I think any aspiring designer might like to know my thoughts as I design this sweater. This is what I wrote while completely confident I had written the pattern perfectly for the front sweater panel:

Saturday’s thoughts on this pattern:

I’m way behind on this sweater. Aroha Knits who hosts the #initiateknitdesign reminded me to keep it simple – or maybe it was just three weeks of rolling around in my subconscious, but I think I’m going to kill this sweater pattern. I’m going to make it mine. I’m going to murder math, and make it all work. No one can stop me!! The power of walking away from a project frustrated, and returning feeling bad ass instead of defeated makes all the difference in the world! And honestly, the #initiateknitdesign challenge reminded me that I’m probably in a bit over my head. And that’s cool. If I wasn’t, I wouldn’t be me. I like to bite off more than I can chew, and once I’m overwhelmed, confused and mad, realize that next time, I might go a little easier on myself. But damn, if I’m not going to learn a lot the hard way!

Sunday’s thoughts after knitting:

Something feels off…let me just go take a look at this with the back panel…

Oh.

At some point I ripped out and counted wrong apparently. At least I made a knitting mistake instead of a design mistake? I didn’t like the severity of the v-neck anyway, so I’m changing that. Here’s what I’m planning on knitting…

Pattern for front panel 1:

Cable cast on 52 stitches.

Rows 1-18: K2, P2

Row 19: *K1 P1; Repeat from * 4 times; k2tog, *P1, K1; Repeat from * 4 times; p2tog, *K1, P1; Repeat from * 3 times; k2tog; *P1, K1 Repeat from * 4 times; p2tog; *K1, P1 Repeat from * 3 times; k2tog; *P1, K1; Repeat from * 3 times. 47 stitches.

Row 20-73: Continue in moss stitch. End every right side row with a knit stitch and start every wrong side row with a knit stitch to create a selvedge. I put in a colorful stitch marker to remind me which side will need this edging.

Row 74: Armhole side, bind off 3 stitches, continue in moss stitch. 44 stitches.

Row 75: Moss stitch.

Row 76: Bind off 2 stitches, using the sloping bind off method. Continue using this bind off method for the armhole. 42 stitches.

Row 77: SSK, continue in moss stitch. (SSK= slip the first stitch as if to knit and the second stitch as if to purl, working them together through the front) 41 stitches.

Row 78: Bind off 1 stitch, continue moss stitch. 40 stitches.

Row 79: SSK, continue moss stitch. 39 stitches.

Row 80: Bind off 1, continue moss stitch. 38 stitches.

Row 81: SSK, continue moss stitch. 37 stitches.

Row 82: Bind off 1, continue moss stitch. 36 stitches.

Row 83: SSK, continue moss stitch. 35 stitches.

Row 84: Moss stitch.

Row 85: SSK, continue moss stitch. 34 stitches.

Row 86: Moss stitch.

Row 87: SSK, continue in moss stitch. 33 stitches.

Row 88: Moss stitch.

Row 89: SSK, continue moss stitch. 32 stitches.

Row 90: Moss stitch.

Row 91: SSK, continue moss stitch. 31 stitches.

Row 92: Moss stitch.

Row 93: SSK, continue moss stitch. 30 stitches.

Row 94: Moss stitch.

Row 95: SSK, continue moss stitch. 29 stitches.

Row 96: Moss stitch.

Row 97: SSK, continue moss stitch. 28 stitches.

Row 98: Moss stitch.

Row 99: SSK continue moss stitch. 27 stitches.

Rows 100-111: Moss stitch. Bind off all stitches. Leave a long tail for sewing later.

#PennyDreadfulKAL Shoutout to Friends:

Special shout out to alexis and tomatofire2002 for signing up for the newsletter this month!

You too can be a part of the knit-a-long! If you’d like to knit-a-long, use the hashtag #PennyDreadfulKAL on Instagram, comment on my Penny Dreadful Knit-A-Long posts, or you can sign up for my weekly newsletter here. Anyone who uses the hashtag on Instagram, or signs up for my newsletter, or comments, will be emailed a PDF version of the finished pattern once the knit-a-long concludes in May. (Ok, more like June. I think I’m going to need a little time to get this pattern tech-edited.)

#PennyDreadfulKAL Goals:

I have so many goals. Rip out my current front panel, and get it looking like the pattern I wrote. Write the mirror version pattern of the other front panel. I’m going to try and start working on the sleeves for next week as well.