False start, but have gotten going now

Thanks for inviting me to join the KAL - I need all the help I can get! I saw this pattern first as the Romy Cabled Cardigan in Knitting magazine here in the UK, which doesn't have charts, so I was relieved to discover that it was also the Silver Belle and that Vogue had published charts. I am knitting it in Almerino Aran, in colour Brighton Rock 307, which is 50% Baby Alpaca and 50% Merino, but I had to drop down to a 3.25mm needle to get the stitch gauge.

I started with the sleeve and if you are wondering what the mess is at the beginning, that is my false start as I just did not twig that because it was a WS row 1, I had to read the chart left to right! I am so used to going right to left that I couldn't figure out why it was going wrong. So after 6 rows, I knit a row of waste yarn and started again. I want the live stitches as I will be adding the cable trim on the cuff. I was also a bit thrown by the symbol on Chart F for K3 tog, when really it should be P3tog, but I figured that out after comparing the written out Romy instructions. I loved the tip about colouring in the chart so I've done that and also I have highlighted all the even rows so I can pick out the different rows more easily. As suggested by others, I am starting with a small size sleeve and will increase to a medium yoke.

I only learned to knit properly a year ago, and have knit several socks, some gloves and a pair of fair isle mittens, so this will be a big challenge for me. One problem I am having is a loose stitch after I have cabled, I think it is the pull of the crossed over stitches pulling that stitch bigger than it should be. Any tips on that?

Best wishes, Wannaknit (Sharon)