Goodbye, cape!

A friend of mine is moving. We've worked together for several years now, and she's honestly one of the most forthright and genuine people I've ever met.

When she compliments someone, she means it. When I learned she was moving, even though it's the middle of summer and a zillion degrees and I wouldn't be able to get it cleaned in time and one of the buttons really could stand to be reattached, I knew I needed to give her the wool cape I made last fall and winter.

My friend loved this cape, which I often wore to work when the weather was nice enough, from the first moment she saw it. She loved the Peter Pan-ish collar. She loved the wool. She loved the buttons. She loved the welts and unusual pocket flaps. I loved this pattern  from the moment I saw it, and I was fortunate to find the wool locally (the fabric store doesn't typically carry jacketing or coating).

The cape was one of two projects I was able to work on and complete when H was new. I finished it in time to wear before the end of the fall semester, and in time to take on the train for a Christmas visit to my parents (this was the goal). A cape is the perfect outerwear for mamas with babies. H and I snuggled and snoozed together under that cape as the train rocked us from one side of the Continental Divide to the other. It kept us warm, but mostly it kept us snuggled up, which is far more memorable.

Tiny, tired H and mama under the cape

When I gave her the cape this past week over coffee, she was only worried that I would be able to make another one. I assured her that I would. I'm sad to see this one go, but it gives me great joy to know that the person I'm giving it to loves it and will wear it, nay, rock it.

For the next one, I might go for rainwear with a Burberry-style plaid lining. Or, I might go for something a little more tweedy. We'll see what I can come up with.