FO: Grandma's vest

Grandma's vest is done! I finished it last night. I'm about the same size as Grandma (she's an inch or two shorter) so I tried it on. It fits pretty well, though perhaps a bit on the short side. I tried to elongate it in blocking. It's still drying, but here are a couple pictures:

I don't think it's actually lopsided -- that's probably just the camera angle. There are a few mistakes, but hopefully I'm the only one who will notice them.

I made a few modifications to the pattern:

• Used garter stitch, rather than stockinette, between the cables
  
• Rounded armholes -- I didn't like the squared-off armholes in the pattern
• Fewer decreases along the V, so as not to disrupt the cable pattern
• After the first three twist rows, I switched from twisting every 10 rows to twisting every 8 rows. This started out as an accident, but I liked the way it looked with the cables getting a bit smaller as they go up so I just went with it.
  

This is the first article of clothing I've knit. (Prior to this it's been all accessories: scarves, hats, and that one pair of mittens.) I learned a lot in the process of making it, including how to make a buttonhole with a yarn over, how to join shoulders with kitchener stitch, and how to make the most of the Denise interchangeable needle set. Kitchener is cool -- I like how the vest came out virtually seamless. Perhaps most importantly, in the process of knitting this vest, I forced myself to relax my tension, so not only was I able to achieve the recommended gauge (by only going up 2 needle sizes!) but there was less wear and tear on my hands. Some of the stitches came out loose and uneven, but blocking seems to have evened it all out splendidly!

The buttons, incidentally, are from a store called Botani around the corner from where I work. They're made of real stone.

Grandma's vest
Started: Jan. 3
Finished: Jan. 8
Pattern: Pretty in Pink
Yarn: Lion's Brand Wool-Ease Worsted in Cranberry, 3 skeins (actually less than 2 1/2)
Needles: US 9, 10.5 circular of varying lengths (hooray for the Denise interchangeables!)