Margot-ish

Pattern: Inspired by Margot but completely improvised
Yarn: Noro Retro, 4.5 skeins of black, 3.5 skeins of gray
Needles: US 9 and 7
Notes: I started following the numbers for the second size of Margot. I immediately changed the neckline because I wanted to add a button tab. I increased until the yoke met under my arms and split off the sleeves. I used Margot-ish waist shaping and then knit garter in the round using the smaller needle until I liked how it looked. I went back and knit on the sleeves at the same time to use as much yarn as possible. I picked up stitches at the base of the sleeve (Margot doesn't) then decreased them away. I knit until I thought I wouldn't have a enough black yarn to finish, knit some garter stitch and bound off the sleeves. Then I ripped out the neckline and reknit it this time with some short rows to build up the back of the neck. Margot has no back-neck shaping which I think is a major flaw in the pattern. I would have put some shaping in the yoke but it would have made the stripes look funny with one stripe on the back of sweater being several rows taller than all the rest. I used the smaller needle for the neckline to keep the garter from being too floppy. I decreased at the sides of the neck to keep the neckline shaping like Margot and bound off when I thought it was deep enough.