Wow

I really thought that I would get one underarm fusset (not a misspelling) done yesterday.  I knit all day.  I knit with only enough breaks for the health and safety of my hands.  

I knit through lunch, and with more coffee, I knit right to 6 p.m.  but all there is to show for it is a measly partial side gusset.  

It gives detailed notes for making it longer for taller people, but it doesn't say anything about shortening.  The sweater is designed to be 27 inches long, much too long for me.  I have to wing it to do the gussets.  Had I not had to rip back twice, there would be a sleeve with all the days knitting. Dadgummit.  

While I am enjoying the knitting (ish), I wonder about the construction.  It is interesting and it does result in a really nice sweater, but it just seems needlessly fussy.  You knit 4 panels.  Then you sew 2 of them together.  Why not just knit them together using a double decrease at the centre.  

The side gussets are knit in, but you are forced to do a lot of flopping and flipping of the rest of the sweater.  Why not knit these flat and sew them in?  

And then there is a wee gusset to be knit to fill in a little corner between the front panels and the sides.  Why not just knit the short rows for the sleeves as if it was a modified drop shoulder sleeve?  (Which it is.)

There seems to be 2 methods of construction going on here and while it does some interesting things, its a little confusing and somewhat fussy in the details.  

I'll get to the sleeve today.  

Dadgummit.