Timber!

Fully recommend wholesome addition of pockets. Grandpa style.

So I finally seamed up that Timberline I was working on (and that I finished knitting Christmas eve)! And I wore it for a good couple of hours at home after I finished seaming everything and tried it on, before realizing I still hadn't woven in the ends! Probably the cosiest sweater/cardigan I have made to date. Sadly, it is a bit too big for me. Not woefully, but somewhat noticeably. It would have done me good to skip those purl panels at the sides (though maybe not the sleeves, so I would still be able to layer stuff under it). The sleeves are also a touch too long, but that's fine, since that means they're at that comfy length where I can grab at them at will without dragging them down with my other hand. That being said, I can layer a bunch under this! And it's incredibly warm. Did I mention it's soft? And that even the camera isn't picking up those dye lot differences anymore? Don't ask me why the camera has accepted it, but I can still spot them with my naked eye. That might just be me though.

Nice buttonholes! Easy to find & feel sturdy.

The pattern is written up beautifully (as expected of a BT pattern), and walks you through every step you need to be walked through. The charts are repetitive and simple to follow, so after making the two sleeves, I was more or less on my way to not needing them anymore past the setup chart. One thing I would like to point out, though, with respect to charts: notice how, at the v-neck, the small cables disappear at different points? It's not a glaring difference, but it's there. So if you're super-nitpicky, you might want to reverse the cable pattern on one side (and for continuity's sake, probably mirror that for the back cables) so that you start with the right cable instead of the left cable cross. Or vice versa. I don't remember which you do first. The large cables are fine. They don't bother me at all. But all the large cables point in the same direction, so if that bothers you, keep that in mind.

There's also the fact that this design has a conspicuous lack of pockets. I would fully recommend you make them! My hands keep reaching for them and they're nowhere to be found. I had considered making them, but the idea of the BO at the pocket hole being glaringly obvious because of the cables deterred me. Don't let that deter you! Figure out a way! Maybe change it to ribbing for an inch or two. You're welcome.

This was my first time making these buttonholes, and I really like how they feel like they're going to hold up! They're sturdy and easy to find, and I don't have to pry open the hole to know where the button's supposed to go (or am I prying open the stitch? None of that confusion). These lovely wood buttons were also from my stash! Hurray for stash-busting! I purchased a bag of buttons from VV a number of years ago and proceeded to never use them (just the way things go, you know), so being able to use up almost all of one lot is great. (Just two left.) I guess the solution is just to make more cardigans that need buttons so I can use up the buttons? And use yarn from my stash to do it? Double win.

Sexy back, yeah! (So sorry. Seriously though.)

I did take an absurdly long amount of time to seam this up though. It lay in a pile for a good week or so, I think, before the new year came around and I decided enough was enough. And even then I had to do it over 2 days! I definitely need to polish up my kitchener stitching skills. Or my patience skills. I also didn't read the instructions that said to do a 3-needle BO for the back of the neck (see how smooth that centre back neck is?). So I grafted. And figured out how to make it so the purl to purl stitches grafted inconspicuously the second time around. Otherwise, everything came together really smoothly; everything fit in their proper places without too much stretching, and sewed together easily (just a couple of skipping stitches every so often while seaming), so I'm glad for that. Maybe seaming isn't the horrible beast I've made it out to be?

Victory!

Definitely won that beast over. Anyway, this is the first FO of the year, officially! Does it count? I finished knitting it last year though.

And as for the pattern, it was really fun to work through it, and it became - surprisingly - my mindless knitting project on the couch! Those cables are easy to memorize, don't let the looks of them intimidate you! I'd love another one, with the changes stated above.

Club Monaco dress

And here's that lovely knit dress I bought from Club Monaco during their holiday sale. I had to get it the moment I put it on. Great fit and super comfy. The skirt doesn't get stuck between my legs for some reason (I suspect because it's heavy and drapey?) either, which is great.