Think back to some seemingly endless project that you’ve knit. Maybe a blanket in garter stitch. Or some fiddly lace that just wasn’t all that fun. There’s this period in the middle of the project when there is just no progress; you work and work, and you just can’t tell that the piece is getting any bigger.

And then, all of a sudden, you’re at the end. A few repeats left, and you’re done. All of a sudden, it doesn’t matter that there are still 5000 stitches to go, because you know you’ve conquered it, and the rest is all downhill.

Well.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is 5 years of my work and 200 years of literature condensed into 250 pages, and I just put the period on the last sentence.

There’s a ton of editing left to do, but it most of the changes should be pretty minor. A figure here, a footnote there, some more references and labels. But the writing is pretty much done. It needs one more proofing before it goes to my committee on Monday, but I think I’m going to take the rest of the afternoon off.

Have a good Saturday!