Pattern: Grace by Jane Richmond
Yarn: Tanis Fiber Arts Blue Label in Soft Canyon (OOAK)
I finished my Grace sweater earlier in the summer, quite out of its proper season, so it was a special effort to get pictures in it. It was a little warm on the front porch in this merino beauty. But I love it! Makes me look forward to cooler weather!
Making this sweater brought me many opportunities to work through problems and try to find the best solution while moving forward and sticking with it. (I suppose knitting in general helps me work through perfectionist tendencies and helps me keep my eye on the big picture with a beautiful reward at the end.) The lace panels on the button band are there to add extra inches as an afterthought, but I really love how it turned out and how it adds interest in the front of the sweater. I had to rip back a sleeve because it was ending up to be too tight for my liking, and I even had to rip back a few inches of the upper lace panel once. Ugh! But it's all worth it when considering the potential life of the sweater; an extra week or two in the making is a good investment if it means I'll love to wear the sweater.
The lace panels are simple but so beautiful. And I absolutely love the variation in color of the yarn!
Choosing buttons can be challenging. These are coconut shell buttons that I already had from a previous project (and came in a bag of 100!) so I figured I'd give them a try. I really like how the dark brown is neutral and doesn't compete with the yarn. I'm not sure why, but sewing the buttons on seemed like one of the more daunting aspects of making this sweater. Maybe because I was so close and just wanted to be done already?
The looser gauge and lace panels make Grace seem light and airy, but it's still nicely warm. I can't wait to wear it this Fall!