I am SO IN LOVE with this sweater, now that it’s finally done! A fine-gauge sweater is so worth the time, because the fit and drape are wonderful (especially in luxe yarn like the Breathless!)

Better pics to come, when time permits. For now, my back yard snaps will have to do!

I bought this yarn at the Knitters’ Fair in 2012, with the plan to make myself a sweater. Now, with just under 2 weeks before the 2013 Fair, I’ve completed my goal!

Adjustments:

• I knit the sleeves first, to use them as enlarged gauge swatches before making final decisions about my choice of sizes.

• Because I have fairly large breasts (erm, 34GG) and carry weight in my belly as well, I knit the sleeves and back according to the instructions for the 40” bust. I worked the front according to the directions for the 46.5” bust (but to the length measurements for the 40” size).

• I also added a couple of short rows at the belly and a short row wedge just under the bust (22 short rows in all at the bust, which added about 3” in length). I followed Amy’s instructions from the Knit to Flatter book. It was tricky to work out the spacing of the bust increases where they intersected with the short rows, but I am pleased with the overall shape.

• After all that, I was afraid I had made the front too big, so when I seamed, I left a larger ‘seam allowance’ than I might have otherwise, and did my mattress stitch a couple of columns further in from the edge. Benefit: the seams feel lovely and substantial.

• Like many others, I’m not sure if I did the neck gathers as Amy intended. I worked into pairs of adjacent K3togs/SSSKs, which may have gathered things even more rapidly than intended… but again, I really like the effect. If the shirt I wear under the sweater is loose enough, the gathers allow the sweater to drape nicely between my breasts instead of pulling across as a solid ‘shelf’.

• I decided to do a sewn tubular bind-off (basically a kitchener stitch done on ribbing) for the neckline so it matches the hems, rather than the original rolled edge. It feels lovely and tidy, and just a touch dressier. I love that this sweater can be totally relaxed or really dressed up, and I thought the rolled edge messed with that a little. I did the neck ribbing on smaller needles, to keep it nice and snug.