Adrift: finally!

This baby has been finished for a week, but it got so hot here that I couldn't bring myself to put it on!  But at long last, may I present Adrift:

I just can not believe how much I love this sweater!  It's a real surprise to me, because I was expecting to be kind of 'meh' about it.  But I really think this is one fantastic garment!  There are so many ways to wear it:

The crossover drape.

The leaf-tab tie.

The center front tie.

I complained a lot while I was making this because it was pretty tedious.  But so worth it in the end!  Only two skeins of Malabrigo lace, and I was able to make the sleeves exactly the length I wanted!  I really want to do another one in a "winter" color.

I followed the directions almost exactly on this one.  I thought the back might end up being a little short, and it does come to just above my waist, but I think if I'd gone any longer, the fronts wouldn't drape "just so."

Partially covering the posterior region.

It's quite rectangular.

The only things I did differently were to ditch the magic loop method for the sleeves in favor of DPNs (so much faster!) and use up all my remaining yarn for the sleeves, rather than doing the prescribed number of rows.  After I'd finished the sweater, I wound what yarn I had left into two equal sized balls (eyeballing it), and they actually did end up to be even!

All the advice I read on Ravelry suggested that this one either runs big, or grows with blocking, so I did the smallest size, which was for a 30" bust (mine is a whopping 33") and it is a perfect fit.  So, word to the wise.  Several people also mentioned being confused by how to (wet) block it, but I did what I almost always do:  steamed the heck out of it with my iron.  Quick, easy, painless.  Except for that one time when I got a steam burn on my stomach.  Don't ask.

OK, gotta go to the fabric store!  Bye!