Rugged Vest Knitting Knotes

So while I'm making this vest, let me jot down my knitting "knotes" on it.
I need to make it in the small size, for a 40" chest. I casted on 112 sts (110 called for plus 2 selvedge) using the Guernsey cast on method. I like this method for its elasticity and the fact that I don't have to "guesstimate" how much yarn to pull out for the cast on. The 1x1 ribbing is next, 2" of it = 13 rows on my size 5 (I hope; my circs are in such a mess) circular needles. Last row is the increase row: increase 22 sts. It's supposed to be a right side row. Changed to size 6 needles and purled across the wrong side row. Now the fun begins, because the pattern says: Do 0 (2, 3) sts in border pattern, which is a 3 st pattern. I hate when patterns economize the writing like that, instead of charting the pattern. Well, having previous models allows me to check what I did before: for the 40" size, I started with the circle cable instead of the border pattern (the beaded rib). Good thing there are selvedge sts, which I'm working as: slip 1st st as if to purl on all sides and knit last st on all sides. Now I can knit the back up to the armhole, at about 15" or the completion of the 12th circle cable. The last times I made this vest I used cable needles; doing the BCs and FCs side by side really killed my hands. This time I'm doing it the Meg Swanson way, sans cable needles. Each time I do a cable without the needle, my heart leaps into my throat. Killing hands or heart in throat; those are the choices. After completing enough of the back that I'm halfway to the armhole, I can say my heart leaps lower and lower, whereas my hands feel fine. Hooray for Meg!


On preview: After checking and rechecking the first set of circs with a magnifying glass, I can now say with certainty I used size 5. I would have preferred to use 4s.

Why are my knitting things in such disarray? Well among the awful things that happened this past year is that I fell, dislocating and breaking both bones near my right ankle. Required a stay in the hospital for surgery plus mounds of PT. I was in a wheelchair for a bit. Orthopedist (who had DH for micro years ago) said it was the worst injury he'd had to repair thus far (great). You'd think one would be knitting like mad if one is non-ambulatory, but the truth is one can't be dictating to family members to tear through the house to find yarn, books, needle, etc.; one needs their cooperation for essentials such as helping one use the necessary, showering, bringing one food, and so forth. Knitting can wait, and it did.