Fair Isle Sweater of Doom

This was supposed to be Ryan's Christmas present. When I started it in August, four months seemed like a reasonable amount of time.

Except now it's April. And to make it worse, all I've gotten done since Christmas is enough sleeve to cover a shoulder. Between August and December I got the entire torso done. Three months later I've added a fourth of a sleeve. Here's why:

I don't know if you can tell from the picture, but there are four colors in this sweater: dark brown, dark gray, light gray, and cream. That means there are four skeins of yarn attached to this sweater at all times. You can see them in the picture.

 Now imagine the fact that yarn tangles, and four skeins tangle four times quicker than one skein. 

Now imagine the fact that with every round the sweater turns but the yarn doesn't, thus causing twists.

Now notice the four double pointed needles on the sleeve, and imagine them getting caught in tangled yarn every time I finish one needle and move to the next.

Here's why the torso went so fast: it was knitted on circular needles (not double pointed), with many repeats of the pattern before the sweater had to turn and twist up the yarn. The needle-catching and yarn-tangling factors were MUCH less.

Here's why the sleeves are going so slow: all circumstances are conspiring against me to tangle my yarn on itself and among my needles as much as possible. Which leads to one conclusion: I am NOT having fun. And not-fun projects tend to sit in the knitting bag and come out once every two weeks at most. And projects that come out once every two weeks take a very long time to finish.

But this sweater was supposed to be a Christmas present. (GUILT) For my husband. (GUILT) And it's not done yet. (GUILT) And all I want is to knit light and summery cotton lace things. But I can't because the sweater's not done. (GUILT) In fact, I kind of miss knitting in general, I've been avoiding this project so long. (GUILT) So, prompted by massive amounts of knitting GUILT, I'm trying to finish this sweater. 

Please send prayers/positive thoughts this way. My emotional sphere is currently consumed by frustration at the spinners of Lion's Brand Fisherman's Wool (which they don't deserve) and impatience to run my fingers through the smoothness of cotton lace-weight. Oh, and GUILT, too. And resolutions that future fair-isle sweater designs will consist of a colorwork yoke, at most. And while we're at it, let's not forget guilt at the fact that I should be delighted to make a beautiful sweater for my husband.

Sigh.