FO Report: Jackson's Hiking Sweater

This sweater has actually been finished since last Friday, but I got so engrossed in another project* that I haven't had the time to photograph and blog about it. Without further ado:

Jackson's Hiking Sweater
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun Worsted, 100% wool, in Burnt Sienna, Ash, Eucalyptus and Bamboo
Pattern: "Drive-Thru" by Wendy Bernard
Pattern Gauge: 5 sts/in
My Gauge: 6 sts/in
Needles: US6 + US7
Size: Now, that's an interesting question, isn't it?
Started: 4/29/08
Finished: 5/16/08

Since my gauge was so horribly off, but I was already in love with the yarn on the size 7 needles, I had to make some adjustments. Therefore, I knit the pattern following the 10-year-old size, in order to achieve the 4-year-old size (24" circumference). I ended up - technically - with a 6-year-old size (26" circumference) but it's the same size as Jackson's Hoodie that he wears almost daily now, at age 2. And as you can see by the photographic evidence below, this hiking sweater fits him perfectly now (with room to grow). So I really have no idea what size I knit. I just know that I'm happy with it.
Other modifications: I increased the sleeve stitches - even beyond the largest size - because the first attempt seemed way too skinny (so I ultimately knit three sleeves for this sweater; there was a visit to the frog pond along the way). I also increased the length of the ribbing at the cuff in order to prolong its life as my son grows.

Other notes: As stated earlier, I disliked the join of the sleeves to the body in the round (to put it mildly) but learned that this is just a symptom of any seamless sweater done in the round. A few rounds of suffering to achieve a 99% finished object when you cast off...I guess that's acceptable. (Seaming the underarms counts for about 1% of the work, as far as I'm concerned.)

I wish that I had started the color work earlier, in order for it to be thicker, but ah well. It's a "fake" fair isle pattern anyway...just nice to have a bit of an interesting yoke design to this simple sweater.

Oh yeah, and it's called the Hiking Sweater because Jackson declared it so one day when I told him that the sweater was for him:

Jackson: "Mommy knitting a sweater for Baby Amelia."

Mom: "No Sweetie! This one is for you!"

J: "YEAH! Jackson sweater! Jackson wear this sweater hiking with Mommy & Daddy?"

M: :::beam:::beam:::beam:::
__________________________
*Here's a sneak peek at the other project that's been eating up my time. I assume that a whole bunch of you know what this is. For the rest of you, stay tuned!