Schi~Schu Knits: One Done Wallaby!

Woohoo!!!
It's officially over! The Wallaby KAL ends here! Ends NOW! Ends today! Woot! Hands in the air! Woot!
If you aren't done ~ tough! LOL Seriously.... I will help you finish yours! I just needed to be done with this KAL so I could start another one!! Woot! Totally doing my happy, happy dance!! Best part is (and yes... I AM totally shouting at you!) I FINISHED BEFORE MY DEADLINE!!
Not only did I finish a project I finished EARLY!! Go me!!
This sweater really is a breeze to knit, you just gotta be persistent. It's a big project and takes a while, but the results are so amazingly worth it! I can hardly wait for Big to get home so he can model this baby!! Woohoo!!
There were a few parts in the pattern that were a bit daunting but it's so cool working in a group - you have someone else to power through it with you!
The pocket fusing was a pain! The neck edges & adding the arms is a bit weird, but.... so cool when done!
When you get to the point of FINISHING, the point of NO more Wallaby (!!) you get to learn how to (insert very ominous music here.....)
Kitchener Stitch. The Kitchener stitch, aka grafting, aka dreaded kitchener really isn't all that bad. IF you sit still, no noise, no talking, no chewing gum AND do nothing else. NOTHING else! Once you get into a rhythm it will go pretty dang smooth!

Underarm seams "just so"

How to Kitchener... first of all........ you gotta get to that point! You have to have your underarm seams just so and your hood all finished. Then and ONLY then can you complete your Wallaby!

Here it's pretty important to follow the directions. Um yeah.. remember those? Oops please disregard the blob of something on the left side. Ewww. Sorry.
Follow the directions on p 18 & p 19 of the Wonderful Wallaby book & you should be OK. Should be.

You start by putting all those stitches that you placed on scrap yarn and/or stitch holder (in the underarms) onto double pointed needles. 10 on each side. Be careful that you are running along the armpit hole!! Then....... following the Kitchener st directions (see them right up there?) EXACTLY. Do what it says. Seriously. Do. What. The.Book.Says. Trust me..... you'll like it!

Can you see my underarm seam???

I have to (seriously) shut off the TV, turn off the kid, stop chewing gum and concentrate. Concentrate! The Kitchener makes me bonky unless I do it right! It's pretty easy to screw up! I even talk out loud when I'm doing it... k off, p on, purl off, knit on, knit off.... on and on and on........

When you are done with both underarms ADMIRE IT! Try it on!! Pat yourself on your back and then...... move on! Get up to the hood! Go you!!! Oh wait.... forgot to tell you about the little itty bitty holes that may still be in your underarms.... oops! Just take an end of yarn and weave it in on the underneath (inside of sweater). Double check by looking on the outside to make sure it looks the way you want it and wa-la! NOW you are finished!
Now you can head up to the hood!!!
Oh crap! Now that you are at the hood..... how the heck do I put all those stitches onto DPN's?? Ugh. Don't take them off, just smoosh them all onto the points of those circular needles & evenly space them! 1/2 on each! (Pull the cable out a little so it dangles off to the side) And then.................... Kitchener those babies right off those needles and then thread your ends and then....... get ready........... dance!!! Yay!! You're done! Done! Finished! All over except the dancing!!!

AND of course sewing in all your ends! I do mine throughout the whole process rather than wait until the very end because they bug me.... but..... you may have some left over!

Don't forget to admire your work! AND take pictures for me to post!