Cutting those steeks

In spite of my absorption in stranded colorwork this week, I felt it I had to use my Monday Off Chill Day to make progress on the shawl collared alpaca vest - and its steeks. I sewed these things more than a week ago and then laid the poor thing away while I knit on OtherThings.  Cutting your knitting is not difficult to do once you accept the Point Of No Return -edness that cutting your knitting represents. I don't doubt my ability to knit a steek accurately or cut it correctly or to knit up a satisfactory edging.  My biggest worry has to do with my frittery ways and the serious and very real possibility that once it's cut, I'll get busy doing something else, stuff my knitting into a bag and pick it up months later only to find that the cut edges have begun to ravel. I don't like to put scissors to knitted fabric unless I'm ready to get serious about finishing it. With a whole sweet day to do as I pleased, I turned to the task, cut the center steek and the armhole steek and began the garter stitch edging. 

The joke on me was that once I was ready to join front and back at the shoulders, I forgot how to do the 3 needle i-cord bindoff!  Had to set things down and take a walk in the autumnal glory to let the technique work its way to the surface of my brain. Happily, it came back to me. Here is the shoulder seam, almost finished, snuggly holding front and back together.

 This photo shows the pretty slope of the v-neck, created by subtle decreases snuck in along the left side of that cable. I ought to be finished with this by the end of the week, or early next week, depending on how many OtherThings intrude. 

Today it's back to werkwerkwerk for me - with 2 more juggernaut weeks of busy busy busy and then wham! A vacation and holidays and feasts - the entire focus of my life will turn away from the job and onto friends and family.  That's right, my dears - only 8 weeks and a few days till Christmas!!