Sweater Time

So I have decided it is high time to knit a sweater. I have no idea why the idea struck me at this particular moment especially since it was, oh, 83 degrees here today, definitely NOT sweater weather. Inspired by the Sexy Knitters Club Knit-A-Long, I have decided to knit Zephyr Style's Rusted Root Sweater A cute cap sleeved sweater with a nice lace pattern down the front.




But when I think of Rusted Root all I can hear in my head is THIS (Big plus that they are from my hometown)

I'm still deciding on the yarn and color. The pattern calls for Brown Sheep Cotton Fleece. I am not really enthralled with any of the colors that WEBS carries, and at $8.20 a ball I'm not sure if I want to drop that much cash on my first sweater which I'm sure won't be perfect. Maybe I'll look around for more colors at other online retailers. I'm also thinking of using Lion Brand Cotton-ease. Lion Brand is definitely not one of my favorites to work with, but when I don't want to spend a lot of cash for the good stuff it is always another option. I definitely want a cotton/cotton-blend yarn for this sweater since it will be a spring/summer/fall sweater. Who am I kidding, it will most likely be a fall sweater since summer here in Virginia equals humid, 85-95 degree days, and spring...well by the time I finish this it will be summer. Any suggestions for a yarn sub would be appreciated. The gauge is supposed to be 5 sts/ 1 inch on size US 6 needles. The Knit Picks Options needles are ordered, now I just need to pick a yarn...