Knitting as Fast as I Can

Whew ! I've been burning up my needles for the last two nights. Christmas is coming and my granddaughter is needing her sweater. I made one for her little sister for her birthday in September. If I don't get this one done now, it will be too late for this winter. I started it Sunday and then hated everything I did. Abandoned that and started over last night when I got home from work. Ugh. My fingers are tired tonight. Last night I started at the waist of the back with a crochet chain and worked up. I got the back ready for the shoulders. Then started the left front. The button band is worked right in. I got about 10 rows done then quit for the night. Tonight I finished that side and got the right side started. I forgot I had to make buttonholes and had to rip out 6 rows. Ouch that hurt! Redid that after calculating what rows to do the buttonholes on in order to get in five of them. I'm just past the half way point. I have 4 more rows then do the armhole shaping. I'll get this side done tomorrow night and get the fronts attached to the back with a 3 needle bind off at the shoulders. Then I can start the sleeves. This is a size 4-5 sweater and I don't have a pattern. I'm writing it as I go. I'm using #9 bamboo needles. I made another sweater with this yarn on #8 needles but it works ok on the larger size also and it's going faster. I'm doing this in Colinette Skye in Popsicle. She picked the color herself from my vast stash of yarns. I think it's turning out pretty cool. After I get this sewn together I'm going to pick up all around the bottom and make a very full long ruffle. Like maybe 6-7 inches long and double the stitch count - maybe double it twice. She is a girly girl. I haven't figured out if I want a ruffle at the sleeve cuff yet. I also haven't figured out what to do for the neck. Guess I better be thinking about that while I sleep. I'm running out of decision time fast.