Come and have a look at my finished Fair Isle dress!

Hello! It's done! It's finished! My dress is finished, and I've worn it!

I got it into my mind that I wanted the photographs to be taken with me standing on a haystack (don't try this at home).

Ellie and Douglas had to get in on the photo as usual.

So how do I feel, now it's done and dusted? I feel a bit....... "did I really knit a fair isle dress?"

I also feel that thing, like many people, of "SO! What shall I do next, now that's finished?!"

Wellllll........ I love my dress, and I love, love, love, doing fair isle, so that's a contender for my next project.

Part of me wants to make something straightforward, and another little bit of my brain is needling me to take on another challenge. I would like to do a dress which consists entirely of fair isle pattern, rather than a section being plain colour, as with this one I've just finished.

I don't have a pattern for this dress for you, because it's been cobbled together a bit. I started by using a pattern for a smock top. I knitted the top part of the pattern, the bit with the cabling, first, leaving the bottom, where I'd done a provisional cast on, as live stitches. Once I'd finished the top half, I picked up the stitches from the provisional cast on, that were live, and started knitting downwards in stocking stitch. I reduced the number of stitches just before starting the fair isle pattern. I just knitted straight down till the dress was the right length for me.

The sleeves I made up myself, knitting the top half, with the cabling first, and then knitting downwards as with the main body of the dress, having reduced the number of stitches before starting on the fair isle section.

There was a bit of altering of certain areas as I went along, for instance, the sleeves:

Which were originally cast off leaving an abrupt straight line.

I decided a more tapered look would look better at the bottom of the sleeve, so took back some of the knitting, and did it again, this time finishing by gradually reducing the number of stitches in each row, on the last few rows. I didn't cast off the stitches, because that gives a rigid line, which isn't very stretchy, I just folded the cuff under a little, and sewed the live stitches down, which seems to give the cuff that bit more stretch.

I did a similar thing for the hem of the dress.

And the cord? Well, I did that to draw in the waist a little, it was looking ever so slightly baggy and unflattering. To do the cord, I just did a long length of a couple of rows of double crochet. I then threaded it through the stitches in the waist of the dress. Taking seperate yarn, I took the bottom of the cord, and double crocheted twice into each chain, up the cord, till I felt it was the right length of twiddle on bottom of the cord, then I did two more rows of double crochet into each chain, down and up.

And that, my dear darling readers is that, one fair isle dress knitted, photos taken for your entertainment, another chapter in my knitting history completed. Hurrah! Love Vanessa xxx

Comments

[Cate]

Your dress is gorgeous!! I'm completely impressed. I have never knit Fair Isle because it scares me, but this is so gorgeous that I might have to try. The colours are just to die for too! Great choices!!

[Cherry Cabban]

Dear Vanessa,

Well done, it looks fabulous - hope you wear it at Christmas!

LOL

Mummy

[Marg]

Cute Cute Cute! It looks great on you!

[casapinka]

This is art, pure and simple. I LOVE the colors and the haystack pictures are without a doubt perfect!!! I'm so glad that I found your blog : )

[Tania]

Hi Vanessa, i have really enjoyed reading your blog for the past couple of months, but have never commented before. I have watched your fairisle dress grow, and now having seen the pictures of it finished, just wanted to say I think it is absolutely stunning. Your fairisle is just gorgeous. as are the colours you have used for it. Congratulations, you are an extremely talented and creative lady!!

[Crafty Jemima]

Oh my god I love it!! I've been avidly watching your progress and even went out last week and bought some wool to try my hand at some fairisle leg warmers. I've done the pattern myself and have knitted up a swatch - it's looking good!

Looking forwards to the next project.

Nerys x

[liset]

WOW!!!! Amazingly pefect, beautiful!!

[Trina]

That's so amazing. Wow!

[Lilly]

Hey Vanessa!

It's Lilly I have got a question about your fair isle dress. What yarn and gauge and needles did u use? And can I find the fairisle charts anywhere? I would like to knit a pullover from the charts. I
Your dress is sooooo beautiful!!!

Lilly from http://lillyknitting.blogspot.com

[Louise]

♥ Absolutely ♥ Amazing!!!

[Emma]

Oh I am super duper late Vanessa - so busy! But good grief how stunning was your little photo shoot? The dress is an astonishing creation - so cheery in it colours and eye candy-ish in its pattern. Really very delicious.

And, as my Gran used to say, you look a proper bobby dazzler in it!

(P.S. love your new scarf too and I've heard that a robin in the house is super lucky)

[Madeleine]

This is absolutely amazing! I want one too! :D

[Jovita]

I can't remember if I posted or was just chattering to you in my head. So here goes - twice is better, after all, than not at all. Your dress amazes me. I love the color combination and I'm enviously fascinated by Fair Isle knitting - will I ever get there? Says the girl who has knit three socks but still doesn't have a pair ...

[Rosie Doyle]

Wow, wow, wow. Truly stunning. I think the colours of the dress sum up the image of your blog, and why it is such a joy to browse.

What's also stunning is how you manage to get up on that bail and balance so nonchalantly there!

I hope your dress is comfortable to wear. I knitted a woollen, cabled dress years ago, and it was so hot I rarely wore it and ended up cutting it down into a skirt and a jumper!
Rosie

[Veronika / Lalomino]

Heeeeeey I looove the dress! Well done you! :) And great photos too!
We've just done some 'haystacky' ones ourselves with the children balancing on them! :)) They do make great shots! xx

[Ale lu]

wow! Amazing! Congrats :D

[Christine]

I am in love with your dress. =)
http://christinebyhand.blogspot.com/2010/09/my-favorite-sweater-dress-dreams.html

[Leah]

I am in absolute awe of your skill. This is the most amazing piece I have ever seen! The colours and pattern are absolutely fantastic!!! I can't wait to work my way through the rest of your blog now I have discovered it.

[Leah]

I can't take my eyes off your stunning dress! The colours and patterns are totally amazing. I am in awe - completely!!

[ST]

That's amazing! Love it!