New techniques: cable cast-on (really!), cabling without a cable needle (I’d only dabbled before), Russian joining all new balls of yarn (fewer ends to weave in!), a new short row method (info below)

Jan 16/13: gauge swatching began last night. It looks like I’ll be knitting this on US 6 needles.

Jan 21/13: knitting has been on hiatus for a little less than a week while I recover from a nasty cold/fever, so it’s only today that I’ve been able to commence knitting of the actual sweater.

Jan 24/13: I seem to be using up a skein of yarn every 3 days, so I’ve wound enough to last me until next weekend, so far. My goal is currently to work one pattern repeat (“lozenge”) every day and it’s working out well so far.

Jan 31/13: I bound off the main body tonight and began picking up stitches for the collar.

Feb 2/13: progress was derailed today due to Matt’s sudden affliction with the stomach flu. Any way, I’m going to have to ask the designer for clarification about the collar (or check other Raveler’s notes).

Feb 3/13: Yay! Matt’s feeling better, so I was able to get some work done on this project today. I found some great tips about avoiding “pouchiness” for the collar shaping in KnittingSuzanne’s notes. I didn’t follow her advice to the letter; my short rows end where the v-neck ends (her lower arrow). I’ve got a bit of pouchiness occurring just above the “lightning” cable, but I’m fairly certain I can block that out. patternwhisperer had some great info which linked to a discussion board post about her favourite short row technique. I’ve been using that technique for the collar and I love it. I can’t wait to see how it fares in sock-making. I suspect I’ll also consult her notes about buttonhole creation.

Feb 5/13: had mom try on the sweater to give to give me some sense of where to place the buttonholes. Since FA is taller than mom, I placed the first buttonhole marker lower than where it would fall on mom. Off to knit some buttonholes! Addendum: I should mention that the buttonholes were 5 sts long. Update: the collar has been bound off, two sc rows were adding to the bottom of each (per the designer’s recommendations) and I have those ends to weave in. Otherwise, I’m on to the sleeves.

Feb 6/13: started working on the sleeves today.

Feb 7/13: first sleeve has been bound off. One to go.

Feb 8/13: buttons and blocking are all that are left!

Feb 9/13: buttons are on, sweater has been washed and is drying.

Feb 12/13: it’s dry! It’s dry! It’s dry! I’m going to try to take pictures tomorrow.

Feb 13/13: the pictures are up. The sweater is beautiful. I’m going to have to make one for myself, for sure.