Knitted Vintage Dress Experiment

I got brave and set about attacking a large project and knit a dress from a vintage pattern. I had just the pattern I wanted to try and it didn't look too complicated (don't you hate it when you tell yourself that on no other evidence than the picture??)

I had two cones of Gemini Acrylic 5ply which I thought would make an interesting contrast (besides realizing that the blue was going to run out long before I finished the whole dress. Ah well. Needs must.)  

And it was easy...too easy! 18 inches of stocking stitch which I chose to do in the round since the idea of having to do it separately twice  made me feel ill! But it seemed to go on FOREVER!! But finally I got to the end of that and started with the red for the bodice.

Now it started to look more like a dress and not an endless tube! It wasn't difficult doing the shaping for the v-neck and the armholes (had to go back to straight needles for that!) and quickly progressed through the sleeves. But that's where I finally hit some problems!

Do you see the ruffle here? It took me 5 tries to get the directions right! I'm the only one who can probably notice but the increases on one sleeve are much looser than the other sleeve. It took me a while to figure that out. And the lace just before the ruffle? That I fudged...a lot! I ended up getting a pattern from my Barbara Walkers stitch collections to find a pattern like the one I could barely see in the picture and used that. I simply couldn't get the pattern as written to make any sense at all!! But at last...I finished it!

...well, not quite...

As hard as I tried I couldn't understand the instructions for the crocheted edge that goes around the neck and ruffles. Crochet is SO not my thing and in the end I fudged this too. Or I might have been doing as I was supposed to but I just followed what the picture looked like. I also added it to the skirt because I thought it looked nicer that way.

So, huzzah!! I did it!

But there is something here you may have noticed and I didn't until I tried it on. The shoulders are hugely wide!! You'd have to be impossibly well built to be able to wear this or wearing killer shoulder pads! 

It hangs over my shoulders by about 5cms. I tried to convince myself that it wouldn't matter but it does, oh heck it does!! So it's been relegated to the naughty corner so I can cogitate on it and figure out what my best option is with it. It might have to wait till winter. It is truly horrendous trying this on in 30C heat!

But it has been a great experiment :)

Happy knitting :)

I'm a Business!!

I've just registered my very own business! Totally Unique by Danielle is registered and I have my own ABN. I don't know what that all means exactly but I know it means I have responsibilities to the tax office. Not quite so pleasant :/ 

But I finally had my first sale on my etsy shop!! Totally Unique by Danielle So happy!

This is, as we speak, winging its way to Florida!

It also helped me realize I had grossly under-estimated the cost of postage not just in Australia but around the world, especially since a simply beanie being posted to the USA cost around $7! Was a bit shocked. So I had to go over and change my postal charges.

So, everything is moving along, slowly it's true, but at least moving. I've sold a number of scarves, I have another beaded cuff to do once I've received the shirt it's supposed to match and I'm still compulsively knitting this and that. Also I need to buy more resin to make up some more tatted pendants. Starting to organize myself for the Carnamah Show which is held in September.

Ah...life's tough :)

This is the first completed cuff, all finished and sparkly :)

Happy Knitting :)

Still here!

I'm really slack at keeping this up. Maybe that's why I don't keep a diary!

But I have not been idle!!

I have been slowly restocking my etsy store  http://www.etsy.com/shop/danie17  and it's starting to look pretty good. Haven't sold a damn thing but a lot of people have had a look and favourited things so, can't complain.

I've been doing some commission work for a lady in Geraldton who wanted two of those thread-through scarves with the leaf-like ends for gifts and a beaded cuff like one of the ones I have but in a different colour. After we went through the frustration of trying to settle on colours for the scarves she kindly sent me the wool so all I had to do was knit it up. Easy!

I was so pleased when these were finished. But the yarn was lovely and soft!!

So now they're done and she's received them, all I have to do is the cuff. A little more tricky since I was entirely out of my beading and jewellery findings. So after ordering it all from etsy, I've finally got enough to start.

Still waiting on beads for fringe where loops are.

There are elements I'm not 100% happy with, like the loops at the bottom aren't as neat as I'd like but that's just me. I'm seriously thinking I need to buy a brass extender chain to use as a fastening for it but I think I'll try and find an Australian supplier. I'm waiting on the dangling beads for the fringe on the cuff so it's not finished yet! But at least started, finally!!!

But my biggest achievement to date is finally finishing the light cardigan I was going to wear when I thought I'd have to wear formal attire at my pseudo-son-in-law's  graduation. Soon found I didn't but now I have this lovely crochet cotton thread cardi that goes so well with the dress and spares everyone from having to view my flabby arms since I think I'm a bit old to be able to wear spaghetti straps in public. 

I wish the light had been a bit better but no one here in the wheatbelt is going to complain about rain!

The little buttons were a spur of the moment purchase that has turned out to just suit this project.

I may not get to wear it with this dress but I'll be taking it to Canberra when I go in a couple of days and see if it goes with the dress Dear Daughter will be wearing because she does need to go to the formal ball. I think that would more than make up for me not wearing it.

So there I am so far. No doubt I'll update when I come back from Canberra.

Happy Knitting :)

Okay, and the list of completed works...

This is what happens when you don't keep up with this stuff. I've got a heap of projects I've completed since moving to Carnamah. But should I put them all on the one post? It's not like I don't have enough wip to keep me busy!

Ah well, let's see...

I finished the Shetland Shorty almost as soon as I'd finished unpacking my wool room...

Then I started to go through some of my stash, trying to use up those bits that were too much  not to use but not enough to make anything substantial.

So I made a waterfall scarf...

And a ripple scarf out of the same cotton-ribbon yarn.

 I used up a small ball of really pretty blue-teal flecked acrylic I'd been promising to make a pair of mitts with since there wasn't enough to do anything else with it. 

Turned out really nicely :)

I used some ice green yarn I had, from Bendigo Mills, beautifully soft and made up a very simple shawl.

Tess of the D'urbervilles Shawl

 Using some nice earthy coloured acrylic yarn I'd bought at Spotlight in Geraldton and marked another project off my Ravelry Queue with this simple scarflette with flower. Took only a couple of days to knock up!

Used an old penny turned into a button for the flower's centre!

Oh yes! My proudest project though was the Hex Mesh Socks that I finally finished after what seemed like forever! I used up all the yarn I'd reserved for them and was forced to use some white baby yarn that I had on hand to finish them. But it looks really good, almost like I meant to do it that way! So proud!

They look so PRETTY!!

So there we are. I've been in Carnamah, what, two maybe three months? I reckon that's a pretty good haul! And that doesn't even include the 4 or 5 projects I have on the go at the moment! I have all this stash and so many ideas!! I love it!!!!!

Okay, I'll calm down now. 

Happy Knitting :)

Have been SOOOooo slack!

I have pics. I have been knitting. I have NOT been keeping my blog up to date.I am so no good at this!

But the move here has been smooth. We are quite at home now. All the medical and dental facilities available here (well, not exactly here in Carnamah. In Three Springs, the town 23kms away.) are excellent and I'm probably getting better diabetic care here than I ever did in Albany!

The landscape around here is quite different to Walpole. I've been trying to get a good shot of how open the paddocks for wheat are but I'm not really a great photographer. It's not yet seeding season so everything is very brown!

Carnamah Main Drag

Road to Carnamah from Geralton Direction

Huge empty wheat paddocks

 But I have had visitors, my favourite kind! Family!! 

Easter Weekend my Mum and Dad came up with their winnebago and brought Jordan down with them since he had a break at Uni and Ben was going to Easter camp and he'd have been home alone for 4-5 days! Had a lovely time! Great conversation and time with parents. My Dad could withdraw to his van when all the interaction got too much for him (no real difficulty finguring out the genetic line for the Aspergers syndrome!) and my Mum and I enjoyed nights knitting together. Jordan played with our dogs and found pics of the most recent Avengers movie. Was especially great because Hubbie was doing Easter Cop Stuff at Cevantes and I'd have been by myself for 5 days. This was much better :)

Mum, Dad and Jordan

And at the moment I have my darling daughter for a visit! All the way from Canberra! Ben and Jordan came as well since Ben was the one driving and Aaron (Daughter's Army Partner) had to return to Duntroon. So we had to get a photo of this rare event when all of the children were in one spot at any one time :)

The whole family!

I miss them all, but by gosh! Is it noisy when they're all in the house at once!

So that's that. Haven't included any craft news because, well, surely this is long enough! Will soon have an empty house again when we've taken Brianna back to the airport so she can return home and look after poor Aaron who's just has three wisdom teeth extracted...a a bit of his gums...oh, and a small portion of jaw. But he's fine! Then I'll be able to write up what I've started (far too much!) and what I've finished (not nearly enough!)

I am very blessed, Thank the Lord!

Have fun :)

The things we do...

So, we've moved again and I have not one picture to show since I am separated from my internet connection until the 16th March. We arrived here in the sunny (oh, so sunny!!) little town of Carnamah on the 28th February. Good going communication hot-line! So subsequently I am not up and running as it were and am depended on lovely friends here in town allowing me to borrow their connection. But as soon as I get ours back I have photos and funny stories. Just you wait!
Keep on Knitting!

Okay, bring out the boxes!!

So, yes, We are going to Carnamah. Not that I'm surprised. And with Youngest son in Perth hopefully fulfilling his desire to do an acting course and become more independant, Carnamah is much closer to Perth than Walpole.

He went to Perth by bus last Wednesday. I was very good. I didn't cry!

Jordan, the reality of the Adventure just starting to set in :)

Waiting for his turn to board the bus!

Mum and Dad and Jordan

Nana and Grandy and Jordan

Mum and Mackenzie and Jordan

 We are still very much up in the air about what he's actually going to acchieve in Perth. He's staying at a nice couple who run a kind of half-way home for young people with special needs. But it will be really great if we can finally get the go ahead from Murdoch about his application!! Then we know what his course is at least and  where he needs to find accomodation. He can't stay where he is forever!

I didn't cry but I did hug him very hard!

 So for Hubbie and I this move will be the furthest we've ever been stationed yet. The comparisons between what we'll be leaving and what we're going to are quite extreme.For example, here are their tourist descriptions and population.

Walpole is a small settlement with a populous of around 450 people on the south coast of Western Australia, approximately 120kms west of Albany and around 430kms from Perth.

Set amongst most perfect surroundings - Walpole is situated overlooking the tranquil waters of the Walpole Inlet. Here you will find a small estuary that flows through a narrow channnel into the deeper, and much larger, Nornalup Inlet.

You will find yourself in amongst the wonderful towering karri and tingle forest where you can feel the gentle breezes as they whisper over hills and vales close by. Down at the water's edge stands of peppermint and she-oak adorn the luxuriant natural harmony of the area. 

This Nockold Street, the main drag through Walpole.

And now for Carnamah

Carnamah is a typical wheat-belt town servicing the surrounding wheat and sheep properties. From late July through to December the shire of Carnamah and the rest of the wheat belt blossoms into a wildflower wonderland. This is one of Western Australia's richest areas of flowering plants, with more than 600 species.

Population 358

And, so far, this is the only shot I can find of Carnamah.

But here's Three Springs main road, the larger town 23kms from Carnamah!

So I'm pretty sure the differences wont be hard to miss. At the moment I'm soaking up visions of trees since I don't think there are many where I'm going. Also trying to stop my brain wondering up the hall to Jordan's room to check on him because he's not there! Have almost packed that room up but it's kind of depressing :( And if Morrelli rings me one more time and tells me the weather's a lovely balmy 41 I think I'll kill him!!

(Not funny! It is SO not funny thinking about the heat in the wheatbelt!)

So there we are so far. I've been making pendants till I'm almost sick of them and knitting feverishly trying to distract myself from thinking too deeply about things. My Mum lent me her Agatha Christie books and they've been a big help. But eventually I'm going to have to force myself to start seriously packing.

SIGH!

Alright then. Drag out some more boxes. Where's the packing tape...

Happy Trails :)

Sometimes It Just Doesn't Seem Fair....

Just as I seem to finally be able to sell some of my pretty things to a few local gift stores, Hubbie gets his transfer papers! Which is not a bad thing, it just complicates things a bit.

Carnamah will be an entirely new experience for all of us since Jordan probably wont be moving with us, he'll be moving to Perth instead to further his education. And we've never been posted so far from home before.

And it's going to be hot. Flat. Inland. Wheat country.

Ggggreattt...

But on the upside I've been able to sell 13 of my resin and glass pendants to a specialty gift shop in Walpole called Arcadia Blue with the help of a lovely lady who was not only helpful but sooo encouraging! I also sold 8 to a beautiful gift store in Denmark called Karissma Gallery and Gifts. And I've recieved an email from another shop in Denmark, All About Me, where I left a sample piece and they'd like me to come back on Friday and maybe buy 6 off me. I'm actually starting to get anxious that I'm going to run out of stock!

So I've ordered more frames, glass and chain and I'm going to have to make myself get organised and pour more resin pendants before I run out! 

Oh, it's so nice to be doing something I love and being able to make a little money as well :)

Updated Pages

I've just finished updating what was the Market Day page. Now it's Stuff to Sell. I'll be putting all my stuff to sell there while I'm also trying to place some of them in stores. So stuff will come and go at times. I just need to try and make this look professional.

This is the latest label I have on the pendant boxes.

Here it comes...2012

Wow, I haven't posted in ages. I find it  hard to use this as a journal, especially when I can't think of anything to say. But!
I finally caved and took some of my pendants down to the only specialty gift store we have here and asked if she could sell them for me. She thought they were beautiful (which was nice) and said she's never seen anything like the tatting motifs in resin before (goody!). After fluffing around when she asked me how much I'd sell them for (what? you mean I should know that? Oh, er...) we settled on $9 each. She took 10 and before the day had finished she rang to say she'd already sold one! So that was very encouraging! Certainly more so than etsy where I haven't managed to shift a thing!

I got some different frames too. These are a lot easier to handle compared with the resin. Just glass slides in a frame with a piece of tatting trapped between. See how we go for the rest of the year. The lady suggested knitting some mitts and headbands and she'd have a look because they go quick during winter and she doesn't really like the cheapee chinese mass-produced ones.
This year could be an interesting one with lots of curly decisions popping up here and there. Youngest son is getting ready to embark on not one but two massive adventures. Moving to Perth and living almost independently as well as attending uni to further his education. For any other 17 almost 18 year old boy this would be daunting enough but with his Aspergers it throws one more variable into a mix already fraught with possible OMG moments! He's got the support of a lot of really good professionals and we're hoping to hear more back soon since the course he wants to enter begins Feb 21st.
Oh dear. Where's the brown paper bag. I think I'm starting to hyperventilate again!!!
Also Hubbie's two years is up here so he's starting to have to think about where we're likely to choose to be transfered to next. Not looking forward to that since anywhere we choose is bound to be a long way from here, from my parents and I'll probably have to find another job. I hate that!
But none of this has happened yet. 2012 is starting to look like another one of those pivitol years...
...I'm not sure I like that.
Ah well. There's always knitting :)