The pattern calls for size 12 needles, which translate to US 1 on my chart. It also calls for “fine steel needles,” which I’m interpreting as about a US 000 and “fine ivory needles,” which I’m interpreting as about a US 4.

Since the pattern is given for a 34” bust and I want a little more room, I’m adding six stitches to the front and back. Four probably would have been fine, but with it being so elastic, I don’t think six will hurt. The gauge swatch did have to stretch quite far to reach the 5.5 st/in the pattern calls for.

The pattern is a little odd because there’s no armscye shaping or sleeve head shaping. It’s also odd because the back and the front have to switch which is on the outside partway up the neck. Since the buttonholes are really close to the edge, I just sewed the first neck button on the outside and the rest on the inside so that the switch happens under the fold over. It seems like it will be okay.

I had problems with the instructions for sewing up the seams. My side seams were only about 18” long so I couldn’t sew up the 15.5” from the instructions. The sleeve seams needed to be sewn up a lot more than the 2.5” the pattern calls for. I sewed them more like 10” or 12” above the fancy pattern rows.

The buttonholes on the shoulders were too big for the buttons I used but a good size on the neck. I ended up sewing the shoulders closed because they wouldn’t stay buttoned. I did not sew up the neck, but I didn’t have problems with it either.