Finishing Details

I'm in the process of finishing up my horseshoe cable jacket. The pocket stitches are back onto dpns preparatory to binding off.

 

The really nice thing about this sort of built-in double knitted pocket is that there aren't any yarn ends to weave in or holes at top corners to snug up. See how tidy the back is even before finishing?

I've marked where I want the buttonholes to be so that when I work the I-cord edging, the buttonholes will be built-in too. The beauty of working buttonholes at the end is that you don't have to decide where to place them until after you've tried on the jacket. Turns out I'll need nine! Rather an unusual number, but there it is. These are the buttons I've chosen.

They're a larger version of the ones I used for Zora. Apart from their loveliness, their weight, or lack thereof, was a major factor in the decision. Nine buttons might really weigh down the front border, but these ones are hollow and light as a feather. Worth every penny.
While I had my camera out, I took this shot of the saddle shoulder.

 

What you see is the arm at the bottom and a bird's eye view of the the shoulder with the neck at the top. This smooth joining is all accomplished with a neat perpendicular join. No sewing required! 

Finally, the yarn I used for this, Elann.com's Peruvian Highland Chunky, is a softly spun, non-superwash 2-ply, which unfortunately comes in small 50g balls. To avoid having to spend an eternity weaving in ends, I spit-spliced as much as possible. 

This dimly-lit shot shows the ends in place on my knee just before being felted together through the action of moisture (saliva) and friction (rubbing between my palms). Note how the ends are torn, not cut, to make the end result as smooth as possible. Nothing like adding a bit of one's DNA to the project!