oops! (almost) & avoiding future mistakes on the vest

I realized this morning that I forgot to check the erratta for the vest pattern before I started working on it. (Pepper!! You must remember to do this every time!!) I'm glad I realized this now because it turns out there are two entries correcting the pattern. Luckily I haven't gotten to them yet. [http://www.glampyre.com/fitted-knits-errata ~ corrections for pg 84 & 85]

More ideas to avert future mistakes:

the bottom half:

I am still working on the ribbing at the bottom of the vest. I didn't get a whole lot of knitting done this weekend because I was socializing with actual people. My therapist would be proud... ha ha. I am having a slight internal debate about the 8.5" measurement for the ribbing. Do I measure it laying down flat or should I stretch out the ribbing fully (as it will go around my beer belly)?

When you stretch it, it gets between 1-2 inches shorter. I ran a tape measure down right below my bust and I don't want the vest to be any shorter than 8 inches from there. So, in conclusion... I am going to stretch it out and actually measure the 8.5'' while I am wearing the piece.

the shoulders

I am trying hard with this project to think about the whole thing before I get started - you know, like an actual careful knitter. Planning ahead has made me decide I am going to try a 3-needle bind off or kitchener stitch on the shoulders rather than BO and then sew together later. I need to remember this so I can (a) remember not to bind off and (b) maybe end one row short to eliminate any stitch allowance in the pattern.

the pattern instructions

Further, in my efforts to plan ahead I actually made a copy of this pattern that I am using to write notes/reminders to myself and cross off rows as I complete them. No more trying to decipher millions of sticky notes that I leave in my book. Hopefully being organized will pay off.

the gauge

And going against the plan of planning ahead, I should admit that I only half-heartedly swatched this sucker. Hopefully it will turn out okay. This is the first time I ever swatched in the round and in pattern and it turned out into a big mess. My gauge was nearly double what it should have been - I think that is because it was insanely loose. But rather than go through the whole ordeal again, I just bumped down a needle size and am hoping for the best. I just now had the idea that I am going to put a lifeline at the top of my ribbing. Then if it turns out that my gauge is way off when I am knitting the bust, I can just frog back to that point and go down one more needle size (or up?).

Hooray for planning ahead! If only I could do that in my life as well as my knitting. As far as I'm concerned these days, any potential problem that could arise in my future school/career is future Pepper's problem and not mine. In knitting at least, present Pepper will take some responsibility for her actions.

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