17 july: swatching on 3.5mm because i always go down a needle size. bought this yarn a million years ago intending to make a cardigan, made a half-hearted start, but it just wasn’t “right.” glad to have a kal or three to get me going!

i think i need to go down to 3.25… if i can find them…

18 july: ok i’ve swatched on 3.25mm and that is the needle of choice. ready to cast on for reals. wahoo!

20 july: finished first repeat, almost finished first ball of yarn, not quite used to knitting with cotton which i haven’t done in years…

22 july: joined second ball of yarn, finished second repeat. also got paranoid that i wasn’t “really” getting gauge, and rather than rip everything out, did a few waist-shaping decreases to reach the stitch count for the next size down. so i started with 33.5 size, now doing 31.5 size. now let’s see if i freak out that it will be too small! such a dork.

14 aug: back at work on this again. i have 4 pattern repeats done, one more before the split for the sleeves!

20 aug: minor setback as i realised i’d dropped a couple of stitches & had to rip back almost an entire pattern repeat. but got to the split, and cast on for the first sleeve! i am going to do more rows of ribbing though (hate doing it, but i like the look).

22 aug: almost done first sleeve. technically i am done, since it says to knit until it measures 6”, but i think i might make the sleeves a wee bit longer. keen to get it & the second one done fast though so i can move on to joining for the yoke!

31 aug: just done second sleeve. will join yoke tomorrow. did 16 repeats for sleeves (about 10” long)

2 sept: joined the sleeves, working on the yoke! concerned i may have missed a decrease, it is so hard to tell in the mesh. after i finish a purl row, when it’s hopefully easier to see what’s going on, i will count my stitches, and if need be, start the every-second-row decreases earlier on that shoulder.

also - i am going to have a lot of yarn left over! so much for getting rid of stash.

6 sept: about to start neck edge decreases. woo hoo! gearing up to finish this weekend, if i’m not too busy with the grape harvest.

7 sept: so close so close! busy with the damn grapes this weekend, but i am almost ready to bind off on the body & sleeves! it was a nice distraction while waiting for the grapes to reach jelly stage.

8 sept: worked on button band at lunch! one more row and then bind off.

9 sept: done! got some of the ends run in at lunch, will do the rest this evening before i wash and block. yahoo!

update from home: ends are run in, sweater is blocking. weighed just shy of 225g, which means i have a bunch of yarn leftovers.

16 sept: yes it took me a full week to attach buttons! but they are on and i am wearing this today!