This year has been my biggest failure in my knitting hobby. I haven’t completed a single project this year. I have started, stopped, ribbed back the same sweater probably about 7 times. You can tell from my posts here and here and here. Each time I would get through at least half of the sweater and for one reason or another, I ribbed it all out. The knife in my back was that this is my first time knitting with mohair (I was treating myself! My first proper luxury sweater!) so I had to separate the mohair from the wool and then soak the yarns and then dry, and re-wind the yarn. I mean at one point I completely rewrote a pattern - but that fit still didn’t work!
I ended up finding an entirely new pattern (for the same style of sweater) and started all over again. I needed to just finish a sweater and accept the fit even if it wasn’t perfect (see this comment about how hard it is to have “perfect” sleeves). I finished the torso and a sleeve and was trying to finish the second sleeve this week.
I made it halfway through the second sleeve and realized – I knit it using the needles from the ribbing on the first sleeve . In other words, I knit it using US 4 instead of US 5. I am at a loss for words and at a loss for morale. I don’t know if I have it in me to start this sleeve over (the pain of separating the mohair and washing and re-winding is really the killer) and if I should just put this sweater in a bag at the bottom of my closet. Or should I just finish the second sleeve with the wrong needles?
You have been through it with this sweater and its predecessor but the sweater is gorgeous and looks terrific on you.
Put it down for a day or two. When you can go back and measure the gauge on the two sleeves. See how similar they are and decide if it’s worth ripping back on sleeve two. I suspect there won’t be a great deal of difference. (You can also measure the two sleeves against each other to see the size difference.) Then you can decide whether to continue with the size 4 needle or just switch to the size 5. With mohair, the switch may not be remarkable.
We’ve probably all had sweaters like this that took ripping out and reworking more than once. I’m wearing one right now. It went from black sheep to a favorite once finally finished! Be of good cheer. This will work out too.
I think salmonmac’s suggestion is the best idea. I’ve never used mohair but do know about ripping, reknitting, ripping, reknitting ad nauseum. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You might dig out some stash leftovers and knit something simple and easy to finish. I just made Poppy. Poppy is yearning for her photo op. lol. Another quick, easy to finish project is A Little Kindess Monster. Can you tell I’m into distractions and stuffed stuff?
You really have been through it with this sweater. I rip out and reknit a lot but not mohair, in fact i tried a mohair style yarn as a sample swatch/scarf just to test it out, hated it and couldn’t rip it out, it was just a knot that ended up in the bin. High praise to you for having the stamina to keep going with the ripping out, and all the work that goes into that yarn prep!
Your sweater looks great. I can’t tell from here that it’s on the wrong size needle. Maybe just keep going? Perhaps you can change needle size now for the rest of the sleeve?
One thing I do know is that most people don’t really look at us or our clothes. People make eye contact and only really take in a general idea of the rest. I doubt anyone would notice a slightly different sleeve so the big question is if you can live with it and love your sweater anyway or if you’ll end up not wearing it because of the sleeve?
A couple of days break often helps to bring the answer.
I’d also give it a couple of days’ break, but I agree that the sleeves probably aren’t different enough to be worth pulling back. What do you think of the fit as it is right now?
Will a sleeve difference niggle away at you? I suspect that it would if you’re asking the question!!
A general tip I’ve found useful for ripping out mohair is to put it in the freezer first - makes it easier to pull out. Also, start in the middle of a row/round and pull out gently in both directions, using a small or cable needle. When you get back to the unwound yarn, move along to the middle of the next mid row/ round. This seems to create less yarn trauma!
At least a sleeve is smaller than the body! It’s like childbirth - you’ll forget all the pain when you have a sweater that you truly love!!
If the sleeve isn’t noticeably smaller when laid on top of the other sleeve, I’d keep going with the size 4s and maybe block that sleeve a bit harder than the other to adjust the size if you can feel the difference.
As others have said, nobody will notice but you. If it doesn’t feel so different that it bothers you, I’d just go ahead and finish. You’re so close! And it’s looking great!
As a wise woman once told me, you’re the only one who notices the mistakes—others don’t see them, either because they don’t know how to knit or simply don’t pay attention. The difference in the needles isn’t much; keep going—you’re almost there.
I think it looks great, but I can’t see it up close. I may be ok by just blocking it out to match, I’m not sure if the needle size going up might make it more noticeable or not. Can you knit a swatch to see the difference in the measurements before making that choice?
. In other words, I knit it using US 4 instead of US 5. I am at a loss for words and at a loss for morale. I don’t know if I have it in me to start this sleeve over (the pain of separating the mohair and washing and re-winding is really the killer) and if I should just put this sweater in a bag at the bottom of my closet. Or should I just finish the second sleeve with the wrong needles?
