Deviation

When it comes to knitting, I definitely color inside the lines. I'm not really comfortable with going outside the charted pattern and usually feel like I don't have an arsenal of techniques at my disposal to change or improve upon the written word.

So imagine how the knitter's instincts were going off when I saw this:
After the waist shaping is completed, one is supposed to knit until the piece measures 19 1/2 inches or desired length. At which point you'd start armholing it. 19 1/2 INCHES? I checked the chart...instructions and chart agree-19 1/2". When I had tried it on previously, it was right after the waist decreases were completed, and the piece at that point was a little over 8". This is supposed to go under the bust, but does that seem a little long to anyone else?

I thought maybe the excessive length would take into account the piece stretching around my massive girth. So threaded a little lifeline and tried it on again. Pulling it under my bust, the top came down over my hip.

I'm so confused.

I don't think I'm short waisted. So measured 19" in myself and maybe I'm the one that is off. This dress tie is at my waist, and 19" measures almost mid-thigh. I looked at the picture in the book and it seems there are only about 10 rows from the end of the waist shaping to the bust. All signs [and the knitter's intuition are telling me to start the armhole shaping.

But there are those little numbers I can't get out of my head.

19 1/2.

So I measured my piece again. Maybe the sheep was lying.


...and...just...once...more...time...for good measure.

I have decide to move on to the armhole shaping, 6" before where the pattern is telling me.

But of course you know I'm going to try it on one more time before I knit a single stitch.