So, So Close

 I finally finished the crocheting, assembly of squares, knitting of ribbing, ripping out of (most) ribbing, crocheting borders, dealing with 1,000.000 ends (only a slight exaggeration) and I am now awaiting delivery of vintage black buttons ordered on Etsy. They are coming from the Netherlands, so I just need to be patient, but I am soooo ready to not even think about this cardigan for a while. And yet -- I really like it!

It will be cozy warm - thanks to the wool/alpaca blend yarn - it will match many things in my winter wardrobe, and it fits just the way I hoped it would - loose but not too loose or sloppy.

I did leave the K2 P2 ribbing on the sleeves. It pulls them in nicely. I ripped the ribbing from the hem and around the fronts because (using the pick up formula provided by the designer) it was much too tight and ill fitting. Sigh. I went with a scalloped edging for the hem and plain hdc for the fronts.  Here's a close up of the edging:

  

In the end it all worked out, but yikes! -what a headache. 

Now I understand why multiple crocheters (on Ravelry) just went their own way in making this pattern and/or complained about the directions. I'm glad I kept at it - and I'm really glad it's done (but for sewing on buttons!).