What could have been.

I bought some Knit OneCrochet Too Camelino on account of it being on sale and being made of camel. While I waited impatiently for the yarn to arrive, I scoured Ravelry looking for the "perfect" sweater pattern.

You know, I love how knitting is like that. For a moment there, before you cast on, sometimes even after you've finished a few rows, your project is perfect. The way you can envision this project as being the one without any mistakes, with no horror stories, the one that fits perfectly and makes you look thin and complements your skin tone.

I wanted something with texture for this yarn. I wanted something easy enough to do while I watch the baby, but something complicated enough to keep my interest. I picked an orange/copper color, and I didn't want the sweater to just be plain stockinette. How boring. I would hate orange if I tried that. I would hate pumpkins. I would stuff the sweater in my closet, just like all my other boring projects.

I picked a sweater called "Victora Buttoned Raglan." It wasn't actually perfect. The collar was much too big. But I was confident in my knitting skills and forked over two dollars for the pattern and told myself I'd modify the design.

I cast on.

I worked an inch or two on it, thinking to myself "this pattern is awfully funny. If I were working this flat it would look better..."
I re-read the pattern.
I was NOT supposed to join.
I grumbled, but pulled it out and cast on again. This sweater would still be perfect.

It was clear to me, after starting the raglan increasing, that my collar modifications were not going the way I had planned. Maybe it would be best if my first top-down sweater wasn't also my first modified sweater. I ripped it out.

So I flipped through Jacqeline Fee's Sweater workshop book and decided to invent my own sweater. I would call it "The Ringwood Sweater" because that was the stitch pattern I chose.

I calculated the stitch count based on the raglan, since I'd already made a circular swatch, and cast on.

After working on it for hours, I followed Jackie's instructions and placed half of the stitches on a spare circular. I tried it on, and it seemed to fit just right. If a little tight. I measured it. Thirty inches.
Now, I know that the ringwood pattern is stretchy, but my chest is 34" and I don't want a pattern stretched out on my chest. So, I ripped it out again. It made sense really, I based the stitch count on a stockinette stitch swatch after all.

I cast on yet again, more stitches this time, and I got this far.

Then I realized that I was knitting on size 5's. Which was fine at the ribbing. But I was supposed to switch over to number 7's but was watching a movie and completely forgot.
I ripped back to the ribbing.

I have ripped and reknit the first ball four times.
I can't stand working on it anymore because I constantly envision how much sweater would have been done if every stitch I knit counted.
I no longer think this sweater is going to be perfect.
But the yarn is delicious.