Silk Garden Sweater

(Click any photo for larger. Color is pretty accurate, except where noted, despite use of flash.)

Pattern:
Generic top-down raglan. Since I used worsted-weight yarn, I CO stitches based on the 18" size of the OSW rather than doing the math.

Needles:
Size 5 and 8 47" Addi Turbo circulars (Magic Loop sleeves!)

Modifications:
1. I cast on 2 extra sleeve sts per side, since my arms are larger than average in proportion to the rest of me. I CO 3 sts per side for fronts.
2. The raglan increases were made every RS row, using M1's set in 1 st from the "seams." The front edges were not increased at all.
3. After reaching the point in the pattern where sleeves would be worked, I divided for body & sleeves. Here the pattern diverges completely from the OSW. I cast on 4 extra sts for each sleeve underarm, and 4 extra sts on each side of the body for underarms. Sleeves were worked in the round to about 3/4 length, then the 2x2 rib was done on the smaller needles. For the body, I did the ribbing on the larger needles so it wouldn't pull in so much. Finally, with smaller needles, I picked up 3/4 of the front sts, and each st of the CO edge, and worked 2x2 ribbing until there was enough to close the sweater with a brooch.

My crappy underarm seam:


See here where the edging pulls up at the bottom:

I'm not sure where I went wrong here. Should I have picked up 4/5 of the front stitches? Not switched to smaller needles?

The modeled shot:

See how the horizontal stripes make my +18lbs look more like +30? I'm wearing it anyway! I don't care!
Apologies for this crappy photo. The snapshot in the mirror thing is not easy!

A Wibble sweater in need of a neckband:



Finally some birthday loot:


My brother and sister-in-law/hat model got me a gift certificate to Knit NY, which I spent on 10 balls of this Ella Rae Classic. From what I hear, it's just like Cascade 220, but you don't have to wind it yourself.

The true color is a much deeper crimson, almost but not quite burgundy. I intend to make myself another top down raglan, this time a V-neck cardigan in 1x1 rib. Hopefully it will turn out more flattering than the last sweater!