06-04-10:
I had these really unusual clasps that went so well with the yarn, but I didn’t think this very detailed sweater needed any more…detail. But after staring at it for a few days I changed my mind and decided to give them a try. I’d love to hear your opinions. Better with or without?

12-30-09:
The color is a bit more burgundy than brown. Still deserves to be called chocolate. Love love love this yarn, and this pattern. Hoping the cables show up nicely in this dark color.

This is my first cable project, so it may be to my advantage if the cables don’t show up so well.

Starting with the sleeves, doing two at a time, and working up to the most interesting and challenging part, the fronts. I’ve used a provisional cast on so I can lengthen the sleeves if there is enough yarn. (And if I want to.)

This will be my first project with sewn-in raglan sleeves, (I’ve done top down raglans) and my first-ever pockets-with-linings. Woohoo!

I got the required gauge on #8s, but I’m using a smaller needle (#7) hoping to get a size between the 32 and 36.

02-05-10
Had a little trouble with the final rows of shaping at the top of the sleeve cap. I needed more guidance than I got from the pattern, and I ended up with kind of a chunk of garter st at the peak of the raglan. I’m hoping it all works out when the sleeves are sewn in. But it wouldn’t be too tragic if I had to do that part over.

03-30-10
Finished the back and am now working on the left front. I tried doing both fronts at the same time, but quickly realized that was far too complicated for my focus-challenged mind. Now having no problems at all. And the cables are looking really good. Good to me anyway. I have very little experience with cables.

05-16-10
This has taken much longer than it should have, just because I’ve been sidetracked by other projects. It would have been done months ago had I stuck with it. I love the way it’s coming out.

05-30-10
Finished! I didn’t like the way the collar looked, so I took it out and redid it with a few short rows at the back. It lays better now. Also, the instructions were to pick up the sts for the collar from the right side, but when worn, the collar turns so that the seam from the picked up sts shows. So the second time I made the collar I picked up the sts from the WS, and I like that much better.

I did decide to make the sleeves a little longer than the pattern. I’m not sure I like the length, and wish I’d made it as designed. Not changing it now though.

And I have to confess to a rather large glitch in my cable pattern. I lost track of the chart on the first front piece and didn’t notice my mistake until I’d bound off. Fortunately I did notice it before I made the second front piece, and repeated the mistake. Otherwise the two pieces would have been different sizes. You can see it on the area a few inches below the collar. The XO pattern is interrupted by a kind of fish-looking thing. Oh well. I just keep moving when I’m wearing it and no one notices. Not even other knitters!

I didn’t want buttons on this for several reasons. I couldn’t find buttons that matched the yarn, I wanted a really snug sweater and thought that buttons would leave gaps in the front, and I don’t like making buttonholes. So I used hook & eye tape. Purple. Pretty.

I’m really happy with the end result!

The last photo of the yarn cake is closest to the actual color on my monitor.