gorgeous sweater from #27 filati issue

[Athos]

i am completely in love with this sweater:
http://www.lanagrossa.com/filati/filati_27/vs_e.php3?picture=2

i just bought the issue with the pattern, and i want to start it after i finish a small sock project. my question is about yarn substitution. i think the sweater -as is- is gorgeous. however, it will probably cost about a hundred dollars to make. is it worth it, because i really think i'd love it?  or should i search for a more cost-effective substitution? it calls for a silk/linen blend for the body and india cotton ribbon for the accent.

[abricot]

Personally - Even if I could afford it, I never feel totally satisfied if I don't check out all my options first... Who knows, maybe you could find a yarn you would like more, for less money?

If you can't find any other yarn you'd be satisfied with using, you can afford it, it's the yarn for you, I'd say go for what the pattern calls for... More often than not I find myself NOT being able to splurge $100 to make a sweater but I still feel that with the right pattern & quality yarn, where else can you get some gorgeous custom made sweater for $100?

Many designer boutiques sell sweaters that are machine made in  a sweatshop for $100+ dollars... So in my little brain, $100 would seem resonable for a fantastic handmade sweater...

Oh oh and the sweater is beautiful! I might have to get myself that pattern... yum!

[jpants]

Do you ever check out elann.com?  if not, it might be the place to find a substitution.  they have absolutely gorgeous yarns for up to 60% off.  i check it all the time for substitutions for things that i wouldn't be able to afford to make otherwise.
good luck!

[emling]

That is a gorgeous sweater. I wouldn't hesitate to choose a different yarn.   If I were you, I'd do a little research about the suggested yarn--if you can get your hands on a skein to see what it feels like, that helps.  I'm guessing that the silk-linen blend makes it a very drapey yarn with some sheen.  You can probably approximate that effect with a cotton-rayon or cotton-linen blend.

[emling]

Just an update--I saw a sample sweater in my LYS this weekend that must have been from this pattern.  It was absolutely spectacular.  The yarn up close looked like a worsted weight slubby blend.  I bet you could substitute a textured cotton-rayon blend like Classic Elite Believe or Imagine (both coincidentally available at elann.com). The cotton tape yarn looked like it might be hard to duplicate--if I were you I'd splurge on a few balls of the tape, and substitute to your heart's content on the main yarn.

(Discliamer: no affiliation with elann--I just like their site!)

[Athos]

thanks for the suggestion, i'll check it out. i'm hoping to make it to my LYS this weekend to examine the yarn the pattern calls for in person, and then perhaps i'll be better qualified to guess on a substitute.

i'm excited that you've seen something similar!