Off to the races

After I'd made my swHATch, I was ready to begin. Except, I really wasn't. I hadn't decided anything other than what colours the sweater would be. I hadn't decided what shape it would be, nor had I given a thought to the details of how much cuff or hem it would have at the edges. Would I put increases and decreases in it to make it conform to my shape, or should I leave it plain and not complicate the patterning?

In a typical manoeuvre, I sidestepped the issue. I didn't decide much as I cast on. Basically, I decided the circumference at the hips.

I achieved this lazy, ill-planned thing by doing a provisional cast on. Later, when the sweater is completely formed, I can make a bottom edge that suits it. By knowing this one nice trick, I could start and let the sweater as a whole dictate its details rather than the other way around. I will freely admit that this could be a mistake, but for my purposes in this, it was a lifesaver. Instead of being paralysed by choice and the pressure of decision-making at the outset, I could simply start.