Planning the Gansey

After finishing the Caramel Lozenge Shawl a while back, I was torn between finishing some WIPs and starting something new. 
So I decided on something new, after reviewing a couple of my books on gansey and aran sweaters.  I had that yarn I got a while back from the Old Farm Girl in White Cloud.  Actually I got several sweater quantities lately.  This is the Lambs Pride in a color called Blue Magic.  Sort of a heathery blue jean blue.

 I swatched and calculated, and scribbled and finally cast on for a gansey cardigan.  I started with a garter border for about an inch and a half or so, then a plain stockinette band with seed stitch edge bands.  I think I will be closing with a clasp or two, instead of buttons, so no button holes.

I am nearly at the end of the stockinette strip, but can you see the initials worked in purl stitches above? Faint, but when worn and stretched out a bit, I think the LH will stand out a little more clearly.  I counted and calculated and in another round or two will have another garter stitch strip and then start the patterning.  I finally decided on a heart design, baby cable, flying geese pattern, baby cable again, diamond pattern, baby cable and a ladder pattern, going from center front to underarm.  The back will have two heart patterns side by side, and then running back to two ladder patterns in the under arm area, divided only by a purl strip side seam stitch. 
All that will be done from charts, so definitely not a Knit Night project.