How do you solve a problem like Maria?

I'm tempted to call my dark chocolate project Maria in honour of the song from the Sound of Music. The colour is so dark, it's very hard to see the stitches, so if I forget to mark an increase in my tally sheet, then it is very hard to look back and see if I remembered to do it. 

It was okay while I was working on a sleeve, because that was just a rib band and all stocking stitch, but I had planned on doing something on the front. It's not a colour that says make me in lace, and I'm not a lacy person either. 

As this is supposed to be a practical work garment, I thought I might do a few lines of cables up the front. Just a simple 4 stitch cable, with the cable every 6th row to make it a little flatter.

It's hard to decide, but as I've just cast on for the left front, I guess I have 20 rows to decide. I'm tempted to say what the heck and do it anyway. As most of my knitting gets done at night, and the cardigan will be worn during the day, the daylight will probably pick up the texture of the cables. And I do love cables on my knits.