when a sweater just doesn't work

Here's something I am learning slowly (very slowly) but surely about knitting for myself: just because I like a sweater doesn't mean I should knit it, at least not for myself. Case in point: the purple cables raglan cardigan that I finished - well look at that - about exactly a year ago. It's a really cute design, I did a good job with the knitting and finishing, I loved the yarn (Adrienne Vitta-however-that-goes Lisa) and the color...but it just isn't working for me. The problem isn't the swingy A-line shape (which, strangely enough, worked better on me than I expected) or the 3/4 length sleeves. The problem is the neckline. It's just too wide and keeps slipping down my shoulders. The collar won't stay down, either, which is a bit of a design flaw, in my opinion, but I think that could be fixed by tacking it down in a few strategic places.

What does one do with a nice sweater she put a lot of work into but never wears? Frogging isn't a very appealing option, and I can't bear to give something like this to a thrift store. The solution: find a friend who would fit it and would like it. Fortunately, I had someone in mind. My friend Pat is a fellow knitter and relatively small like me, and bonus - she likes purple! We met at the botanical gardens today, and I brought her the sweater. She tried it on and it fits!See?




It's a win-win, as far as I'm concerned. She gets a nice new sweater, and I am relieved of the burden of guilt of not wearing something that I put a lot of work into.