Learning the Hard Way

What the caterpiller calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly.
-Richard Bach

The alternate title to this post should be, "Or, Why You Should Always Read the Pattern Through Before Starting." In this case, a picture is worth a thousand words. Remember how I started this baby sweater, all full of hope and joy and sweetness and light? Remember how I blithely commented that I just grabbed the yarn and needles and got started, paying no attention to what was to come? I should have. See all those yarn ends? It was getting depressing carrying around a mess that looked like that, so I took some time out in the middle to seam up the sides and the sleeves. This way I am that much closer to finishing the whole thing. When the knitting's done, so will I be. I'm close. And there's no zipper - just a single button looming!