Evolution of a Sweater

I decided I really needed a lightweight cardigan. Since I didn’t have anything between sock weight and worsted weight in my stash, I decided to order Debbie Bliss Merino DK from Elann. They called the color Fuchsia, but when I opened the box it looked more like cranberry to me. Not what I had expected, but still pretty. So I set about swatching.

I tried many pattern stitches, but none of them spoke to me:

Then I remembered the Gravel Road Cardigan, from Janet Szabo’s Twists & Turns newsletter. I’ve been admiring this one for some time. When I made my swatch (and washed and blocked it) I discovered that the gauge was perfect:

Here are the buttons I found:

Since it’s DK weight on size US 3 needles it’s kind of slow going. But it’s very pleasant knitting and I know it will be a sweater that I will wear forever.

Here’s what it looks like now:

And here’s what my back yard looks like now, after two inches of snow and another inch or so of sleet: