Transformation

I have knitted this sweater last year, it was from Kim Hargreaves book ‘Spirit’. I have truly no idea why! It is a style of a garment that does not suite me, I would never buy a sweater like this and in fact I never had! So why spend time knitting it?? I do not know!! I’m not sure what exactly went through my head when I decided that making it would be a fab idea. Don’t get me wrong it’s a beautiful jumper, very flattering, I’m sure, just not on my body time. I wore it once and then it went to live at the back of a wardrobe, destined to never see the light of day……but then I had an idea! (Well after a year has passed, my ideas take a long time)  What if I made it into a dress?? 

I bought 2 meters of lovely Rowan fabric on sale. The pattern on the fabric is of sweet pansies that reminds me of my Granma’s garden.

I wanted the sweater part to end at my waist, and as it was knitted bottom up, unravelling was not an option so I cut it! I measured at what point I wanted the sweater part to end. I turned the sweater up side down and picked up the right leg of the stitch (the right leg of the V) and cut the row directly underneath.

I needed the edge of the jumper to be a bit narrower so I decreased by: K2, K2tog, all around, then cast off. 

 The fabric part was very easy, I just hemmed it, join the two sides and gathered the top, pinned to the edge of the jumper and sewn on the sewing machine.

 

Hey presto!! I’ve got a new dress!! I will eventually re-knit the sleeves to be quarter length, but for now this will do.

Anna x

Silver screen

I'm feeling slightly melancholy lately.  The past two months have been full of difficult decisions and changes, not sure if the changes and decisions I made are good yet, only time will tell. 

Changes are always difficult no matter how small they are. Everyone says that when one door closes other ones opens, which is true but it's still very hard to close the door behind you without feeling sad for the things that you are leaving. So before I go all soppy and start crying for the days gone by let me share with you some of my favourite pictures of silver screen stars that are long gone but doing the thing I love most......Knitting!! Let this be a kind of metaphor; things may change, eras pass, but some things will stay around forever.

Betty Davis

Katherine Hepburn

Elizabeth Taylor

Audrey Hepburn

Doris Day

 Greer Garson

Lucile Watson

Ingrid Bergman getting little help form Alfred Hitchcock

Vivien Leigh

Merlin Monroe 

Vivian Leigh putting her husband, Laurence Olivier, to good use.

Ava Gardner

Judy Garland

And one more of Betty Davies as she is my favourite!

Anna xx