It's mine!

It's my birthday today -- that's mine.

All 49 years. Lots of blessings.

There was even yarn for a birthday gift; which I'll show you when I can photograph it in daylight.

But also, this sweater is mine:

It's Beryl, by Bonne Marie Burns.  On my Ravelry page, it's here. 

I like it, but I think it turned out too big.  Because it is knit in one piece to the underarm, it's not easy to alter.

But last week, I had an idea, which I tried.
I took off all but about 3 rows of each side of the button band, and added crocheted loops instead of button holes.
Here's a close-up:

And a not so close close-up:

It's not perfect, but it works better, for me.
It now looks OK unbuttoned, which I appreciate in a cardigan.