It's Starting to Look Like A Sweater!

 

My Retreating Sweater that is.  Over the weekend I seamed the sleeves, tried it on (Yeah!  It fits!), picked up stitches around the lower edge, did some math, figured out that if I knit to the pattern's gauge I'd have a ranch house, switched needles for a smaller gauge, knit the short row fronts, tried it on (Yes! It still fits!), and now I'm working back and forth, down towards the lower edge.  Yes, it was a busy weekend.  

Most of the time if you don't get gauge, using a different gauge means reworking all the maths.  This pattern is more of a recipe that you follow than a regular pattern and you work the maths out as you go.  (For those of you who get a little queasy thinking about it, the pattern is very well written and she explains everything step by step.  As long as your 11 year old measures you correctly - mine did - you'll be fine.)  Since I'm using handdyed yarn, I am working from two balls of yarn at once, changing balls every two rows.  The front edge is finished as you knit, and I didn't want to change balls there and risk making it look messy, so I'm changing in one of the underarm/side seam areas.  

I've read through the rest of the directions and I think I'm through the most difficult part.  There's a bit of shaping, but for the most part, I'll just knit and try it on periodically until I decide I'm done!