The final chapter in the epic sweater saga

Over the last 3 years, I have been on a mission to knit a sweater for my son.  Allow me to review the chronicles of my journey.

February 26, 2012:  I got hoodwinked into knitting a sweater for my 6 foot tall son.

March 1, 2012:  I encountered my first obstacle, just trying to find a pattern for a man's sweater, and ended up having to purchase an entire book of men's knitwear just for one sweater pattern.

March 2, 2012:  The actual knitting of the sweater began.  After many stops and starts due to rusty knitting skills, inexperience,  and a realization that the pattern was coming out too small, I was forced to rip out what I had and start over with a whole new pattern.

March 15, 2012: After two weeks of sustained effort on the sweater, I had the back finished, and was struggling through knitting the front.

March 31, 2012:  I finished the sweater front (or at least I thought it was finished) and moved on to knitting the first sleeve.

April 13, 2012:  I realized that I made an error in the cable pattern on the sweater front and had to unravel several inches of work.

June 25, 2012:  After taking a break from the agony of knitting this sweater, I got back to work and finished one sleeve, only to realize that it did not even come close to being the right size or shape to fit the armhole.

January 15, 2013:  A new year, and a new commitment to finishing the sweater. (Who am I kidding? I really was trying to get it ready to give it to him for Christmas of 2012 but I missed that deadline completely.) I spent many a fruitless hour   trying to figure out what I needed to do to make the sleeves fit the armholes.

January 25, 2013:  I rewrote the directions to completely reshape the cap of the sleeve, hoping it would fit into the armhole, and knit a second sleeve. 

April 5, 2013:  Three months passed with no more progress. The mere thought of knitting was enough to make me cringe.  I decided that it would be okay to start knitting something else just to remember why I ever liked knitting in the first place.

November 19, 2013:  The sleeves were finally done, and with help from my sister  I started sewing the monstrosity into a sweater.  I got stuck, and put it aside. Again.

January 31, 2014:  Another new year, and yet the sweater remained untouched.  It was at this time that I joined the prayer shawl ministry at my church, and all my knitting efforts went into that.  I blocked out the specter of  the "ghost of sweaters past" and happily moved on.

January 17, 2015:  Tired of seeing the unfinished sweater at the bottom of the closet, and with the encouragement of my expert knitter sister, I set aside a Saturday night specifically for us to get together so she could show me how to finish the sweater.  We got to talking and visiting and the time flew by.  By evening's end, the job wasn't nearly done.

By some miracle, and with only  a little bribery, my lovely sister volunteered to take the sweater home with her and finish sewing it together for me! 

A few days later, it was done.  After 3 years,  the sweater monkey was off my back!

I was finally able to give my son the "wearable hug" he had asked for.  What a relief!  No more guilt!  No more angst!

It was a very good fit!

I am so grateful to my sister for her help, and
I am so glad that I don't have a request for knitting
 hanging over my head anymore.

Oh wait.  

My daughter has asked me to knit her an infinity scarf.