Homemade Friday: Radius (The best sweater ever in the history of ever)

I loved this sweater since I first saw it in Twist Collective.  There is just so much about it that is perfect for me, like it was designed by someone who listens to the voices in my head that says things like "It needs pockets!*" and "I wish these sleeves were long enough to cover up my hands without being annoying" and finally "I really wish I had a sort-of-80s-throwback-type sweater."

And that's exactly what this is.  All of those things.  I bought the yarn the pattern called for because I was scared that not using it would somehow make the knitting gods frown at me and cause me to completely screw up this sweater.  I wanted it to be just right because I loved it so very much.  I even bought the same colors because nothing looked as perfect and perfectly awesome as the ones used in the pattern.

I also knit a swatch to determine my gauge and if you are aware of my knitting style at all you will know that I do not swatch because I am lazy and also too anxious to get started so I can be finished.  But for this sweater I would have done almost anything.

My gauge was wonky, again, as it usually is.  But I did some math and some figuring and realized that I could knit following the 34 3/4 inch instructions and end up with the 38 1/4 size.  And so that's what I did.  This caused the sweater to be quite a few inches longer than it was supposed to be, but in my mind that only makes the finished project better.  Everyone knows that when it comes to sweaters - the longer, the better.

The sleeves I did a little differently than the pattern called for.  I increased two stitches every 10 rows because I think they would have been too big otherwise.

Guys.

I was so anxious to finish this sweater that I started it on Christmas Day and finished it on January 3rd - not counting blocking.  That's a week and three days, which is some epic knitting.  Luckily I was off work and we spent a lot of that time staying up too late watching True Detective so I had ample knitting time.

I stand by what I've been saying all along.  Best sweater ever.

Pattern: Radius from Twist Collective Winter 2014
Yarn: Victory Yarns Amherst
Notes: Followed instructions for the 34 3/4 inch size but ended up with 38 1/4 inch sweater.  Increased sleeves every 10 rows.  Only cursed the extra, non-knitting crocheting instructions once, which isn't bad.

*Every sweater/shirt/dress should be required by law to have pockets because they make everything better and also my hands get cold and also again I need a place to put my phone.