Judy in Disguise cardigan

I'd been wanting to knit an interpretation of Laura Chau's Lucy in the Sky pattern for quite some time (aka years) however, it's written for aran wool, which is thicker than I prefer to knit with.  (I've just checked, only 10% of my 80 most recent projects have been with aran, the rest have all been with thinner wool.)  So the plan had been waiting patiently in the wings until I found sufficient impetus to get on with working out the sums for a 4-ply version.

And this is it. The name is from a 1967 song Judy in Disguise (with glasses) which is a mondegreen of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds by The Beatles, and the stitch pattern is called Diamond Brocade and is from Barbara Walker’s First Treasury book.

I bought the buttons at Edinburgh Yarn Festival a couple of years ago with no thought of what I would do with them - I just liked them.  Fortuitously they are a great match for all the colours in this dress!

The wool I used (Fyberspates Vivacious 4-ply in Copper Tones colourway) turned my fingers grey as I knitted with it, and the cardigan felt a bit ‘greasy’ as I was knitting.  I put it in the washing machine on a wool wash with a couple of colour catcher sheets once it was finished, and it’s been fine ever since - no greasy feel, and no dye transfer - result!

Denim skirt

I'd been wanting a denim skirt for ages and tbh if I'd been able to find one in a shop that ticked all the right boxes (not stretch denim, longer length - I was flexible about style - and that actually fitted) I'd have bought one.  I find now that I don't enjoy clothes shopping in shops if I have a particular purchase in mind.  If I look at my few shop bought purchases over the last few years (other than things like tights) they have tended to be things I've either seen online that other people have bought, or that I've walked past in a shop and thought WOW (coats mainly...)

So, anyway, back to this skirt.  Since I already had the fabric to hand (I had won 2m of denim in the SewBrum raffle three years ago) I decided to make one using a vintage pattern which had a skirt option

and actually cut the fabric out in May last year.  I don't remember now why I didn't get it finished at that point - possibly because it's quite heavy denim and I thought I probably wouldn't wear it during warm weather.

However, with denim-skirt-wearing weather approaching this year I decided it was high time to sew it up.  It came together easily, I've worn it a lot and since made another one.

Right, that's quite enough blogging for one weekend!  I've caught up all my projects up until the end of August, so three months done, three more to go...

Chocolate Rose Petals top

This is knitted from a vintage pattern which I bought from Lucy's Etsy pattern shop.  There are a few which she has knitted on her Instagram account, and she's written about it on her blog here.

Pattern is called 'Greta'

I used two skeins of Skein Queen Lustrous BFL Heavy Lace for this in colourways Chocolate Roses and Rose Petals (hence the name of the top) and 3mm needles.

This was lovely yarn to knit with and a bit of a leap of faith that the top would fit (it did) since it's quite skinny yarn.  I modified the neckline as I'm not a fan of high 1940s necklines with buttons, I'd rather just knit the neckband in the round and have it large enough to be able to pull over my head than have to faff about with buttons.

The top is very light (and stretchy) and yet still warm, and I have some 4-ply pale pink wool which I bought from a destash that I intend to knit up as a cardigan to go with this - hopefully next Spring.

 

Birds in Paradise dress

I bought this fabric four years ago from Ditto in Brighton, so it was high time I turned it into a dress.  I used the bodice from Simplicity 2444 which I've modified - lowered the neckline and brought the shoulders in - and the straight skirt from NewLook 6824.  I only had 2m of fabric and this took all of it.

I finished this at the beginning of August and wore it quite a bit before summer disappeared.

Harebell cardigan

I started knitting this in March, but didn't finish it until the end of July, and that was really just to get the thing finished, not because I was wanting to wear it.  March / April is an ideal time of year for a pale blue woolly cardi, July in a heatwave definitely isn't!  Consequently I haven't worn this yet, but I will next Spring.

I didn't use a pattern, other than my standard 'recipe' for 4-ply cardigans - waistline ribbing and body up to the armholes in one piece, fake side seams, split for fronts and back and work them separately, short-row seamed shoulders, knitted on button and neck bands, one-row buttonholes and top down sleeves.  The stitch pattern on the fronts is called Harebell (who'd've thought it?) and I forget which of my stitch dictionaries it came from. 

The buttons are vintage and came from The Swagman's Daughter - a veritable Aladdin's Cave.

Now waiting for Spring for this to get worn!

Africa Mwamba maxi

This is made from an Alexander Henry fabric, which, although it has 2012 on the selvedge, screams 1960s to me.  It's too thick to make a floaty dress - it's quilting cotton - but just right for a maxi.  I had 2.75m and this used all of it; unfortunately there wasn't enough for pockets.

I used the bodice of Simplicity 2886 which I modified, although I can't remember now exactly what I did. I know I traced the pattern and have probably written the alterations on the traced pattern pieces, but they are not to hand at the moment so, from memory, definitely put in a back seam, lowered the back neckline and rounded off the front, probably brought the shoulders in and altered the armholes.  There were no problems fitting the skirt (Simplicity 1801) to the bodice as it's gathered.

Back view

Just writing this up now has made me think it is perhaps time to revisit my Mad Men Box Set, because it reminds me of this Pucci dress which January Jones wore (can't remember which series offhand though).

Image from clothesonfilm.com via Google image search

Summer Sunflowers dress

This dress is the last of the Bettys for this year, with a New Look 6824 pleated skirt.  When I first made up this pattern I cut about 4" off the skirt pattern pieces, and for this dress I reattached them.  Whilst I still like knee-length dresses, quite a few of the ones I've made recently have been this mid-calf length - possibly influenced by the vintage patterns I have, most of which have very long skirts (although also usually with a generous hem allowance).

The fabric is quilting cotton which I bought from The Cotton Patch in Birmingham four years ago en-route to the SewBrum meet up that year.  Not really much else to say about this other than I added Emery pockets, it took 2.5m of fabric, and I'm really pleased with it!