What's Blue and White and Cabled all over?

It's a sweater that turned out as big as a coat.

My mother-in-law gave me a wonderful Christmas Gift. It kept me busy for about 3 months. It was a Sirdar sweater kit complete with pattern book and yarn. I had never cabeled before. But I thought, that can't be too hard. After I figured out that each color change means a different ball of yarn, I learned why bobbins were invented. I still had a mess and spent a lot of time taking out all the knots of yarn from them being wrapped around each other. I think that theoretically it should have unwrapped itself if I turned the knitting the exact opposite from how I had done on the row before. But I never got it right. I read later - somewhere on the net - that I could have put the balls into a box and cut slits for the yarn to come out and they wouldn't get wrapped around each other as much. But bobbins helped a bunch too. Only problem is that you don't know how much to wrap and you end up tying in even more ends! And this project has a lot of ends! I just bought a book that is supposed to tell you how to knit in your ends instead of having to sew them in with a needle. If anyone has any advice or information on that, I would love to hear about that. I had fun knitting this sweater, but I have to admit that I was glad that it did end. Also, it ended up being quite large. I would definately knit the smallest size no problem. Maybe my gauge was off, but I am usually right on. I seem to have the biggest trouble sizing the garments. So better too big than too small - but if anyone has any advice I'd love to hear it. But I do think that it is quite nice. I'm really proud. Now check out the pictures. I should have taken some photos of the messes I had - but this way, no one will ever know.. Ooops.

George with a sleeve - he looks un-impressed.


George thinks that it makes a nice blanket too.


The finished sweater. I'm so proud.