Really?

I honestly am having a bit of an issue dealing with how much of a PITA this button band is being. I got the button holes done (a few look weird but whatever...) and gradually made it through the 8 remaining rows of 1x1 ribbing.

The the cast off. I had read that people had issues with this. I was keeping a close watch! First I tried my wonderous suspended cast off. I love it dearly. However, the sweater did not. I got about 6 inches in and realized it looked weird. (Read: weird = wavy as all get out!) I pulled back. I tried just a regular old bind off. UGH! But because I'm stubborn and I really, really, really, really wanted to get the sweater done, I blindly marched on and cast off everything. Yeah, I'm stupid. I have to pick the whole thing out again. This time I'm going to try the tubular cast off. I've never done it, but apparently it should work. If not, I'm going to rip the whole band out and re-knit it in 2x2 like the rest of the sweater. Or get pissed off and put the damned sweater down the garbage disposal!

Seriously! If you write a pattern and everything is SO CLEAR all through the whole thing and then the instructions for the the finishing touches leave the knitter with something that as Heidi Klum would say "looks homesewn" why would ANYONE knit your pattern. Sorry designer. Maybe you didn't have this issue, but from the looks of Raverly, a lot of people did have an issue with it.

That all being said, there is no way I'll have this thing finished before I go now. I have to fix the first button band, knit the second* and then re-knit the collar. I'm so mad.

*I almost started knitting it this morning until reason took hold and I realized that knitting something that doesn't look good twice does not make things any better.