greetings, all! this is my first post - i was so glad to discover this knitalong ... i loved the pattern the moment i saw it, and i started my jacket on my recent trip to california and had almost the whole back done by the time i got home. i also found some fabulous buttons out there ... it's wonderful to see all these jackets coming along and all the great tips! i wish i'd read these before i started, but oh well .. it's all about learning ... anyway i'm using malabrigo merino in colorway "mountain spirit" which i bought way back in november because i completely fell in love with it and finally found the right pattern for it! this is a great pattern and since i finally get to work on the circle part ... it's fun!!! anyway here's my progress: