Cracking the Code

I worked on the tie-front cardigan today and my brain is worn out. Maybe it's because I'm not an experienced sweater knitter, but I found the pattern to be very confusing. I had to read, read it again, and read it again. Finishing the top shaping for the neck and shoulders, to me, was done in an odd way. I knit 15 stitches (for the right shoulder if you're looking straight at the back) and then I had to join a new ball of yarn, binding off the middle 30 stitches. I then knit the last 15 stitches to start the left shoulder. That was a little strange to me. I expected to have to put my first set of 15 on a stitch holder, right? Then I had to continue to knit on the two shoulders, using two balls of yarn. The pattern said to bind off 5 stitches at the beginning of the next 4 rows, and duh, I thought there are only 15 stitches, so 5 stitches 4 times = 20 = more stitches than I have on one side. (See, I teach 3rd grade math. I can figure out this kind of stuff.) After reading, and then looking at the pictures for clues (a strategy that we teach to children learning to read - check the picture), I realized that I had to treat the 15 left and 15 right stitches as one row. Not that hard to figure out, now that I look back on it. I'm slow today. I just don't like it when I have to work too hard at figuring out a pattern. I want it to be easy for me. I'm a lazy knitter. But I did crack the code.


So here's the back:

If it looks short and wide, it's because it's short and wide. It's not a full-length sweater - it's a more of a cropped length. You can look at the picture from the book here. I'm also proud to say that I measured to check that my gauge was still on the mark - and it is. I think it is, at least. I'm doing my best. Some days I think, just stick to scarves, shawls, and bags - things that don't have to fit, but I know I'm capable of doing more. Just have to be patient (hurry!) and take the time (rush!) to do it right. Lovely. I'm of the just-wanna-be-done-and-move-on-to-the-next-project school of knitting. I have to force myself to slow down and stay calm.

But that cupcake hat pattern is calling my name . . .