Spring FO #1: Bettie's Pullover

I have neglected to blog about my knitting of late. Here's my first garment FO of the year (with a vintage filter because it's quite a vintage-style pattern). I finished it a few days before we went on the ski trip, so I am not that behind with the blogging. Phew.

Pattern: Bettie's Pullover by Maria Leigh
Yarn: Indiecita Alpaca DK, shade red 2060, pretty much every scrap of 10 balls. All the way from Peru. Delightfully soft and lovely to knit with.
Needles: 3mm, 3.25mm, 3.75mm - the waist shaping is created by going down in needle size and then back up again. Very clever.
Mods: I made the body longer than specified, by an unspecified amount (I just knitted it until it seemed long enough). Partially as a result of this, and partially as a result of being short on yarn even at cast on, I made the sleeves elbow length instead of full length; the pattern required the sleeves to be knitted first and joined for the yoke, so I did a provisional cast on and knitted the sleeves down from this once the yoke and necktie had been completed. I had one ball of yarn for each sleeve; I think if I had had a third ball I might have got full length out of them, so that worked out well.

I also sewed the necktie on upside down. Dur. I should unpick it but the seaming on one side is really quite good because I used a book to help me, so I don't want to. Nobody will know but me.

The pattern was very clever, creating short row bubbles at the top and bottom to account for the bias pull of the feather and fan. Unfortunately my short rows at the top are quite sloppy; I might need to oversew them at some point but I wonder if it's only noticeable because I am looking at it.

I should sew a button onto the necktie but I quite like the brooch and, anyway, I can't choose.

When I eventually get that cameo brooch my friend Parpy Jo has been making me for a few years, I think that will be the perfect match for it.