Stalled

So, I have some Knitpicks Comfy in October, it's lovely and I want to make a summer pullover.  Because I have concerns about it's durability, I want to use a stitch pattern that will keep it solid, so I was thinking a simple aran pattern.  I want the front and back to be basic squares with some shaping for a boat neck and then the sleeves will be basic with a center cable motif that will make a tab up the should seam and continue, wrapping around the two neck edges making for a decorative, non-traditional edging.
Not so big a deal, right?
Wrong.
I worked and did math and swatched and ripped out and did more math and restarted and ripped out and cast on again and ripped out again.  I've designed 3 different sets of cable configurations, and the first 2 have been non-starters.  Grr.  I think I need to use 4's on this yarn, it wants to be very loose no matter what I do, and I don't want a super loose hand on this project.
So, what I keep going back to because it doesn't make me mad, my socks.
Still using up sock yarn, I designed these from the toe up.  I just cast on 32 sts on scrap yarn and used the Nutkin heel/toe short row technique to make my toe, then picked the 32 original sts back up and worked up the foot.
I kinda like 'em.  Not even sure it's worth writing up this pattern (they're absurdly basic) but they calm me down when I want to throw my charts in the trash.