Knitting Olympics: False Start

So here's my sweater for the Knitting Olympics! It's called Lloie's Cardigan (also known by the super-creative name "Yoke Sweater WG79"); I'm doing the cardigan version pictured on the left, my own hand dyed yarn, size 2 needles.




The main color is a very dark purple--the big ball above. The fair isle pattern will be greens and teal, with cranberry at the very top, where the pattern resembles petals.


So, I cast on during the opening ceremonies with Blogless Carla, and I'm knitting along, doing the ribbing on size 1s, and might I add, not enjoying knitting 300 plus stitches on those size 1s.

I got the sinking feeling that, because of the miles of solid color stockinette on this sweater, I had picked a marathon event. I am not usually an endurance athlete, I am more of a sprinter. But I kept going.

By day 2, I was totally psyching myself out. I was questioning my color choice, I thought the cast on edge looked wavy and bad, and I was more than a little worried that I wasn't getting gauge. At the end of 2 days of knitting (with only about 3" done), I took it off the needles and put it on spare yarn to measure.

Confirmed: it was about 3" too small, I was knitting too tight!


Ugh! Nothing to do but riiiiiiiiip.

Now.....I'm back on track and things are going well. As well as can be considered where you're knitting miles of stockinette, 300 plus stitches to a round, on size 2 needles, in a very dark color. Get me to that fair isle section- stat!

Are you participating in the Knitting Olympics? What are you making? Tell me in the comments--I want deets!