3/2/2014: Just started swatching today for the knit-along at Sifu Design Studio! I’m using the dark brown for the body, and the cream and plum for the accent colors. I’m super excited about this project!

3/12/2014: I decided the plum didn’t give enough contrast, so I started over with blue as an accent color instead. I think I’ll like this better. So far just a bit of sleeve done. Using 5s and 6s for the sleeves since my tension is looser on the bamboo DPNs. I’ll stick with 6s and 7s on metal circs for the body.

5/10/2014: I’ve joined the sleeves to the body and I’m working on the yoke now. This was my first adventure trying to knit with three colors in one row -- that was painful. I might have to take AJ’s advice and find an alternate method of doing this. But I’m happy with how it’s turning out!

5/18/2014: Happy to be finished with the three color rows, even though I did get better at them. I’ve started the Latvian braid and I’ll be ready to start decreasing. I took it off the needles to try it on -- looks like this thing might actually fit me! :)

5/29/2014: Got done with the short row shaping around the neck, and now I’m about to start on the next row of braid. I feel like I’m getting close! I’d love to get to the point where I’m ready to steek on Sunday.

6/6/2014: Finished the knitting while watching Orange (Oranje?) is the New Black. Made a date with Lisa for steeking!

6/10/2014: Woo hoo! Cut the steek and survived! Lisa had to help me a lot with the sewing, she ended up doing most of it. Then she held it steady as I went snip-snip-snip. Whew! Still lots of finishing to do, but it was exciting to reach this milestone.

7/26/14 : Okay, so unless I decided to redo the button band, here’s what’s left to do:

• Block the sweater (I’m thinking wet blocking)
• Sew on buttons
• Reinforce button holes
• Sew on ribbon to cover the steek
• Hem the color
• Hem the bottom
• Sew up the armpits

This still feels like a lot. But I think it will be done before the weather is appropriate.

7/27/14: Okay, while blocking, it’s become apparent that I really should redo the bind off on one side of the button band, which is really tight. I used Jenny’s Stretchy Bind Off for the other side, that that worked like a charm.

9/8/14: Finally finished! I’d made the sleeves too long, so Lisa helped me cut out a section in the middle and kitchner them back together. The sweater in general turned out slightly bigger than intended, a lesson to wash and block my swatch next time. But I still think I’m going to wear the hell out of this sweater this fall and winter.