I've asked my husband not to check out my site between now and Christmas so that I might discuss his present. And it needs discussing. I originally started this sweater for him in June. I finished the back and half of the front, then put it aside when more pressing projects came up - and when it became obvious that it would be a Christmas gift rather than a Father's day gift. Since I started this sweater, my husband has lost over 30 pounds which makes me really worried about this sweater fitting him. The pattern is from The Yarn Girls Guide to Simple Knits. All of the patterns in this book have a gauge in regard to stitches but not to rows. I substituted a yarn which gave me the correct stitch gauge so I wasn't worried. When I was shaping the neck this morning, I realized that, as written, the front of the sweater would be about 2 inches longer than the back. It's possible the yarn I used did not have the same row gauge as the yarn in the book. Or, there could be a mistake with the pattern. Either way, this isn't reassuring me that the sweater will come out right. To fix the problem, I started my neck shaping about a half inch earlier than called for and cut out about an inch of bind offs. I'm hoping this works. This is the first sweater I've made for Mike and I'm just praying that it turns out well. One part of me wants to just tell him what it is so that I can compare pieces to him now to see if they fit. That way, if I need to rip, I haven't put any more time into it. On the other hand, I know it'd be a great surprise for him to get a finished sweater on Christmas day. I think, I'll keep it a secret, and just keep comparing it to his other sweaters and to me for now. Maybe, with Christmas almost here, my project anxiety has gotten much higher than it needs to be and most of my worries are unfounded. We'll see.
I don't know that I'll be much help. Does your pattern show a diagram of your sweater pieces with measurements?
Your solution sounds pretty reasonable, if you'll just be taking some length off at the top of the shoulders on the front piece. Do be careful that your armholes and shoulder seams will still match up.
Another suggestion is to make sure that the neck openings won't be too affectd by your changes. if it's one of those "pick up stitches all around and start ribbing" sort of collars, you'll probably be fine.
I'm not the most experienced knitter but I do know about garment fitting and alterations from previous sewing experience, so I might have some other suggestions
I don't have the book that you're working from, so I have no clue what things are supposed to look like. If you want to send me a photo of your pieces, I'll see what, if any, help I can be.
If all else fails...finish it, give it to him, and make the alterations later!
Good luck! Don't worry, I'm sure it will be fine!