Gauge: usually I am a tight knitter and have to go up one size. This time, not even close. Going down to US size 4, I got 25 sts and 32 rows over blips swatch after blocking carefully to not stretch. Pattern gauge is 28 sts and 34 rows.

I would like the finished measurements for the size 42.” I have broad shoulders and a small bust, so comparing stitches after sleeve separation, if I use the size 40, I may be ok. I will then go down to the size 38” at sleeve separation. I’ve made patterns from Andrea and Jenn Steingass, and this approach has worked.

Gauge on sweater is 28 and 34 using the SAME needles as on swatch! That carrying across the back to knit in the round seriously did not match what happens when I knit!

First Blips: done in a yellow-orange. Wanted to save some of my partial skein for possible use when I do the neck shaping (may need to add a round of blips in the shaping?), so phased in Midsomar a bit early.

Second blips: Midsomar.

Sleeve separation--was going to to some extra blips rows but decided to stick to the pattern since my gauge ended up matching the pattern and not the swatch. Glad I did--armpit would have been too low otherwise.

mid-March:
Decided I didn’t like the subdued color of the green skein I planned to use. Was going to be in Mass. and discovered a store that has in stock Dyed In The Wool. No more surprises when the package arrives from Spincycle--I could pick and wow…what a range within a color line. Will only buy this yarn in person from now on, not even using their personal shopper.

I will likely make my cardigan longer (crop and skin-tight doesn’t suit me or my life) so if I need to use the burgundy I will.

After finishing the body and hem ribbing, and getting the first sleeve knit to nearly the wrist, I wet-blocked because I’ve had poor results (lots of lengthwise growth) with Malabrigo. In fact, it only grew about 1/2” this time.

I “color managed” the Spincycle on the sleeves to correspond with the body and it worked well. Originally I was going to do a wide cuff on the sleeve, but ended up having it match the neck rather than the hem. I added a final section of small blips after the wet-blocking because otherwise the sleeve wouldn’t have the slightly “bloused” / gathered look I wanted. Once I added the full 3 sets of small blips, though, it was too long to do a deep cuff.

Note: Andrea suggest going up a size on needles for the sleeves to compensate for some knitters tendency to knit tighter on small circumferences, so I did that. However that changed the row gauge enough that the striping doesn’t match from body to sleeve. In the future I would simply add more stitches at sleeve separation to compensate rather than having the gauge change.

Because I have skinny wrists I decreased to 80 stitches by about the elbow area, worked straight, knit one row in the main background color, then decreased to 60 stitches on the following knit row before going on to the ribbing.

I’m fairly pleased with it, the fit, and my modifications. Overall it doesn’t have quite as much ease as I had wanted, another inch or so would be nice, but I’m fine with it as it isn’t snug!

About the short rows at the collar. Because of my broad square shoulders, I did more short rows so the neck would be a jewel or crew neck. I also REALLY dislike sweater fronts that rub up against my neck, which so many of Andrea’s patterns do, so I knew from the start I’d need to get creative. Unsure of how the yoke would fit (a challenge with my shoulders) I did a provisional cast on so I could fine tune the collar after knitting the body and steeking. I like where the upper edge ended up, but dislike that the increases in the pattern are done in the ribbing. Wish I had stuck to my initial idea of doing the short rows in stockinette (and adding some subsequent duplicate stitch in small blips) before making a ribbed collar that is the same witch all the way around. But it is OK enough that I’m not going to take it out and re-do!

I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of this…even if it isn’t my usual peacock blue (done deliberately), and somehow doesn’t “go” with a lot of my pants! It is comfortable on bare skin, so on cool spring/fall days it will even be a perfect outer layer.