Where it all began....

When Kate from Wagga Wagga came to visit a few weeks back, she told me she was going to start a bit of fun, whereby she'd put out the call for bloggers to post the photos and stories of their first adult sized garment. Today, she did just that. Check it out. And now, here's mine!

By 2004, I was crocheting madly and in fact crocheted a couple of cardigans. I was incredibly happy with them and may post about them later. 

Knitting was a bit more challenging and I spent part of that year making items such as a hot water bottle cosy and scarves. My first foray into proper garments was this vest.


It's made from some shockingly bad acrylic fuzzy faux mohair stuff called Souffle, in ice blue, which I was rather taken with and subsequently trawled ebay for more. I did get more, including some pink and some black. 

I did no swatching for this. I jumped right in and was amazed at how quickly it came together. I remember spending an afternoon, just weeks before our wedding, hanging out with my mum figuring out how to finish it off. She showed me how to use a circular needle to do the neck band and how to sew it up. 

I was so damn proud. It was easier than I thought and whetted my appetite well and truly for more of the same. I went on to make two more vests in quick succession before heading off into jumper and cardigan territory. 

I don't like the vest anymore. I don't like the yarn and I don't think round necks suit girls with breasts. I don't like the length and I think the colour makes me look washed out when I'm not made up (ok, which is rarely). I've also gained weight since then so I think it's not very flattering. But I'll never get rid of it because it was my first, and firsts, as we all know, are so very, very special. 

What's sweet is that this photo was taken just days before our wedding in August '04 on a bitterly cold Canberra morning, in our little street where we lived for seven years. Sean was even more proud of my vest than I was, I think. He took quite a few photos and was incredibly complimentary and sweet about it. For that reason, for his praise and enthusiasm, it's doubly important to me as a first garment. 

Now can we just forget I ever fell in love with acrylic faux mohair?

Let's see more firsts!
Bells

ps Have finished the first front of the cardigan. Now onto the second. I'm so going to make this deadline!