then taken out and put in again and then the bind-off was taken out just before we got off the plane. Bound off on 3/23, ends all woven in on 3/24 and will be blocked tomorrow. Then it only needs seaming and buttons. w00t!

4/1/10. Okay, it is blocked and seamed, but still needs buttons. I mostly love it. Unfortunately I didn’t spend the time to rewrite the armscye, the upper sleeve and sleeve cap so there is a bit too much fabric in the sleeve which might drive me crazy. I do love this pattern though and wouldn’t be surprised if I knit it again, I probably will.