~Details~
I thought I would add details about some of the projects listed above in this section.
~Pinwheel Party Dress~This project was a very long project. It involved making 60 hexagonal motifs and then joining them all together to create the dress. The original pattern had sleeves, but I didn't really like the way it looked with sleeves especially as they were so narrow. The dress has a side set of poppers and some along one of the shoulders as well. The bottom it a yarn fringe. I won first place in a horticultural show with this dress in a crochet division. It also won best in show. It cost over £100 for the yarn to make it all. It was featured in a 1971 craft magazine.
~60s Summer Wedding Dress~This wasn't too tricky a project and didn't require loads of yarn either. It is featured in a 70s Mon Tricot summer pattern book. You start with the individual upper bodice parts. Two front pieces and one back piece. These are then joined and then the skirt is worked directly onto the base of the bodice. Sleeve are made separately and then set in. This project was featured in Simply Knitting this year (2011) around Easter time when there was the Royal Wedding in the readers letters section! I'm very proud of it.
~Lister Party Girl Dress~This was nice and quick. The pattern is an old 60s one and is priced in old money and cost 1 shilling originally! It was supposed to be worked in double yarn but I liked the lighter look given by a single DK yarn (light worsted). It's made in two matching pieces that are joined together.
~Lister Party Girl Pink Crop Top~This was a very quick make. Someone asked me to make this for an 80s party and they wanted to wear it over the top of their outfit. I actually quite like the boldness of the bright pink. I wasn't expecting to be as pleased with it as I was as I had to alter the party girl dress to shorten it. Not to difficult. Had to alter some of the shaping though.
~Lace Knit Summer Hat~A rather elegant hat. It took me ages to do this because of the lace pattern. It looks lovely but was murder!! I had to start it on DPNs and then proceeded to use a circular needle when it grew. I stiffened it with starch..... well this turned out to be a useless effort and then had to wash it off and stiffen with a product that is used to stiffen hanging blinds. It is stiff now XD! Painted on neat with a pastry brush! The pattern featured in a woman's weekly magazine.
~Belzenef Puppet~ This was a pattern of my own design. I wanted to knit him for a cosplay of Nekozawa from Ouran. I made his eyes and mouth from felt. He is the same patten twice then sewed together. I was wearing my Nekozawa costume with Belzenef safety pinned to the front when I met vic Mignogna! WOO!
~Baby Cardigan~This was quite a quick project. The pattern featured in simply knitting. I like that it has a slightly kimono / Japanese feel too it. I even used little flowers for the buttons.
~Alan Dart Advent Calendar~This project almost killed me. So many toys... so many pockets! I found out that I hate colour work due to this project. It was quite straightforward colour work but was so tiresome making 24 pockets! Then the toys had to follow! I do not know why I have decided to now make an advent tree. The tree is lovely.... just loads of toys to make again!
~Cobweb Bolero~Now this is something that I wish I could get away with wearing. Alas, not without a few stange looks. I love the design and it has a bit of length for some added....I dunno.... swish? It was relatively easy to make. I could have added a hood as well but didn't as this was being made for someone who didn't want the hood.
~Crochet Filet Floral Blazer~This was a lovely project. I managed to get some original 80s crochet cotton for this project as well. I struck lucky at a craft sale. The pattern shopws the blazer in white but I think black looks equally stunning. The only problem I had with this project was that as the yarn was old, some of the balls were faulty. I got half way through one of the sleeves and discovered that the yarn was perishing and I had to remake the sleeve >.< Luckily it was only a few that were dodgy and didn't effect the entire project.