The Never-ending Fair Isle Cardigan

I CAN NOT wait for this project to be done. I have spent 4 of the last 4 weekend days working on it almost full time. Yes, knitting a body tube without having to worry about purling while doing colorwork is a great idea. Not so great is the machine stitching and picking up stitches. These two activities make the actual steeking look easy and carefree. I am indebted to all the posts at Luna-Knits as she went through the process--I
know mine will be much better for learning about encasing the cut areas so that the mess doesn't show, and reading about how to keep the button band edges from curling, as well as other advice. I found the encasing directions a bit late for the sleeves, but that is ok, as that area really doesn't show. But I lined my neckband (with a new color, just for a little oomph, though my camera doesn't seem to want to disgorge the picture of it), as she describes, and now I am knitting the rows that will encase the front steeked edges. I am a nervous wreck (well, I've been a nervous wreck most of the time over these four days), but the latest cause is my worry that I haven't picked up the right number of stitches, and the button bands won't lay flat. My row and stitch gauges were the same, so I I picked up in every row. We'll see. More pictures to come when my camera decides it is willing to share them.

I passionately long for some uncomplicated, but still interesting, knitting projects for the next few weeks. I feel like I've been challenged enough for now. My goal is to finish it by the end of January. There's a chance... (I think my husband hopes for this, too. He has said he's a bit tired of coming second to a cardigan!)

On a cheerier note, I received my first shipment from the Webs/Storey Publishing Skein of the Month Club. I am impressed. It is Sheep Number Three from Sheep Shop Yarn, and a pretty pattern for a scarf. A friend wonders how well the pattern details will show in the variegated colorways--I guess we'll find out! (Once I get to my post-cardigan life...)