I haven’t had a lot of success with sweaters so this is definitely a move in the right direction. Though my gauge and sweater measurements matched the pattern, I ended up with a lot of extra “fabric” at the neck-- especially in the back. Reducing needle size didn’t fix the problem. Ultimately, I used elastic thread to pull the whole thing together. This has caused the ruche- look in the back.

The back arch is confusing but you just have to go with it. It works out.