I'm on the Bimaa Bandwagon

While I love all the Bimaas I've been seeing pop up, I'm on a pattern-purchasing hiatus until January, so I didn't think I'd be making one of my own until then.  Then I (yes I!!) won the pattern in a giveaway at hungie gungie!  (Thanks again!!)  I couldn't believe my luck...mostly because I rarely have any.  And speaking of luck, when I was in  Joann's getting the final Halloween supplies, their knits were 50% off.  I've mentioned before that I haven't been super enthused by their knit selection, but I did find this lovely looking and feeling olive and gray sweater knit with two way stretch and a yard made it's way into my cart.

I cut it out, sewed it up, and I've gotta say...I GET it now.  Amazing.  Superb.  Fabulous.

Per the measurements on the pattern (and also because the pattern suggests a yard and a half, but I only had one yard), I made the 12m size for my recently two year old and it fits perfectly.  (Also, after cutting I determined one yard would have had enough fabric for the next size up had I needed to go there.)  I know when the Bimaa tour was going around a lot of bloggers noted that they had sewn the whole thing up with their sergers.  I don't have a serger, so I was a little concerned, but I just sewed it all up with a narrow zig-zag stitch and had no problems at all (in case anyone else out there is serger-less and concerned, too).  It's come on and off of her several times now without a single popped stitch.

I'm a little disappointed with the fabric.  It's mainly green but as a bit of gray heathering to it.  The sweater's been washed a couple time and the gray is starting to look a little pilly.  It's super cozy, though, and the pilling isn't so bad that I won't be okay with her wearing it (it actually looks a little worse in these pictures than it does in person).  Just bad enough that I would have been pissed if I had paid full price.

The cowl is by far my favorite part...I totally see what all the fuss has been about now.  I love that it looks like a mini version of a really stylish adult sweater.  I'd like to try making a couple boy versions for my son with the hood and/or the shawl collar.  What??  BOY sewing?  ha!  We'll see...