How many mods does it take to make me a cardigan?

A few weeks ago, Cathy at Webs posted this cardigan from Berroco on their Facebook feed. You know, that's exactly my kind of project!

I swatched a bunch of stash yarn. Berroco is now recommending Ultra Alpaca. While I love the Ultra Alpaca, I didn't swatch it. I found something in my stash before I got that far.

The Moda Dea Silk n Wool has been a favorite of mine (I've knitted two projects with it... and of course it's discontinued). I loved the Sangria colorway, and I thought it would make this cardigan. It swatched beautifully. As a matter of fact, I might like this yarn crocheted better than knitted!

Started with a sleeve and ran into my first issue: No shaping. The sleeves are the same width from cuff to bicep. I hate wide cuffs, so I decided to chain fewer stitches and increase to the width. Then I noticed that the sleeves weren't going to be wide enough for me to wear anything under them. So I made the sleeve width wider.

I also didn't like the combo of V and crew and decided to do a straight up V neck (more flattering for me).

All was good until I dug out the rest of the yarn: I only had 12 skeins* and the pattern told me I would need 15 based on their yarn requirements! PANIC! (sleeves were already done and I was in love with the pattern stitch in this yarn. I really didn't want to start over with a different yarn).

At this point I had the back done, the sleeves were to the sleeve cap and I felt that if I seamed with a different yarn and didn't do the bottom border, I might squeak by. So I optimistically went on ahead.

Finished the fronts and the sleeve cap shaping with globs of yarn left over. (I had 2 full skeins. Most of on other and about half of two other: almost 4 whole skeins left). Good to go!

Blocked it yesterday and started seaming it up today. Got half it of seamed up with the second sleeve in and slipped it on...

OH NO! I didn't look closely at the schematic! The shoulders are way too wide for me. These have fitted sleeves, and a 2" drop isn't good. I need to rip back and decrease at the armhole on the front and back.

Not today. I need a break. I feel that this pattern has been nothing but a rework. Other than the pattern stitch and the A-line shaping, I feel that I have had to change everything.

Next time? I'll do it top down and seamless... now where did I stash that Ultra Alpaca?

*in full disclosure: I did have this yarn listed at 12 skeins in my Ravelry stash. I would save myself a lot of heartache by using my info on Ravelry. This is the second time recently that the info was there, but I didn't check. Which is why my Ravensong is not done...