This is a beautiful sweater- well worth the effort. The pattern is comprehensive and well written. Swatching is mandatory for this pattern. I found I was too loose on 5 mm so using 4.5. Knitting smaller size (2 vs 3) due to gauge. Closure from Jul here

Note: you are supposed to pick a size with plenty of ease. There is a large gap in the fronts after knitting the body, and you need that ease in the waist to bring the sweater in to close it, even with the 3.5 inch front band (that is, if you want to close it, and I do). Next time I would knit the same size but I’d knit wider fronts, as I like my sweater more fitted, and I’d also like to be able to close it at the bottom.

Mods:

• did one more band before pockets, so pockets are lower, as I have a long torso. I recommend blocking your sweater before you decide to lower the pockets, if you are using superwash, if your sweater will end up longer and you may not need the extra band as I did.
• added 16 more rows of star pattern after pockets.
• did a purl welt at the start of the sleeve, counting the pick-up row as the first row of that pattern, and only doing row 5, as there is a knit row as the start of the short row section.
• didn’t end up adding the 10 extra rows for the last sleeve pattern.
• modified the shawl collar as the back part was huge, due to my row gauge with this yarn, so added short rows on the fronts. If I knit this again in the same yarn, I would do fewer short rows at the back. Ended up with 3.5 inches wide at the front and 7 inches wide at the back neck.

Notes:
Size 4 armhole, so knit to row 6 on back. Ended up picking up stitches for size 3 armhole.

Sleeve- pick up 67 with 3.75 mm needles. Knit 1 row then Purl 2 rows then knit 1 row for purl welt, then start instructions. End up with 41 stitches at cuff.

Shawl Collar
- picked up 132 for front band to shoulder. The collar took well over a skein of yarn - probably 1.5.

Pockets - 55 grams Shaw to start. 20 grams per pocket.

• 20.5 inches side and 20 across before blocking (body), and 22 inches across and 21 inches side after blocking.
• used 4 skeins and 40 grams (89 left) of 5th for the body (some skeins oversize).
• used most of 3 skeins (7 grams left) for collar and sleeves (some skeins oversize).

Thought about Yarn:
I love this discontinued Erin (the same base is still available from Imperial Yarn directly). It is lofty and warm. I don’t love it on these 4 mm needles. I would recommend a DK or light worsted instead. My sweater is beautiful - but a different yarn would suit this pattern better. My sweater is dense, although not overly stiff, and if I knit this again with the same yarn, I would go up a needle size for all patterns, to get more drape in the fabric.