A sleeve?

A sleeve, a sleeve, my kingdom for a sleeve.

No matter what it looks like, it fits! No dreaded and fretted over gargantuan extra width as I worked the extra 20% to accommodate the size I needed. Just nice space in the armsyce. I don't think that I will have the dropping shoulder problem that many have had. Well, near as I can tell with needles and yarn hanging all over the place.

Whenever I see the works in progress on the Internet, it always looks so tidy and neat. Obviously there is something out there about trying on top down sweaters that I don't know (keeping in mind that I really don't know a lot about knitting at all) . What is obvious that most people whose photos I see on the Internet have help. I'm thinking it is a good thing I didn't go looking for help when I was trying this on. I can just imagine the kind of response I'd get to 'honey, I need a hand with my knitting' at 4:30 a.m.

But it does fit decently. The sleeves are about right, the neckline should be just about right. I knit the sweater a full two inches longer than called for and I hope that will be enough, though I guess I could make the bottom edging deeper if I need just a little more.

I'm definitely adding some hip shaping, but it will be pretty much what I do whenever I sew. I need another inch to the hip area for added ease. Always have, probably always will. That has stayed the same no matter what size I wore.

I'm not a big fan of ribbing at the bottom edge. The last thing I need is something hinting at pulling in at my hips, so I'm considering side slits for part of the lowest area. This might mess with drape, so if I can't keep a wide rib with slits at the side, I will use a seed stitch.

Here is one of the nicest little features of this design. It is one of the things that drew me to the sweater in the first place (Its the return of my personal camera, a camera I know how to operate!). See the nice strong ridge line that develops as you increase? It anchors the chevron, and makes the V of the knitting show up all the more.

If this sweater turns out as good as I think it just might, there will be more of these in my future, including the cardigan sweater I'd like to make to coordinate with this one.

As I'm knitting I'm planning that out. I'll start with some short row chevron work to fill in the back neck area, and then when the stitch count is right, I'll start knitting along the front portion. I have a feeling that I'm going to have to do the edging after the rest of the sweater is complete. I can't see how I'd accommodate the increase with its strong ridge and make a nice seed or other stitch. I need to think on that part more. (If any of you have any good ideas, wild ideas, even freakishly weird ideas, do tell.)

Lots to think about before the set is done, but, I'm feeling really upbeat about what is my first sweater for myself.