Back in Black

Crazy times, peeps. Today I wore my partially self-drafted dress to work, just for novelty, and I was inundated with compliments. Seriously, people responded like it was the best looking dress they'd ever seen. (In truth, I wore makeup for the first time in 2 months today, so they might have been responding to the brass and glass.) You'd be amazed, but apparently no one remembers the 80s, not even the people who were there.

I'm not usually so impressionable, but by the end of the day I was channeling my inner-Norma Kamali and had practically convinced myself I need to make one of these in every colour! Hilariously, I decided to go all-out and wore it with a jersey moto-jacket, for veracity. And to educate young people.

OK, I have no intention of making it in any other colours, but I do think I might have to add this self-drafted (for stable knit) skirt to my self-drafted T shirt and call it a full-on Kristin design.

On reflection, the self-drafted skirt is a great fit, it's insanely comfortable (but put-together) and the bodice of the dress (a highly-modified version of Simplicity 3302) does look way better on me than on the dress form. The line of the shoulder and the visible arm seam really creates a lovely silhouette. Yeah, I may be drinking the Kool-Aid, but at least I'm not complaining!

I used a ponte knit that was graciously gifted to me by Susan. Let me tell you, it fits and drapes like a dream. Goes to show, when you use a good fabric, you can even time-travel with no adverse consequence.

One other quick note: I continue to review the Bettie pattern, and to write notes and rip them up and draw pics and throw them away. Edad! I've finally got to the point in the pattern where the sleeve caps begin (pretty well the last part) and I have to reiterate that this is SERIOUSLY complex. I mean, interpreting the pattern is far more difficult than making the garment will be, I'm sure.

Having said this, I think I love it. It's so brain-bending and in a totally different way than the hard-won cable set-up for the Chuck (which tormented me and was not fun). I guess I like construction intricacy more than stitching intricacy?

At this point, I'll argue that anyone who's been knitting longer for than me should be up to the challenge. Hell, I'm making this thing. But if you don't like lots of text and you prefer to just jump in (vs sorting out the directions in advance), it may not be a good match. Then again...