Sunny Skies Ahead?

Hey there! This is mostly a post to introduce myself and ask a couple of questions. First of all, just to prove I'm serious, here's the beginning of what I hope will be a very clear Forecast. I am loving this pattern and the yarn. It's amazing how much sweater you can get out of one hank of Cascade 220! Today I saw this great photo tutorial about doing bobbles without turning your work, and I think that'll speed things up considerably.
I'm doing the 36.5" size with the only modification so far being 3-stitch bobbles and going up one needle size. Of course, going up a needle size, even though I seem to be getting gauge, makes me nervous. I really want this thing to fit well, and not be baggy in the least. I read that many of you are doing a size "between" the first and second. Any hints on how to do that?
So glad to be here! If you've got a minute, you can come check out my blog, Fricknits, to get to know me. I'll be stopping by yours, too!