Before we get to the photo portion of this session, let me begin by saying:

GAUGE SWATCHES ARE DIRTY, STINKIN’, FILTHY, NO-GOOD, LIARS!!

When I started this project, I made a couple of gauge swatches.  One in stockinette, one in the lace pattern.  I even gave these little swatches a bath to see if they would grow once they hit water.  These gauge swatches, being the no-good rotten liars they are, did not grow one iota.

However, when the front and back pieces I have painstakingly crafted hit water…

Cue the circus music:

 They blossomed into a lacy circus tent.  Here’s a tshirt of mine to give you some sort of scale.  Notice how there’s at least a good 1.5″-2″ of sweater showing on either side.

And, you know, as I was knitting the sweater I even omitted a couple of lace repeats, knowing that the lace was going to block out and make the sweater a bit bigger.  I am just speechless.  Simply dumbstruck.  I don’t know what to do with these pieces now.  Part of me wants to finish it out and give to to someone else.  The other part of me wants have a big ass bonfire in the backyard.  I’m open to suggestions.

In the meantime, I’m gonna go cast on some socks and have a drink.