Sweater Headache

So I made this sweater, and it was full of problems.
Problems like the pattern not including some little details, for instance anything about the hem. Or not mentioning blocking before seaming, which I should have done anyway but was not smart enough to.
You can see here that there are wobbly panels on the side. The sleeves are also a mile too long, although those were mostly improvised so it's not too surprising. It looked about as flattering as a garbage bag in a really nice colour. It is a gorgeous colour- a rich deep pink heather with flecks of yellow.
Last night I had to make a choice. I sighed, pulled out the scissors and began deconstructing. Ripped out the bottom hem, removed the side panels and reinforced the sleeve where they'd be removed. Then I seamed the cabled panels to the sleeve and down the side and removed 10 rows from the sleeves. Then I redid the bottom hem, this time decreasing and going down a hook size to get a tight, tidy look.


Now I have a flattering sweater that I really like! I was worried that it was going to end up in the pile of "I made you, but I'll never wear you." It would have been a shame because I do really love the colour, and the cables.

I also love the cowl, and the sleeves. I used esc (extended sc) for them, and I think I am a little bit in love with the stitch now. I do believe my next cardigan is going to be made with that little stitch.

Speaking of next cardigan, I wound up the yarn for it today. It's Cascade Pastaza. Aren't the colours awesome? The light pink is going to be the main body, with the turquoise-y and dark pink being the accent colours. I'm really excited for it!

I finished a few cowls lately, too. This one is a simple tunisian cowl for a friend.This one I really finished months ago. It's the sample I made for work of my Cable Crazy Cowl pattern (I have a pattern for sale! I'm a real designer! Woah!).
I taught a class on it, and although I only had one student it was really fun. I'm planning next month's class- I'll be teaching reading a crochet pattern. I'm excited to help people learn to understand patterns. It really opens up your world.