This sweater is from two winters ago, knit up here and there after bedtime in order to surprise her when it was done by Christmas. The previous sweater I'd planned for her hadn't gotten finished in time so I was determined to finish this one. And I did. And she didn't like it.
It was far too big. The pattern had been translated from french and I think the sizing was wrong. The sweater I knit was meant to be a 4 T but even now, at six, it's still a little big. But what she didn't like, I later realized, was that it didn't close. I had thought she'd like a sweater that had one quick button at the top and could hang loose when she played. When I made her sweater this winter I made sure to let her pick out the pattern and she was very clear that she didn't want one that was "open".
This weekend I fished the sweater out of one of my yarn baskets and realized that it was at last (close) to the right size. But it was still open. Still not right.
I have a dread of zippers. I hate putting them into sewing and I've only done one other sweater - Will's - that had one, and that was only marginally successful. But it seemed worth a try. So off to the fabric store we went, in search of a separating zipper that was the right color and length (not that easy, the one we found was really too small, but the next up was too long, ah well) and in it went.
And wouldn't you know it, she loves it now. Only a year and a half late, but still. It's not perfect, but for a sweater that wasn't meant to have a zipper I think it turned out alright. And perfectly pink, just right for my pink and flower and layered skirt loving girl.