Introducing the Coziest Sweater Ever!

After much angst about what kind of neck to do, I bit the bullet and just knit as as written - continuing the pattern as tall as I wanted, then binding off in pattern.  I could have gone for the full, turned-down turtleneck, but I don't find them flattering on me.  I intend to rip out the bind off and redo it, this time not binding off in pattern.  I know it seems unintuitive, but the large swaths of reverse stockinette are tending to curl rather unbecomingly, and that is far more noticeable than the bind off being not perfectly in pattern.

Overall, I am pretty happy with this sweater.  It was fun to knit, it went quickly, I had the opportunity to learn some new things, and it is both exceedingly warm and exceedingly comfortable.  All of that being said, it is not one of the more flattering garments I have ever made.  Some of this of course is due to it being knit at a fairly large gauge with fairly large yarn - chunky yarn tends to create a chunky sweater which tends to make the wearer look a bit chunkier than usual.  Some of it, however, is due to the extreme circumference of the tops of the sleeves.  EZ calls for increases to be performed every fourth round from wrist to armpit.  However, being long of limb, my sleeves are longer than the average bear's...which means that I knit more rounds...which means that I knit more increases...  If I were to make this sweater again, I would stop increasing shortly above the elbow.

This photo was meant to show you the pieces of the sweater I am less happy with.  You can see the neck rolling inwards, and I'm holding out the "armpit flap" as Mr. Mouse has so charmingly named it.  It would have been more effective to pinch all the way up to where my actual arm ends inside the sweater to demonstrate the excess.  Suffice it to say that I would have been comfortable in a sleeve of half that circumference.

So, unflattering silhouette aside, I have greatly enjoyed making and wearing this sweater.  I'm sure it will be in heavy rotation around the house and less heavy rotation out in public.  Thank you, Elizabeth, for the challenge.  I look forward to starting February's knitting tomorrow!