Future Predictions about Rosemarkie

Rosemarkie is moving along splendidly. It's actually starting to look less like a blob of fabric and more like a vest. (I could be wrong, though, as a passerby yesterday asked if I was making a purse.) The project started on a 32" needle, then it was down to a 24" needle after a significant number of decreases. Now I'm employing the 3 circular method, i.e. circulars as very long dpns.

I've made a couple of observations about the differences between how it is supposed to come out and how it is going to come out:

• It will be significantly heavier than the original Rosemarkie. I imagine this is mostly because I used thicker (and possibly denser) yarn than what was called for, but I believe that another factor is that there will be more rows per inch than the original pattern, too.
• Because it will be heavier, it will likely be warmer than the original Rosemarkie. I'm figuring that the 60/40 alpaca/cotton blend will trap about the same amount of air as the Merino wool, maybe a little less.
• The pattern will be wider and shorter than the original, due to fewer stitches per inch and more rows per inch. This means that what is supposed to essentially be a square is going to end up with only rectangular properties.
• The bottom of each armhole will open up faster than the pattern intended (because of the row gauge).
• I will have to knit longer bands around the steeked areas, since my row gauge is different. Therefore I will have to put the buttonholes in different places than where the pattern calls for.

Noting the differences above, I predict that the vest will fit but will look quite different from what Alice Starmore intended (apart from the obvious color deviations). I hope she doesn't mind me taking a few intended (and unintended) liberties!