Sideways cable sweater is done!

I can't believe how fast this sweater has pulled together. Without exception (until now) I have gone through a phase with every sweater I've knit where I wonder with every stitch if it's done yet???. I'm not sure what's different about this one, except that I was using it as a second project while working on Irtfa'a. Comparing knitting time for size 10 needles on thick yarn to lace on size 5's couldn't really be anything but advantageous for the sweater. And, stockinette in the round just flies. So, here's the finished product, displayed in the very rare sunlight that peeped in our window today.



I am feeling really good about those ribs. I used a slip stitch rib, because I didn't want to repeat the loosening that happened in my first sweater ever (I'll post about that in a second). I also love the way the center knit stitch (the slipped stitch, really) looks like a tiny cable. This isn't a great picture, but it's the best I could get.



I did a single crochet bind off, which makes a nice, decorative edge. The description in Stanley's book says that it is a "firm and elastic" bind off. I agree with the firm, but not so much with the elastic. If you want to do this one, use a big crochet hook, and leave it very loose. That said, I think it's really pretty.



And, I still love the staghorn cable around the shoulders. The lighting today shows it in slightly higher relief than previous pictures.



The one thing I'm not too happy about is the armpit. When I switched from one circ to three (splitting off for the arms) I didn't keep my tension tight enough, so there's a little bit of gapping between the stitches that I don't like. I haven't decided yet what to do about this, but it seems like a little reinforcement should firm it up.



In all, this was a quick knit, and I'm pretty happy with the way it came out. First FO of 2008!