I hope you had a lovely weekend. This afternoon the sun has finally come out. We’ve had a cloudy and unseasonably cold weekend here in South Carolina, but that’s kind of nice for a change. Good weather for sewing a cozy shrug!

So, what do you think? I’m not 100% sure about it, mainly because the fit is larger than I’d like. I made a size 11, as per the measurement chart in this Jalie Cocoon pattern. Probably in a thinner material, the extra fabric would be fine. But, in this heavier wool/rayon blend, I feel like a size (or two?) smaller would have come off less bag-lady.

Is this bag-lady? I’m concerned.

That’s the thing with making your own clothing, it takes more confidence You could sew something truly hideous and wear it and who would say?

Ok, you would say, wouldn’t you? I can count on you for that. Surely!

I don’t think this is hideous, and it’s certainly warm. I know I’ll be wearing it loads in this cold weather. It seems I’m constantly wanting to add or remove a wrap, so shrugs are my cup of tea.

In recent years I’ve been disappointed with the quality of sweaters and wraps I can find in stores. So much is made with acrylic, which tends to pill horribly after one or two gentle washes. I air dry all my sweaters, but there’s no helping acrylic blends. I can hardly ever find wool, which is such a practical cold-weather fiber.

This shrug is made with a fabric called Lana Bollito, a wool/rayon blend. It has an interesting nubby texture and was easy enough to sew. I didn’t use any special needles, etc. I did prewash the fabric on cold, on the advice of Kate of The Confident Stitch. That was a good call, as it definitely shrank. I’d recommend buying a little extra fabric for your project, just to be sure. Lana Bollito is available in quite a few shades, including a gorgeous olive, teal and purple. Mine is the cocoa brown. It happens to be on sale now, too!

Ok, even though I’m unsure of the fit, I think this project was a success. It’s warm and practical and was super easy to sew. Oh, I didn’t mention that yet, did I? It’s a super-easy pattern. Actually, it’d be suitable for your very first garment.