FO: Purple Haze

Can you believe it? I finally finished Purple Haze. Well, almost.... I still have to find buttons. It's been a while since I began crocheting it back during my infamous sweater weekend. Nonetheless, I actually wore it this past weekend with a linked button closure that I created on the fly (just so I could try the sweater) but I don' t like the way it pulls on the pattern. It looks like the sweater barely fits around me but that's not the case. Without closures, the weight of the sweater with the yarn-intensive shell pattern drags the sweater down. I had planned to use a whole slew of these little sphere buttons, but the pattern holes stretch too easily so it needs larger, plain (IMHO), pewter buttons. Either that or I might have to rethink creating a button placket with actual button holes so the pull on the pattern is more distributed. So, I'm still thinking about the buttons. In the mean time here are the details...

Project details:
Pattern: Purple Haze [Ravel It!] by Lauren Irving [Ravel It!] published at Crochet Me
Size: Purple Haze can be made in a variety of sizes - you can mix and match your sizes based on waist & bust measurements.
Style: There are 3 different sweater lengths (cropped, hip length, or peplum hem) and an optional collar. My sweater is hip length with no collar.
Yarn: Gedifra 'Cotton Merino' [Ravel It!]
Colorway: Purple
Hook: Brittany 5.0mm H hook, 5.5mm I hook for edging
Pattern Changes:

• Back panel - as written except for lengthening it by 2 rows through the waist, and raising the back neckline as Lauren described in the comments on the Crochet Me website.
• Front panels - in addition to lengthening by 2 rows, I modified the armhole increases so they would end at the same row as the back panel (I needed that symmetry... sorry Lauren!). The front arm hole increases still start earlier as Lauren intended.

Previous Posts:

• Last Progress report
• My initial struggle to make sense of the pattern

I think the armholes ended up a bit too big in the end, but I think I can live with that. I need to resolve the button issue before I can give my final opinion on this project. I still love the stitch pattern. I used a slightly heavier yarn than called for and with the weight of the shell pattern I think that was a mistake. I'm hoping I can use buttons, with or without a placket, to achieve a better fit.

[Ravel It!] links for Ravelry members only... Join now it's amazing!
All other links accessible by all.