Sweet Tea Take Two (and three and four and...)

After letting the Sweet Tea sit to one side for a few days I frogged it and took a picture of the yarn so I would have something to show on my Ravelry project page.

I tried making the top front again using a smaller hook but was still having the same problem of it being too wide. I took a good look at it and realized that the edges were flaring out really bad. I made some measurements and discovered that even though I had gauge when I started, my shell stitches were 0.25 inches wider in the last row of the top front as they were in the first row. So, I was not getting the shape I needed for the piece and I wasn't keeping gauge.

I frogged the piece again and set it aside so I could think of a way to fix my problem.

While thinking about how to fix my gauge issue, I decided that I wanted to make the tank one size smaller and add some short rows (instructions for this are in the pattern, so I didn't have to work the detail of that out, thank goodness!:)).

I came up with some things to try to fix my problem and tried them a couple days later. First, I tried doing the increases on the edges in a smaller hook to see if that would pull them in. It did not help as much as I had hoped. Frogging number three. Second, I left out the increases on some of the rows to prevent the edges from flaring out. The shell stitches were still widening some, but that compensated for the width being lost from the removed increases. So I finally had something that was the right length and the right width. The removal of some stitch repeats did mean however, that I was going to have to follow the instructions for a smaller size than the one I was actually making.

It was at this point that I realized that I needed to make the top two sizes smaller to fit my torso properly. Frogging number four. This also meant that I would need to put in the maximum number of short rows to make room for my chest (there are two short row options in the pattern).

Finally I was able to make two top pieces for the front and back that were close enough to the right size to be used. When I made the connecting row to put the two pieces together and start working on the body of the garment, I discovered that the shells were still spreading some and the called for number of stitches for the underarm area made it too big around again. AHHHH!

I frogged back the connecting row, reduced the number of underarm stitches to get the width I needed and then switched to a smaller hook in order to keep the shells the same size as before.

Once I was working evenly and no longer needed any increases, I was able to keep gauge quite well. I started making the body of the sweater, adding in all of the short rows I could. I tried it on as I was going along and...IT FIT! Happy dance!

I am now working even on the body of the tank until it is long enough. But, it is finally working! I am checking my gauge every few rows just to be sure, though!

The straps may still pose a challenge, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it. At least I am a little better prepared now.