Not a me-made, but a gift from my sister!
Anne mentioned a few months back that she’s been eyeing a pattern thinking it would suit me: the Lady Bat. Isn’t that a great name? And so kind of her to knit it for me! You can read all her Ravelry notes here.
I don’t really know how to describe this shape – it’s a hexagon, I guess, but an irregular one. (Hello, I feel like I’m teaching geometry! Which is, actually, one of my favourite math units to teach…) Anne brought the neckline in higher/smaller than the pattern called for so that it would be more work-appropriate.
I can still wear it Footloose-style if I want – I’ve always liked off the shoulder tops but never felt comfortable in them! (How do you wear this style without always fussing at the neckline?) It’s shorter and boxier than what I usually wear, but it’s a beautiful colour and a fun shape!
Anne says it can go straight in the washer because it’s cotton – that seems a little scary to me though! How do you care for cotton sweater, O Crafty Ones?
p.s. Thanks Anne!
p.p.s. I’m writing this on my brand new MacBook Air! Cost a small fortune to get the specs I need (aka. larger enough to store all my photos on), but it’s so fast! It also doesn’t heat up hot enough to give me contact burns, so that’s a good thing, and a sign my old computer was really struggling! ❤
Crafting A Rainbow 
Anne’s notes indicate she blocked her swatch, which means that she washed and dried a sample of the fabric the way she expected the finished garment to be laundered, and based all of her measurements on that sample. So if she says you can throw it in the washer, you absolutely can! If she didn’t specify about the dryer, you can ask, but generally you want to machine dry plant fibers to help them shrink back into shape (they’ll grow in length during the day because their own weight pulls down on them). If you prefer, you can also run it through the dryer until just damp and then lay flat to dry, or skip the dryer entirely and just lay it out flat, but if you deal with a lot of humidity then it may take a day before you can wear it again. Just don’t hang it wet/damp, otherwise it will stretch out completely (although a wash and a dry can easily fix this). Enjoy, it looks fabulous on you!
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Thank you! I appreciate all the info! 🙂
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Lucky you! I love the sweater ❤️
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❤
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It looks fab on you, Gillian! I’m so thrilled!
I washed the sweater my hand (mainly because the yarn had been musty, and I wanted to give it a good long soak with some vinegar to get rid of that), but I dried it in the dryer. I have no qualms about it going in the wash, either – it is super sturdy yarn! Be warned that it will take forever to dry, being nearly a pound of densely spun cotton, but the more it gets beaten up, the softer and drapier it will get. If I’d had tennis balls around, I would have thrown then in the dryer with it, even!
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Alright, wash and wear it is! Thanks Anne!
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What a gorgeous sweater! The shape and colour really suit you.
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Thank you!
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I once attended an info session for a styling school. The celeb stylist encouraged her top off her shoulder I noted. It looks sexy but that may not be school appropriate! She wasn’t wearing a strapped bra so her brown shoulders were bare but I found her speech really distracting because between tossing her hair and readjusting the off the shoulder look, there was constant movement! I’m currently wearing (winter here), a white button up shirt and grey mini cape, it’s enough warmth for me and I reckon you could defs wear this over a shirt – kudos to your sis Gillian x
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That’s how I feel about fussy clothes – so distracting for me and everyone else! Your outfit sounds adorable – great suggestion!
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Lucky you, that’s such a beautiful sweater! I keep meaning to knit things for myself…maybe I could convince my sister to knit for me in exchange for sewn items. 😉
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That’s our deal – sewing in return for knitting! 🙂
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This is fantastic! Well done Anne! OK, I would listen to your sister about washing. I never wear cotton wool (I don’t like the texture when knitting) but I’ve heard it can really grow when washed. So it seems reasonable that putting it in the dryer will shrink it back to shape. If I’m wrong, blame her!
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I don’t know if Anne has ever used cotton either? She won a gift certificate to Mary Maxim, and this was not polyester and therefore the winner! 😉
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Really really lovely!
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Gorgeous sweater, the colour is fab and really suits you, what a clever sister you have (I wish I could knit)
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This sweater is gorgeous! I love the open texture, and the color is perfect on you. What a great gift!
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that’s a pretty sweater and it was so sweet of your sister to make this for you, thinking of all the time and love she spent in making this sweater it makes it really special!
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Oooh love it!!! Perfect colour and shape, very pretty!
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What an awesome sis!
It seems cool to have someone close to you gift you a new-to-you style — different enough to be branching out, but hopefully they know u well enough that it’s something you’re willing to try!
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Both daughters for the BIG WIN — whee!!!
xox
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So darn pretty! That color really suits you, as does the style. How awesome it must be to have such a talented sister?
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That is such a beautiful sweater. You and your sisters are both very talented and very lucky to have each other to make each other things. I love that off-the-shoulder look. It is a bit 80’s button a very good way. Fabulous colour on your too. Xx
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This is great! What a talented pair you are! Glad you got a new macbook!
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