The Cardigan From Hell

Months and months ago, I started knitting a grey cardigan of my own design. I swatched, and knitted up the waist, and then ran out of yarn. To make a long story short, the yarn was indefinitely postponed; after three months the warehouse was still depleted, and my local LYS ordered the yarn for me from another store (which was incredibly generous and greatly appreciated). Delighted, I dove back in. Just earlier today, I thought I'd be able to finish tonight. And then I got to the point where I could finally try it on.  It was not the Eureka! moment I expected. If anything, it was an "oh, s--t."

The belted detail at the waist wasn't actually at the waist. I tried a one-piece set-in sleeve construction modeled after the Deep V-Neck Sweater from the Purl Bee, but I didn't quite get the adaptation right. The (already attached) sleeves are too short, and snugger than I'd like. And it is much, much too warm. I'm always cold; I'm the one pulling my winter coat out when it's 40F, I use an electric blanket in the summer. And I grew up in snowy Minnesota.

I have no choice but to rip. At least back to where I joined sleeves to body, so I can make the sleeves longer. And as long as I'm messing with the sleeves, I should frog them so I can make them a bit looser. And after watching Project Runway reruns all afternoon (Season 2), I need to edit. Cables or the Fair Isle belt detail, not both. And I should take another look at the sleeve construction, see where I went astray. Shorten the over all length. Maybe add a cowl-ish element to the neck and button band?

But then maybe I'm being too rash. Maybe I'm over-thinking, over-designing. Maybe I need to re-discover some affection for the original design, fall in love with it again. Maybe I just don't want to start over.

I don't know. I have ripped back to the sleeve-to-body join, and I frogged both sleeves. The remnant of the cardigan is in one piece, for now. I'll sleep on it. Thoughts, anyone?