Last Minute, My Ass

Here we are, a mere five months after I started it, with a completed Hourglass Sweater. This sweater and I definitely have a little love/hate thing going on, but it's allowed me to learn some valuable lessons:
1) I don't particularly like knitting sweaters in the round. I really don't mind seaming, and for me it's faster than having a whole big sweater in my lap on circular needles. I also didn't love doing the sleeves on double points.
2) Non-animal fibers are really nice for ethical reasons, and for sweaters you'll wear mostly indoors, but they suck for weaving in ends. I'm really missing the spit-splice.
3) Knitting miles and miles of stockinette in worsted-weight yarn makes for a boring process, and a finished sweater I will actually wear. Bulky yarn knits up nice and fast, but remember that chunky black number I knit in three days last spring? Never worn it. Not once.
4) I'm getting better at making sweaters that fit me and are reasonably flattering. I'll chalk most of this up to the designer, but I think I'll take a little credit, too. The bottom line is, I'm really happy with how this sweater turned out (and expect to be moreso post-blocking).

The details on this project:
Hourglass sweater from Last Minute Knitted Gifts, by Joelle Hoverson.
Knit in Schoeller-Stahl Micro Cable 100% acrylic microfiber, color Grape.
I did wind up needing more yarn than the pattern calls for. I used almost three extra balls.
I also added two extra decrease rounds to the neckline to bring it in a little.

Oh, a little P.S. to those of you in cold climates: that shrub behind me in the photo is rosemary!