excess fabric

… and not in a good way.

I was hoping that my next post about It Cannot Fail to Please would be a photo of me showing off the finished item, perhaps while frolicking in the streets of New York (that’s where I’ve just been for the past week, but that’s another story).  I was planning on finding a nice New York art deco building for a photo shoot, echoing the era of the pattern.  I had it all planned out, but it just hasn’t happened that way.

I finished knitting the sleeves (again) back in London and brought them with me to sew in.  One sleeve is now sewn in – and of course, I’m not happy with it.  The sleeves have turned out absolutely huge, although I have no idea why.  The photos of other completed projects on Ravelry all seem fine.  I doubt that my gauge could have change so much between knitting the body and the sleeves, so I don’t understand what happened.

(Apologies for the out-of-focus photo, but you get the idea).

See how much the yarn is bunching?  It’s in  complete contrast to the body, which is nicely fitted, although perhaps on the snug side.  Sadly it’s not just a matter of being puffy, as there’s literally an extra two inches of fabric throughout the whole sleeve length.  My bingo wings aren’t that big yet!

I can’t believe how much time I have spent on this pattern, completely out of proportion to any potential end result, I’m sure.

So, dear blog readers I need your advice.
Should I:

a) – Sew in some of the extra bulk and be done with it?  I would possibly never be happy with the jumper, with a massive seam, and leaving it unworn in the cupboard where it will mock me forever as another failure.

b) – Start the sleeves over yet again, playing with the numbers to modify the sleeve width, and possibly making them shorter as well while I’m at it.

c) – Curl up in the corner and cry, and swear that I will never knit another thing again.  Oh, that’s right, I’ve already done that!  If anyone has another option C, please let me know!

I had really hoped to wear this to knit night next Monday, but I just can’t see that happening right now.