New year’s lobster dress (or possibly crayfish…)

I’ve been making this dress for about a year. It’s one of my epic wips. It’s not as if I’ve had the pattern pieces cut and stuffed in a bag somewhere either. Nope, this thing was all put together and was on my dressform looking lovely just waiting for buttons and hemming. For a whole year.

I think I’ll have to keep it there because Mrs dressform is looking very sad without it!

First, I need to show you the fabric!

Isn’t it amazing? It’s a weird combination of food, fishing and flowers. I got it from Ikea ages ago and immediately knew what I was going to do with it.

I used a combination of Bestway D3664 (for the skirt)

and Weldons 8342, view c, for the top.

…and joined them in the middle to make a vintage-style button-through dress. The top pattern is size 16 so it needs manipulation to get it smaller. I had to move the darts and take out some fabric but I left the shoulders wide to give it a 50’s style cap sleeve.

I drafted the bright red collar myself because the dress needed a little extra something. Aside from the lobsters, I particularly like that martini glass on the left front.

The buttons are from Ribbonmoon, a wonderful online haberdashery shop. I urge you to check them out, they have loads of vintage-style buttons and other lovely things at very reasonable prices.

I’m going to wear this to my friend’s New Year party tonight and I’m pretty excited - I’ve made lots of yummy vodka jellies to take too!

Happy New Year everybody!

Beccy

Christmas collar…

I mentioned I had some last-minute sewing to do and here are the results!

Pinning on ricrac.

Sewing it on by hand.

Adding pretty things from my stash.

And the finished collar. I made it for my friend Elle for Christmas, I hope she likes it. It looks a bit dark in these photos but I used navy linen and pale blue satin for the lining. The daisies are vintage from my stash and the buttons are part of my extensive random collection.

The template for the collar is available as a free download from Mollie Makes here.

I might have to make one for me!

Beccy

Merry Christmas!

Ah lovely snow.

Sadly, it’s not going to snow here this Christmas, it’s going to rain. This is a photo from last Christmas when we were up to our eyebrows with the stuff and spoilt. Sigh. I love snow.

In a few minutes I’m going for Christmas Eve drinkies with my oldest friend – we might even do a bit of wassailing or carousing (whatever they are). Who needs snow, that’s what I say! Then tomorrow I’m going to my gran’s to try and eat a turkey the size of a house followed by trifle with no cake in (yuck, cake should never be allowed near a trifle. Everyone else has cakey trifle, I’m just fussy) She looks after me does my gran.

Anyway, I’m rambling, Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a wonderful time and eat lots of cake-less trifle!

Beccy

Lovely hats…

So, I’ve been very busy lately and my knitting has fallen by the wayside. Unfortunately it’s Christmas in a minute and I need to have these presents finished. I’ve also got a bit of sewing to do but that’ll have to wait until tomorrow (probably).

I finished the hat for my uncle (or my aunt, I’m not sure)

I’m quite pleased with it! I’m even more please with the labels I got free with a Christmassy magazine.

Aren’t they lovely?

I’ve started another one for my aunt (or maybe uncle) in the same colourway but a different pattern – matchy, but not weirdly matchy. It’s the Pastasa pattern from Cascade yarns and it has a couple of motifs to choose from. Of course I went for the snowflake in true Forbrydelsen style!

I wish I had had more time to make things for people but somehow it just didn’t work out. Three hats and a scarf is a poor showing.

There’s still time though… I hope your Christmas making plans are working out!

Beccy

Christmas alpaca earflaps

Heeheehee the pattern name makes me chuckle. I’m childish.

I’m knitting this hat for my uncle for Christmas, I’m also planning on knitting a hat with a different pattern but with the same colourway for my aunt. They’re dog owners, they need hats.

I should say now that I’m rubbish at colourwork, always have been, but so far I’ve managed to keep it loose so it’s stretchy-ish but without a mass of tangled loops on the back. I’m dead chuffed!

The pattern is ‘Alpaca earflaps’ by Ozyarn and is surprisingly easy (if like me you’re rubbish at colourwork). I’m using stylecraft special aran in aspen, parchment and dark brown because it washes well, comes in lovely colours and I’m poor.

I’ll have finished my cardi soon too, just waiting for the buttons to arrive. Hee! Exciting. My stripy blanket is a lot less finished with only about half of it done, mostly because I don’t have the time but partly because it’s boring counting to four over and over again. It’ll be nice to actually finish something for a change!

Beccy

A little knitting for me…

I was bought some wool for either my last birthday or Christmas and until last week I hadn’t a clue what to do with it. It’s stylecraft brushstrokes chunky – a self-striping synthetic/mohair mix. It’s not my usual colourful yarn but maybe autumn has made me more sympathetic to more muted colours.

For some reason I chose a pattern with a lovely stitch that really wouldn’t show up with all the colour and mohair goings-on so after about 20 rows I ripped it and knitted the same pattern in plain stocking stitch. Jacqueline is a free chunky cardigan pattern from Knitty and it’s beautiful, especially the rizotto stitch pattern, but nice enough knit plain.

 

It has raglan sleeves and it’s knit from the bottom-up so it’s pretty easy. Here’s my Ravelry page if you want to see how I’m getting on.

What I should really be getting on with is Christmas presents though. I’m suddenly working full-time and although it’s great money-wise, it’s not so great time-wise. Up until a few months ago I was only working two and a half days a week and I was spoiled for time (but poor). These days I guard my few free hours like my life depended on it but my personal arbitrary project deadlines have slipped out of sight and I have less and less to tell you guys.

It might only be temporary so after Christmas I could be back to part-time so who knows, I might actually get to finish that dress and my stripy blanket… and those 101 projects on my to-do list.

Beccy