Done! Da Da da da (Fanfare please)

Things I learned from this project:

1. (and most suprising lesson) - When you unravel rib stitching from the bottom (in an effort to shorten a sleeve), it does not act as the right-side up stitches. There are weird twists and what you want to be the "working yarn" goes through the stitches. As a single piece, not as a loop. Thus, it is smartest to do as many knitting books and experts suggest and use a stitch holder or other needle to pick up one leg of each stitch you want to get to.
2. Caffiene does things to me. If I don't have food in my stomach, but I've drank one (or two or three) diet cokes with lime, I get a little jittery. And concentrating is difficult.
3. I have the best boyfriend a knitter can have. Really, you all should be jealous. Last Sunday, he brought me a case (24) of diet coke with lime, two boxes of girl scout cookies and flowers. Today, as I was putting on some finishing touches, he said (at the idea of me not finishing) that "by hook or by crook, I'd do what I could to help you finish!" Hook or by crook! How sweet. And he hasn't complained at all that he's finding alpaca fuzz everywhere. And when he realizes how important it is, he stops using his generic "whatever you think would be best, darling" response when I ask him a knitwear related question. He was very helpful both in deciding the length of the collar and the final button selection.
4. Having a serious project to work on does not decrease my "winter blah" depressed stage. I'm just really glad this sweater was black. Pink would have made me want to jump a cliff.
5. Set in sleeves aren't so bad. Neither is seaming them. And the finished product is so worth the extra effort.
6. When using bobbles on a project, it might be a good idea to make sure that one won't lie where your nipple does.
7. It's important to think ahead so that a cable can continue on it's way without becoming interuppted by an armhole or even close to an armhole.
8. When you knit at a large-ish gauge, you don't need buttonholes.