tying up loose ends

i'm not a great finisher of knits. i love working on them, i love the knitting process, i love making up the pattern as i go along - but i don't love the finishing up. weaving in ends, sewing seams, knitting button bands & buttonholes & sewing on buttons? yeuch....
....which is maybe why this cardi is only now making its appearance - now that it's summer weather here, & too hot for wooly cardigans - despite all the knitting of it being finished nearly a month ago.

i'm quite impressed with how it's turned out - even the locals stopped to admire my handiwork, and made appreciative noises as they watched the photoshoot.

& although i'm really happy with it, i can't help but be a little annoyed that i took so long to finish it up. the whole project has been a long-drawn-out labour of love, since it's the first ever large-scale project where not only did i do all the knitting & make up the "pattern" (such as it is), but i also made all the yarn myself - the bright green of the yoke is my own mill-spun hand-dyed yarn, and the rest is my very own handspun!

i worked on this throughout a very stressful period, and the combination of the simple pattern & the lush handspun merino/silk blend was hugely soothing. & although i had some slight doubts & misgivings about the "pattern" as i was going along, i'm really happy with how it's all turned out in the end.

project specs:
start date: 21st april 2009
completion date: 26th may 2009
yarn: main colour - my own handspun, a 70% merino & 30% tussah silk blend spun to a heavy aran 2ply, with roughly 680 grams & 620 yards; contrast colour - my own hand-dyed aran alpaca/merino/bamboo blend, 100 grams & 180 yards
needles: 5.5mm
pattern: a top-down round garter yoke cardigan made up as i went along

don't i look pleased with myself!!