As the sweater grows

There's been quite a bit of knitting going on here - Hervor, to be exact.

I finished the sleeves and the back, and will cast on for the front this afternoon.

I am enjoying the pattern quite a bit, watching the cables bloom above a sea of pebbled purls. After I knit my swatch, and the gauge matched exactly what the pattern requested, I selected the size and bravely knit on.
The question is: will it fit like I hope it will?
I was quite pleased with how effortless it has all seemed thus far; the pattern segments ending at precisely the 'right' moment (or so it appeared given the directions) 'when the work measures 13.5 inches, begin decrease for armhole, at the same time finish the outside panels... etc' The changes in shape were exactly at the end of a pattern. Thus I bravely concluded, that although no row gauge was listed, I was on target. (grin)

At the crucial moment after casting off the back, I held the sweater up to my chest, with that ever so proud feeling of success in the back of my mind....... and gasp... it was snug. Yeah, that kind of snug (as in form fitted, showing every single curve)

Err, ummm, what to do?
I came home and blocked the back, the dimensions are exactly what the pattern suggests they should be - yet still I ponder; will it look the way it does in the photo? (it's the one on the cover) Blocking helped a bit, and it no longer appears glued to my body, yet still.....

I opted to knit a size "large" (45 1/2" bust measurement) since I wanted it loose fitting. Now mind you, while I am not what one would call 'flat as a board', neither am I carrying a ginormous rack... and typically, when I buy clothes, I buy a size 'small'. Okie-dokie then, this should be fine eh? definitely not snug; or so we hope. Yet, then again, perhaps the model wearing the sweater is only 80 pounds, and is wearing an extra large size sweater? (let's hope not!)

And so, with blinders on, and wild hope that it will all unfold as I imagine, I knit on, repeating my newest mantra "it's the right size, gauge doesn't lie....."