Clara dress by Karin Vestergaard Mathiesen in Peruvian 50% alpaca/ 50% wool by Isager in Chartreuse colourway
The most adorable little knitted dress in the softest, loftiest 2-ply Isager Alpaca yarn, which finished itself faster than you might think, despite small needles! However, beware – although this is the yarn originally recommended and my gauge was spot on, the sizing seems rather optimistic. This is supposed to be the 18 mth size and I’ll be lucky if it fits 6 mth old Mireille (who is average-sized) – plus, although I followed the instructions for the neckline and back fastening, I will have to steek for it to even go over her head… 😦
Having said that, it’s a lovely little pattern and would be pretty in any number of attractive yarns of fingering weight and a slightly larger gauge to size it up a bit. (It takes well under 500m of yarn, I would estimate that a 100g skein of 420+m of yarn would do it…)
Jamieson & Smith’s is the last Shetland wool broker, sadly, but look what their Easter bunny sent me! A mixed bag of 8 balls of natural-coloured real Shetland wool destined for a Fair-Isle project – and a book of pattern inspiration. This really is a “pattern book” in the sense that it features several hundred traditional band patterns, with examples in a few colourways, rather than actual jumper/sweater/cardigan or other patterns. Whether you’re looking for an edging pattern for a border or want to combine a number of patterns all over a sweater or just around a neckline or a hat, here you’re spoilt for choice. Woolly eye candy.
A Swiss Easter bunny sent me this box of goodies – the “Strickcafé” who, much to my surprise, had a couple of skeins of MadelineTosh hanging around, so I simply couldn’t resist!! Pretty, eh?! The Lace is a very fine Drops alpaca/Mulberry silk lace which is so light as to be practically featherweight, as well as beautifully soft, while the darker red yarn is the same mix (70% alpaca/30% Mulberry silk), also by Drops, but dare I say it, “heavier” yarn at 167 m/50g – it’s still wonderfully airy and weighs almost nothing. Yum yum yum. And better for me than chocolate!
The Little Wash-House 
What a sweet little dress! You had a number of beautifully knitted little dresses much in this style given to you as a baby by an elderly lady – sadly, I didn’t appreciate them, thought them very old-fshioned and dated. But maybe you have a vague memory of them …
No, I don’t remember them, and probably didn’t totally appreciate every knitted item I was given back in 1984, either – some were a lot more traditional than my taste then, and I went for the brighter, more trendy items, though I did keep a lot of things.
I think this is a good compromise, the traditional style/patterns but in more modern colours that can be combined with the t-shirts and leggings that babies now wear!! Today, Mireille was wearing a little denim skirt – but with flowery pants underneath, on top of her tights 😉
The little knitted dresses you had were white, pink and primrose – baby colours, of course!
The little knitted dresses you had were white, pink and primrose – baby colours, of course!
The dress is just GORGEOUS Mel!
I’m hoping to get the baby to be still enough for a photo – once I’ve got the neckline to fit over her head… 😮
I am amazed at what you knit. I am pleased with my potholders (thank you again for sending the pattern via e-mail). Perhaps I need to look at a simple pattern for my soon to be 5 year-old granddaughter who loves dresses and has a fashion sense.
I used to knit decades ago – perhaps I should gather my courage and try again. You are certainly inspiring when you show the photos and describe the beautiful yarn.
That Blue is really pretty! But then, you probably figured I would be drawn to that. lol You have a great talent in your knitting..I still haven’t finished off the scarf I was making when I lived there. Terrible. One day, I will return to visit and bring it with me so you can finish it off for me! I couldn’t even tell you where it is right now.