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My Dressing Gown

A long time ago, when I was a new knitter, I decided I wanted to knit a dressing gown. Something to throw on over pyjamas, or to wear around the house when I was lounging. I had in mind exactly what I wanted. Something long and hooded and a little bit wrappy. I searched long and hard and finally found a pattern. Now, this was before I joined Ravelry, which was almost exactly four years ago, so I was hunting around the web. I found this:

# 225 Neck Down Long Hooded Cardigan
from Knitting Pure and Simple. At the time they didn't do digital downloads, and they actually had to mail the pattern to me. The perfect, perfect pattern.

While I was knitting it wasn't the best time in y life. I was living alone, and it felt like all my friends where either pregnant or overseas and I was sick. Not terribly sick, just a horrid cough and I felt tired and alone. All that couch time meant I finished it in three weeks, which at the time really surprised me.
When I finished it it was exactly right. I wish I had a photo of it from then.
And here it is, over four years on:

It's looking more than a bit tired. The wool doesn't feel nice  and is pilling horribly. I keep looking at noticing holes, where I didn't know how to do increases that didn't leave holes. It's also stretched out, and the edging always flips under. I've been planning for  while to make this again, using left over yarn in neutral colours. I cast on Saturday. By co-incidence, I am sick again with a very similar symptoms to last time I was knitting this. Hopefully I will get as much joy and wear out of version two as I did from the original.

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