Oh, dear.

For the last four months, I've been working on my Soldier's Sweater from "Runway Knits." It's over there in the column to the right. It's not that it should really take four months, but I was just so incredibly tired of it. I'm now done with all the parts and sewing it together. But I fear that it might better fit a 6-year-old.

When I started the first piece, I was sort of worried that it was too tight of a gauge. I went in to Village Wools and asked what they thought. They pointed out that it's a) wool, and therefore can be wet blocked to any shape, and b) ribbed, so it's stretchy. They concluded that I'd be fine.

So, months later, I am nearly finished. I just have to sew the sleeves in and sew up the side seams. Then I pick up stitches along the front and neckline and knit a 2 inch border. But as I took all my pieces out, which had been previously blocked, I have found that they all shrunk back to their smaller size. Even the sleeve I just blocked a few days ago is small again.

I'm not sure if it will fit when all is said and done. I'm not sure if I'll have to give my precious sweater to somebody's kid. Four months of work, possibly thrown in a washing machine to felt by a busy mom who doesn't know anything about knitting.

Pray for me.