After agonizing for months about this sweater, finishing it with two days to spare and then playing the waiting game to see if it actually fit, I finally have a verdict for you all.
Although it wasn’t the first present opened, it was worn by the recipient right away and you know what? Even though I only had a measurement taken by my mom of one of his other sweaters to go off of (I don’t live nearby anymore, I hardly ever see them) the sweater fit better than I had even anticipated!

My younger brother commented that it looked “like something you’d find at the GAP” and my Dad seemed thoroughly impressed – it was his very first hand knit sweater and it was from his daughter.
Needless to say, I am absolutely thrilled. The yarn is soft, the garment is machine washable and the man seems pleased with his gift. This may have been my Project of the Year for 2011 – it took me months (I did take my sweet time with it and worked on it between other projects), it absolutely *had* to fit or I may have broken down in alligator tears, and it had a lot of sentimental value to me if not to the recipient (although I have a hunch that it does for him too).

Most of the details can be found on the Ravelry page but here are the basics:
Pattern: Beagle by Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Berroco Vintage in Charcoal (8 skeins used)
Size: 46 (and in-between size I had to fandangle based on the measurement my momma got me – based on the fit, I’m so glad I spent all the time re-working the numbers)
Wanna read more FO Friday posts and share your Christmas victories or less-than-victories? Tami’s blog has all of the details!