FO: Spring Flower Cardigan

I thought I was on schedule to finish this for my niece's 4/28 wedding, then Abby asked last weekend if she could wear it on Easter Sunday! Well, it's finished with days to spare!! This is my version of Tammy Hildebrand's Spring Flowers Cardigan. The original pattern is in Crochet! May 2006. After swatching many patterns, I had decided on this pattern even though it is written for size 3 thread. The pattern had a few glitches, I even sent an e-mail to Crochet! magazine one evening. Get this... they called me back the very next morning!! Of course, I had found a glitch their editors had missed, or at least that's how I interpreted our telephone conversation. Nonetheless, I was impressed by the prompt reply. In the end I made my own modifications as usual.

Final result - Abby's happy, and that's what matters! (Photo taken by her 7yo big brother Alex!)

Project details:
Pattern: Tammy Hildebrand's Spring Flowers Cardigan, Crochet! May 2006.
Yarn: Gedifra 'Wellness', a worsted weight cotton/acrylic blend (~780 yds)
Hook: Brittany 4.5mm hook
Pattern Changes: (as always)

1. I used ww yarn instead of thread. I determined that my gauge (7hdc = 2in, 6 rows in pattern = 2.25 inches) together with the pattern as written for size 2 would match the measurements of the size 6 (determined by the published thread gauge).
   
2. Body was completed as written, except that I added another 3 row pattern repeat to match the size 6 length of 12.5" (I realized later this is really long, by the way).
   
3. Front panel tops were completed as written except that the pattern contains an error in the neck shaping area of the fronts. As written the shaping occurs every third row such that the shaping would be at both the neck opening and the armhole opening. I assumed this was an error and proceeded with shaping every third row, only at the neck edge.
   
4. Back top was completed as written.
   
5. Sleeves presented another problem. Sleeves were crocheted in the round on the sweater after the shoulder seams were joined. The number of stitches the pattern called for (size 2 or 6) was way too few to fit around a 12 inch circumference armhole (correct for size 6). I just crocheted an even number, matching my gauge and ended up with 42 hdc around. The original pattern calls for no tapering, just a gathering at the wrist with a row of scdec. Of course I changed this as well. I followed the 2 row pattern as written, but added tapering with a hdcdec under the arm and at the top of the sleeve on rows 9, 15, 21, 25 and 29. So my stitch count ended up as follows: rows 1-8 (42 st), rows 9-14 (40st), rows 15-20 (38st), rows 21-24 (36st), rows 25-28 (34st), rows 29-30 (32st). Because I added the tapering, I changes the first cuff row from scdec around to (scdec, sc) around. I did the final edging row of the cuff as written.
   
6. Buttonhole band was done mostly as written. Row 1 - I needed 48 sc to span my right front edge. Rows 2-3 as written. Row 4 - I evenly spaced 6 buttonholes (7hdc in between each) using only ch1, sk1 (not ch2, sk2) as buttonhole as I have small buttons. Row 5 - as written except I didn't fasten off (you reattach in this same space to do the neck edging).
   
7. Button band - as written except 48st with a new skein attached at the side of the last row of the left front panel. Again, I didn't fasten off (you reattach in this same space to do the neck edging).
   
8. Neck edging - Row 1 - using yarn left hanging on the buttonhole band, sc evenly around the neck shaping, placing scdec as needed to smooth out the steps, sc across the back and around, placing a matching number of sc and scdec on opposite side neck shaping. Row 2 - I did a second row of sc - sc evenly around the neck opening, again placing scdec as needed to smooth out the steps. Row 3 - picot edging around as written.
9. Bottom edging - as written except using yarn left hanging on the button band.