Now you see it...

Now you don't:
.








And this is why:
See those 4 lovely gathers down the middle of the back? Not so lovely on me. It made me look hunchbacked.

Now, this is certainly not the fault of the designer (yet another thing I cannot blame her for!), or the marriage of the pattern with the yarn. It all has to do with me and my "process".

I know that I'm not the only one who does this, but you'd think I'd have learned something over my many years of crocheting and knitting - Sheesh!

Here's my process:

1) Excitedly cast on.
2) Show everyone what I'm working on, the pattern, any pictures I can find, make them feel it, etc.
3) Gauge, what gauge? It's a shawl and I like the fabric I'm getting. I'm not worried about the gauge. I've got plenty of yarn and so far I really like what's happening with it.
4) Knit obsessively for a few weeks.
5) At somewhere over the halfway point, step back and think for a little bit. Is this doing what I want? Decide that, Yes, this is how I like it.
6) Getting close to the 3/4 point, stop again and take a look. This time, think longer about it. It's no longer "throw into the purse" portable, so it's harder to find the time to work on it. Does it still work for me?
7) Decide to add more repeats because as the pattern is written, it hits me at an unflattering spot.
8) Continue for still a few more inches
9) Slowly admit to self that: A) it isn't fitting right; B) it isn't flattering; C) I don't like the size, which leads to D) there won't be enough yarn E) and "I guess gauge might have been important after all"
10) Throw it in time out for a while
11) Rip it out.
12) Think about starting it over with a few modifications (larger needle size, check the gauge)
13) Remember that I still really like this project and should restart it right now.
14) Cast on a new project, something entirely different to give myself a break.
15) Repeat...

So what has been cast on instead? The Montego Bay scarf that I tried and ripped 3 times because I couldn't count to either 3 or 4 (finally figured out how to read the stitches, so it will be almost mindless knitting for a while). I also need to cast on for the Susie Hoodie (from More Big Girl Knits ) for our housemate - I've only been promising her a sweater for 2 years...Oh yeah, I should seam my Twist..., and there's another partial sweater that isn't quite working out either, and I could work on the Midsummer Socks and ...