135 Days

Okay. The dress is off the needles. I've blocked the skirt and fed some elastic thread through the waistband in order to try it on for size.....and it fits!!! It's exactly the right length, although it may change once I've attached it to the waistband. The bodice is blocking. I'm nervous about this because the front doesn't look wide enough to cover my boobs. Some of the reviewers on Ravelry say that the crochet armsceye finishing pulls it all together, so I'm relying a little on their experience to carry me through this bit.

Time to start thinking about the slip to go under the dress. I bought a cheap polyester slip from M&S just for the try out period and it works okay apart from the fact that it is completely see through and you can see my big knickers through it. I then thought about a white swimsuit to both 'hold me in' and give me a sleek line under the dress. I ordered this. It isn't staying. The front hardly covers by boobs - in fact there is serious side boobage and I'm not even very big. Back to the drawing board. I have a swimsuit pattern that I can make a test from and then tweak. Alternatively a trip to Manchester may be in order to try on every slip, negligee, skimpy summer dress and swimming cozzie until I find the right one.

I've been collecting yarn for my cardigan/shawl/bolero for a few weeks and have whittled the selection down to these. I want vintage green - my shoes are a lovely apple green and I want something that matches them.

From L to R: King Cole Merino Blend 4 ply in 854, Cascade 220 Fingering in 9430, Fyberspates Scrumptious 4 ply in Jen's Green, Scheepjes Invicta Extra in 1466 and Jamieson and Smith 2 ply Jumperweight in 118.

I love, love, love these colours. All I have to do is pick one to knit with. I want to make this. 

This is Belmont by Gudrun Johnston, taken from her book 'The Shetland Trader Book Two'. I love the shape, the colour and the lace pattern and I think it will work well as a cover up over the dress. I'm not sure if the lace on the cardi will be overkill - I may make it plain at the front and add a crochet buttonhole to jazz it up a little. This one is made using Jamieson and Smith Spindrift. I have some J&S jumperweight (see above) in the same shade, but I find it scratchy and I don't want to wear it next to my skin. The Fyberspates is glorious, but it's silk and I'm not sure how it will knit up in this style. It's down to the King Cole, Scheepjes, and the Cascade. There's a lovely example of this cardi on Ravelry in Cascade, so I'm slightly erring towards this, but the Scheepjes is such a beautiful shade of green that I'm a little torn. I think swatching maybe the answer. To be continued...

The sock is still an only child (and an unfinished one at that), but I hope to finish it and start on its sibling next week. Second sock syndrome looms large. I see lots of late nights in my immediate future.