After a close call, I finished my first sweater project. You have to celebrate the small victories.... I used a free pattern in Berroco Zen Hako Mix. It's labeled "easy" by the folks at Berroco, but the cabling suggests otherwise. Although, while I think cabling should earn it an "intermediate" rating, I have to say that it was fairly easy for this novice knitter to learn cabling - the instructions are fairly straightforward using a cable needle. Working with slippery ribbon yarn also proved a challenge for me at the beginning, so much so that I put the project down for more than a year before finding the confidence and motivation to finish. 
I was surprised that it fits beautifully. I don't insist on perfection in knitting, and thus live with many flaws that carry meaning for me: I'm proud both of my accomplishment and of the fact that I allow it to be what it is - hand made by me, warts and all. So it's an added bonus that it's actually wearable. Can't wait to show the folks at the knitting group! And I've still got half the summer left to enjoy wearing it. Maybe I'll even be ready to tackle that sock project soon...
