Extensive pattern notes are below, and I have a pictorial walkthrough on my FO blog post.

Swatch measurements-
before blocking: 16 rows/2inches, 16sts/2 inches.
after blocking: 14 rows/2 inches, 16sts/2inches.
The finished sweater ended up blocking larger than I anticipated, but I don’t mind. The 3/4 sleeves are just about full length, though, so I’m glad I didn’t make them longer!!

Modifications:

• Converting to v-neck cardigan.
• Changing armscye to be more tapered/rounded - less straight on the body side.
• Making length a tad bit longer - just about an inch or so.
• Mitered neckband/hem - knitted afterwards.
• Inset pockets.
• Knitting Sleeve cap and body together instead of steeking armholes and seaming.

(See Detailed pattern notes at bottom.)

Color Substitutions:
Sand - Carribean
Mooskit/White - Carribean
Mooskit - Cyan
Yellow Ochre - Cyan
Pine Forest - Grizzly
Peacock - Bark
Rosemary - Bark
Ivy - Bison
Turf - Bison
Hem/neckline and pocket edging and sleeve cuff worked in Bison

Timeline:
9/9/12 - won a blue ribbon! :-)
9/4/12 - entered in the county fair.
8/18 - ALL done!! I LOVE it!!
8/17 - blocking
8/ 15 - finished first pocket and started the second.
8/14 - sewed tails in on the sleeves (the bulk of the yarn ends) and started the first pocket.

I tally about 120 hours worth of work over 17 days!

8/12 (day 17) LAST DAY of the Ravellenic Games! Worked for about 8 hours. Finished the hem, finally! Still needs to be sewn down (I’ll do that after I block it) and the pockets sewn, and the clasps attached, but I’m calling it done so it can cross the finish line!!
8/11 (day 16) - worked on this about 10 hours. Started foldover hem - only got about 3 rows done.
8/10 (day 15) - got another 10 hours or so in today. Stopped on row 4 of body chart. Only need about 13 more rows on the sleeves, and 20 something rows on the body. I hope I can get that done tomorrow morning so I have all afternoon/evening to work on the edging.
8/9 (day 14) - got about 10 hours of knitting in today! Joined sleeves to body and am still working armhole decreases. Carefully tried it on for fit - the body is a bit snug, but I think it’ll be fine once it’s blocked. Stopped on Row 2 of body chart. I really need to finish the body tomorrow if I have any chance of finishing in time…
8/8 (day 13) - went ahead and dropped the columns of v-neck decreases and fixed them. It didn’t take me as long as I thought it would - I didn’t account for the nice sticky quality of the wool yarn - the stitches stayed in place so it made it easy to work them back up! I feel much better now. :-) Hoping to finish the second sleeve today and maybe even join them to the body…
Got about 8 hours in today - only have 10 more rows on the right sleeve until I can join both sleeves to the body!
8/7 (day 12) - I figure I knitted for about 7 or 8 hours today. Got to armhole of left sleeve. Started right sleeve. Stopped on row 18 of sleeve chart. I’ve knitted for about 72 hours on the sweater so far in the last 12 days. Realized the v-neck decreases have been done backwards up to now! Eeek! Leave it or try to fix it?
8/6 (day 11) - got about 8 or 9 hours in today. Stopped on row 20 of sleeve chart - only have 26 more rows to go on the first sleeve until the armhole.
8/5 (day 10) - got about 5 hours in today.
At armholes of body - stopped after row 14 of chart. Casted on left sleeve. Got hem and 2 rows of colorwork done on left sleeve. Stopped on row 9 of sleeve chart.
8/4 (day 9) - I only got about 1 hour in today!! Did a whopping 2 rows! Eeek! (But I had a wonderful night with some girlfriends and lots of wine, so it wasn’t a total waste.) :-D
8/3 (day 8) - got maybe 8 hours in today. Stopped after row 1 of chart. Started v-neck decreases, almost to start of armholes. 105 rows total.
8/2 (day 7) - got about 5 hours or so in today - didn’t get much done at knit night! Stopped after row 10 of chart (but forgot to switch my blue, so I’ll have to tink back that row!!) 88 rows down.
8/1 (day 6) - got about 6 hours in today. Stopped on row 25 of chart. 77 rows done.
7/31 (day 5) - got about 6 or 7 hours in today. Stopped in the middle of row 11 of chart. Done with waist decreases, started waist increases. Almost 63 rows done.
7/30 (day 4) - need to order a longer needle for the neckline - hopefully it’ll get here in time (I shouldn’t need it for a while - neckline will be last).
Got maybe 6 hours in today - stopped on row 23 of chart (still on second chart repeat.) 49 rows total.
7/29 (day 3)- got quite a bit of knitting time in today - I’d guess about 7 hours or so. Stopped on row 9 of chart (at 35 rows total). I think this is a good spot to put the pocket placeholders…
7/28 (day 2)- got maybe about 5 hours in today and tonight. Stopped on row 19.
7/27 (day 1)- casted on at around 6pm Eastern time. Casted on 317 stitches - 307 for body and 10 for front steek.
7:30pm- 1am: worked fairly diligently during the opening ceremonies, and then afterwards watched an episode of Downton Abbey. Got a total of 8 rows done.
7/23 - mapped out all my modifications. I hope it all works out. Figured out the armhole mods, and the v-neck shaping.
6/19 - swatching…
6/12 - ordered yarn.
Going with a cyan and brown color palette. Using just two colors for the cyan/blue swirls, and 3 colors of brown for the background. Hopefully it’ll have the same ‘pop’ of the two color versions, but have an added something with the variegation in the browns.

Doing this for the 2012 Ravellenic Games, because evidently I’m a masochist.

Need to order yarn to swatch with…

Planning on modifying to a v-neck, with Maud’s Blog as help.
Possibly doing just two colors, we’ll see.
But I’m kind of in love with the colors in this one: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/GlennaC/venezia-pullover

Detailed Modifications/Pattern Notes:

• Using 39.75 size as guide. Starting on Row 1 of chart and knitting 6 rows straight before following directions. * Cast on number of 317 determined as follows: cast on number minus one center front stitch, plus 10 steek stitches for front. Followed directions, but start of rounds is at the center front instead of side seam.

• Provisional cast on instead of starting with hem, so the neckline and hem can be knitted at once later.

• After about 5 inches, added placeholder for pockets: pockets placed at 18 stitches from center front - 28 stitches wide.

• V-neck shaping: Begin v-neck shaping at around 13.5 inches from bottom - decrease one stitch each side of v-neck every 3rd row 15x, then every 4th row 10x.

• Working sleeves and joining to body to avoid sleeve seams.

• Armhole shaping as follows: put center 21 stitches each underarm (body and sleeves) on waste yarn. Then 1 stitch dec each side (sleeve and body) every row 6x, then every other row 6x, then every 4th row 3x. Work body straight, but work one more decrease every 4th row on sleeves. Then work decreases on sleeves every other row 5x, and every row 8x. Then 2 double decrease rows - (back and forth) while steeking the remaining body rows.

• Top of sleeve cap was then seamed to the body (after seaming the front and back shoulder seams).

• Neckline and hem were picked up all the way around (I used a size 1.5 needle at the neckline and front, and a size 2 needle on the hem) and I picked up pretty much every stitch on the front and neckline. I then switched to a size 2 needle for the whole thing after the first row. I mitered the bottom corners (inc on each side of center 2 stitches of corner - every row) and at the back neck (only decreased once at each neck side and only every other row) and placed random increases every other row at point of v-neck to make the v-neck pivot out. Then after I knitted about 10 rows, I reversed the process to get the foldover hem - decreasing at bottom corner miters and v-neck, and increasing at back neck pivots.

• Pocket: Picked up 28 stitches above the placeholder and knitted about an inch - put on placeholder. Picked up 28 stitches below placeholder and knitted 15 rows for turnover hem - and knitted it to first row. Then knitted the pocket lining flat (65 rows - about 6.5 inches) and grafted the end to the top. Then seamed the sides and tacked down the hem.