7 Dec 2017: FINALLY finished up the seams! However… is this thing too ridiculously long for me to wear? Do I even bother weaving in the ends? I just don’t know. I knew going into this that I wasn’t svelte enough to really pull it off, and now I think I might just look ridiculous. Sigh. Dunno what to do.

If I decide to try to wear it out of the house, will add more photos (once I can get someone to help me take them!).

18 Nov 2017: Finished up the second sleeve. Hope to get them on blocking board tomorrow.

12 Nov 2017: Managed to get the body Soaked and onto the blocking board today. Using my new Knitter’s Pride Knit Blockers… LOVE. So glad I decided to invest in some!

Finished up first sleeve and cast on second last night and making good progress. Hoping to get time next weekend to get it all sewn together!

2 Nov 2017: Have decided to do sleeves as written (knit flat & seam) instead of picking up stitches. Cast on first sleeve tonight. Still haven’t washed/blocked/woven the body yet; things have been busy and chaotic. Hoping to keep momentum going on this project.

28 Oct 2017: Finished left front; hoping to get the three needle BO done and get it on the blocking boards this weekend.

27 Sept 2017: Finally back to working on this after a hiatus to work on C’s 11 p.m. scarf/cowl and H’s Boy Sweater. Finished up the right front last night and cast on for the left front.

4 July 2017: Finished the back (finally!) and cast on the right front.

25 May 2017: Finished up one 40-row repeat on back. Now that I have the pattern down pretty well, it goes reasonably quickly (for me, anyway). Picking away at this while watching TV for a bit after we get the twins in bed.

I am VERY glad that I learned how to knit cables without a needle on a previous project—it’s a huge time saver here!

18 May 2017: Cast on using crocheted cast on (a new cast on for me, and easier than I anticipated!). Going to try knitting this on 9s. Just finished up and blocked a Trego using this same yarn, and that was 16 st/4” on 10s, so I think 8s would be too small.

In addition, I agonized over what size to make. I kept going back and forth between the 43 1/4” and the 47 1/4”. Part of the problem was the big jump between those two sizes. My bust is 38”, so 43 1/4” is 5” positive ease; the larger size would’ve been closer to 10” (the pattern calls for 6–10). However, some other projects note that it is big, and while I don’t want it tight, I also don’t want to feel like I’m wearing a giant thing that’s always falling off my shoulders. My hope is that by doing the 43 1/4” one (the measurements of which seem to correspond to other sweaters I have and like), and by doing it on 9s, it will come out just right. We shall see!

A note on the name: The pattern name is Apex, obviously. However, the Vs point down, not up, and I associate “apex” with “up” or “top.” That got me thinking (again) about how hard the last few months have been for various reasons, and I decided that “nadir” was a better descriptor here. I’m not dwelling on the bad; it’s more a reflection of “I started this project as I was coming off a few tough months, so this seems to fit.”

New stuff:
On this project, I learned…

1. How to do the crocheted cast on.