78% Beater

It's finished. The nights of marathon knitting are over (for this project at least). I have completed my first sweater. Technically speaking "IT" took me less than a month. I did cast on somewhere last year but it had been sitting for so long; June/July seemed like the right time to knit a wooly, very think, very warm sweater. I started in on it somewhere in the vicinity of June 11th (I wanted to make sure enough penalty time had elapsed). And then I knitted my little heart out. I wanted the best-EST Quidditch sweater a first-timer could make. All I was really asking for was that it fit. Like a glove. I feel so buxom in it. Now that my team has made it to the finals of World Cup Knitting, I can relax, maybe post a little more often. I wanted to keep a more accurate record of my progress but then it would have taken away from KHPD (knitting hours per day). There were all kinds of distractions though. Other projects (I am not a monogamous knitter), BBQs (it was the 4th of July after all), birthdays and of course, gainful employment. It is very difficult to sling coffee and knit at the same time. My cappacinos began to suffer. If you feel like it, there is one lonely photo posted here (seems it won't let me go for more) for visual stimulation but also be sure to check out the link under what's been cast off... it's a project gallery of sorts to see the whole range of my work and pretty photos of my new baby... I won't point out my mistakes. But there are a few. Who knew you were supposed to increase the rib, in pattern? Plus I got to learn the kitschner stitch and how to attach sleeves, plus sew in a zipper. The statistics of the project go something like this: Pattern is from last Minute Knitted Gifts (yes, I know it's for a man, but it looks so fetching on me) I used Lamb's Pride Worsted in Medieval Red on a size 9 (gauge? what's gauge?) and Manos del Uruguay in color 40 for the band. It took me 4 1/2 skeins of the red and 1 1/2 of the yellow. I can't wait for winter!