1. Shock and Denial
This sweater is okay, right? It’s not too big in the boobs. It’ll block out. I don’t need to rip it. It’s fine. It fits.
The armholes are just perfect, too. Lots of extra room, in case I start lifting weights. Or go into bodybuilding.
2. Pain and Guilt
Dude. This is 3/4 of a sweater. Do you know how long I’ve been working on this? That I put it down LAST YEAR, just to eff it up and have to rip back to about where I started from? FECK!
Oh man! I don’t want to re-knit this. What if I screw it up again? Plus I want to start a NEW sweater, not knit this one over again. Whine! No fair!
3. Anger and Bargaining
Look, you stupid piece of shit sweater–this is your fault. You tricked me! I thought once I got more weight below the bust part, the knitted fabric would pull down more! But it doesn’t! You suck!
Okay. Okay, okay. How about this: I’ll get a push-up bra. One of those that adds…two cup sizes. I’ve always wanted to be a DD.
4. Depression, Reflection, Loneliness
I keep spreading you out on my lap. You’re so pretty! Why don’t you fit?
It would be so great if you could just…oh man, I can’t do anything right, can I? It’s just a dumb top-down raglan sleeved sweater! They’re supposed to be easy! But no, I go and screw it up royally. Jeez, is anybody as dumb as me? I tried it on every few rows! How could it possibly not fit?
5. The Upward Turn
So I started a new pair of socks. Barber Pole socks, from the last Twist Collective. (Yarn is Claudia’s Handpaints in grape jelly.) No, I haven’t ripped yet. I’m just…working on the socks. I like how they’re turning out so far. Pretty! I’m not totally worthless. I can do some stuff.
6. Reconstruction and Working Through
So I guess the problem is that four extra stitches I cast on below the arms. If I just rip back to that part, I can fix it.
Actually just above that, so I can make the armholes slightly smaller. I think it’ll work.
7. Acceptance and Hope
Sure it’s a lot of work lost, but I can make it right, actually pretty easily. And it will be better in the end. Perfect, even.
I guess that’s all. Excuse me, I have some frogging to do.
the chemgrrl chronicles 
11 comments
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April 21, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Jodi
Good luck! I hope it works out wonderfully.
April 21, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Nicole
I am sad that we, as your knitting group echoed your delusions… we should have known better. I am ashamed.
April 21, 2009 at 6:53 pm
weezalana
Look at it this way – better to grit your teeth and frog it now, before you reach Denial Stage #8 (finishing a bad sweater and saying you’ll wear it around the house, which is knitterspeak for bury it at the bottom of the closet and never look at it again. *coughraspy*)
April 21, 2009 at 8:46 pm
Kalani
What Nicole said. But it looked like it fit!
April 21, 2009 at 9:36 pm
Lindsay
Another thing I always try to trick myself into believing in these situations is that those stitches that are being removed will make all the re-knitting go super fast. But really…4 extra stitches per side, 8 stitches per row. That adds up to a whole lot of stitches you don’t have to re-knit! It really will be a lovely sweater in the end, though. Well worth the hassle.
April 21, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Zonda
Bummer man!! But yeah, it’s a gorgeous color, and you want it to look awesome….I so know how you feel though!!!
April 22, 2009 at 2:30 am
Emilee
Aww, sad! What a pain in the butt. It’ll be worth it though!
April 23, 2009 at 10:13 am
Norma
I blame Kalani and Nicole. I’m still new to this sweater game. ;)
Sorry you’ve to to frog it. :(
April 24, 2009 at 6:26 pm
turtlegirl76
At least you got some kick ass pictures while you worked through the process. It’ll be worth the frogging efforts.
April 24, 2009 at 9:53 pm
irishgirlieknits
Oh no. And its the gorgeous Shibui yarn, isn’t it? Well, at least there is hope.
And one smashingly gorgeous sock!
June 28, 2009 at 10:44 pm
Nell
At least they are both gorgeous projects!