The striped dress! It's done!

Hello! Lovely to see you, feels like I've been away for a while having not done a post last Friday. I was busy finishing my stripey dress, in the hope that the weather would be good enough to take the final photos of it on Saturday, because I wanted to do this reveal before I go away. I'm off to my sister's for a short while, back in about ten days.

Saturday was bright and sunny, though by the time it came to take these photos, there was a grey tinge to the sky. I quite like the red against the grey, the balloons stand out beautifully.

I'd originally had an idea the balloons would be floating upright, and I'd be looking as though I was floating in the sky, holding onto the balloons in my stripey dress. I thought that would be great fun. But the wind had other ideas, and blew horizontally.

Quite a bit of jumping went on, whilst Hugo valiantly lay on the ground, clicking away with the camera.

A LOT of photographs were taken. Loads. The photos in this post are just a small selection of the photos that Hugo took, which gives you an idea of just how many there were.
Now let me talk a little about this dress. Front on, it's not the most flattering dress in the world.

But it's not terrible.

It is very comfortable though. I knitted it in 4-ply wool, and I'm not wearing a t-shirt under the dress here, so I half expected it to be a little scratchy, but no, not at all, very, very comfortable.

It's true what they say about knitted fabric, it is quite unforgiving, and positively highlights lumps and bumps, which led me not to include the "pot-bellied forgot to suck my tummy in" photos in this post!
What I love about this dress, apart from it being very comfy, (if I don't worry about the pot belly, which you don't get to see here), is the movement created by the lines in the pattern. That strong horizontal wind turned out to be a blessing when it came to highlighting the effect of movement on the knitted fabric.

The bend of my elbow, a wide stride, stretching the skirt, turning my torso this way and that, all these movements made the dress change, have flashes of a shimmer effect, created by the lines of blue bunching up or lying in different directions. This was an unexpected effect, and I like it.

Then Ruby spotted us, on a walk with her family, and we had to have photos of her, with her gorgeous pink tights.

And we had to do a bit of jumping up and down for the camera.

And Tamiko (Ruby's mum) offered to take some photos of the photographer and his subject.

Would you like to know the pattern repeat in this? It's so simple, it's wonderful. Five rows of stocking stitch (knit all rows) in the red yarn. Change colour, and knit one row using the new colour, then purl the next two rows in the colour just used. Repeat this all again and again.
  The yarn I used was Patons Diploma Gold 4 ply, in colours 4239 (red) and 4198 (duck egg blue)
Strange to think that this dress started out as something different.

Peculiar to think back, and remember that the top section of this dress was once the top half of the Tea Dress, a pattern by Jane Waller.

Funny to think I'd knitted most of the dress, with just the sleeves to finish and sew in. But before doing this, I tried the dress on, and was horrified, it looked all wrong.

Mulling it over for a few days led me to one conclusion. Snip snip snip.......

I decided that the top half would be knit downwards, (continuing with the stripes), into a dress, the length of which I'd determine as I went along.

So that's what I did. 

And as for the bottom half?
The skirt section from the tea dress is languishing, waiting to be made into something. I'm not sure what yet. A suggestion of a cape/poncho was something I thought was rather brilliant, unfortuantely I don't wear ponchos, which is a shame, (it's the exposed, unclad arm thing that I don't like about ponchos, though I think they're rather cool).

So there we have it, one striped dress, very comfortable, finished just in time for the onslaught of winter, which now I have my knitted dress finished, I'm almost looking forward to.

There's just one more thing to do before I pootle off to work on my new project (details of which will have to wait till I return from my sister's, ever so sorry), and that is, give Hugo a big thank you for taking these photos despite having a cold, and not feeling 100% Hugo-ish. He did a fantastic job, lying on his stomach on the ground, peering up at me through the camera, putting up with the strong winds, and going along with my "just a few more photos, just in case".

I shall be thinking of you all when I'm at my sister's house, having been coerced into going on the trampoline with my six-year old niece, listening to Millie say, as I bounce up and down, "it's just so funny to be on the trampoline with an adult! It's just so funny to be on the trampoline with a grown-up!" Yes Millie, it's positively hilarious to see your "ancient" auntie flying all over the place. Last time I was there, I bagan to dread the word trampoline, a bit like a child might dread the words "bed time".

Well me hearties, I really must love you and leave you. Have a good week-and-a-bit, I'm hoping to be back blogging the evening of Friday 15th of this month. Ta-ra and cheerio! Love Vanessa xxx

Comments

[Melissa]

How beautiful! You're such a fast knitter! If you're worried about the front and lumps and bumps, try wearing it with a wide belt of a solid colour. I hope you have a fantastic trip.

[Gill]

What great photos!!!!
Well done Hugo!
The dress looks gorgeous - especially remembering the 'snip, snip,snip' post when I could hardly bear to look.
Have a great time with your sister and Millie.
See you when you get back
Gill x

[Jacqueline]

It's beautiful - I'm very impressed! Enjoy your break.

[Liz W]

The joy I have in visiting your blog comes from the joy you always show in what you have made and the fun of photographing it. The red balloons are perfect. Many thanks to Hugo for being such a good sport and here's hoping he is feeling better. I love the dress and think it was a brilliant save on the tea dress.
Enjoy your time and I'm sure we'll ALL be looking forward to your return.

[bakeandsewblog]

Oh Vanessa. The dress is beautiful as are you. The photographs are so lovely. Have a fantastic time with your family.

[greenrabbitdesigns]

What a great dress, Vanessa!! As for the photographs they're brilliant, well done Hugo!
Have a lovely time away. :)
Vivienne x

[Kate Bruning]

You are a fox - it doesn't matter it it is a bit clingy because you look great in it - I think it is wonderful but if you are worried (and you shouldn't be) just wear an oversized belt with it - but in saying that - you don't need to at all. It's just tremendous and so is Hugo for lying down in the grass taking photos like a wartime photographer even though he must have been terribly worried that you were going to fly away Mary Poppins-like. Lots of love, Kate xxooxxooxx.

[melissa]

LOVE IT!!!! Good job, girlie! Looks great on you.

[Jan]

The dress looks positively lovely on you, and the leggings do the dress justice, for sure. I get shivers up my spine, thinking what a solid knit dress would look like on me.....Let's not go there.

Your pictures are too cute for words. Hugo deserves many pats on the back. The balloons, your body movement, and the dress, has been captured perfectly.

[annri]

I'm sitting here w/my girl eating fresh applesauce, viewing your post. I think your dress is fantastic! She thinks the balloons are wonderful! We both are in love w/your shoes! What a fun, fun post, Vanessa! Thank you.

[Alice @ Crochet with Raymond]

Vanessa, I think that was my favourite post of all time! the dress is fantastic, the photoshoot, everything! Hugo is such a legend and reminds me of Karen who goes along with my "just one more babe" everythings too!!!!!
Have a fantastic time away, you will surely be missed in the blog world! Don't break a hip on that trampoline!
XXXXXXXXX

[Mar]

You remind me of Mary poppins with those ballons & colourful pretty dress!!!

It's beautiful & it just brings a smile to my face!

[Isabelle]

What gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous photos!!! There is so much poetry behind each one of them, well done Hugo! But I also love the one of you and him and the balloons. I think you should frame it.
The dress is so you, no wonder you look lovely in it! Oh, and I love your red ring :o)
Have a great time at your sister's!
Isabelle xx

[Sue]

Balloontastic! I love the first one-you look airborne!

Fabulous knitting Vanessa

Sue x

[Cara Donovan]

I'm new to you, and loved the pictures. Really made me smile, then I got to the bit when you said you knitted it! Wow, I'm in awe. What a great other half you have for indulging in your fun. I have a 1year old Hugo, I hope he grows up to be such a good sport.

Oh, and the shoes! Fabulous. I look forward to following you.

[Lucille]

I love the dress and your red balloons and the way the sky matches the blue grey stripes. Great fun.

[rach]

WOW love love love it, i also love the photos they are awesome and the amount of time it must have taken to upload them well, great job x

[Mary Grace McNamara]

Wonderful job on the dress! What fun pictures too!

MGM

[Carole]

What a fabulous blog Vanessa. So colourful. I just love your strippy dress.
Have a fab break
Love Carole from Rossendale xxxxx

[Trekky]

Fantastic! You look great! I love the photoshoot & the balloons! Well done :)

[Vintage Squirrel Katie]

Vanessa and Hugo, this is the best blog post I have read so far in blogland, the photos are FANTASTIC and the dress is a real WORK OF ART.
Have a super holiday!
Katie x

[Siobhan]

Another great staging - I thought you were suspended in space in the first picture! Enjoyed your props - laughed though when you said you were trying to get them straight up and not sideways, oh well! Well done Hugo for taking all those pictures - love seeing partners supportive of artiness, (they are not always are they - sometimes they can seem quite mean and dis-interested) and he was not very well either - hope he is feeling much better now. You look to be having a lot of fun, all captured by the camera. Love your dress, it looks so comfy and flattering. Just something very 'right' about it! love those colours together. Have a lovely visit with your sister - enjoy your trampoline bouncing and remember you've a long way to go before you really are ancient!

[Lynne]

Fantastic photos, and a fantastic dress. Well done the two of you, what superb teamwork!
Have a great time away.
P.S. My favourite photo is the first

[Valerie]

Very impressive! I fear that I'm still in the "square projects only" phase of knitting. I suppose that means while you enjoy your dress I'm doomed to manufacturing dishcloths.

[Amy]

Ohhhh that dress is beautiful, congrats! I don't own an entirely handknit outfit, but now you're making me want one! The photos are lovely, I adore the balloons!

[GerryART]

Now, this is the dress I am guessing your will wear many, many times.
Photos are Class AAA
Love those shoes!!!
Hugs & ♥♥♥s,
Gerry

[Aubrey]

Vanessa, the photos are amazing, hugo has done brilliantly. ! As for the dress....it is absolutely gorgeous and really looks lovely on you, no bumps at all!! I really love it and cannot imagine how you can do something like that in 4 ply!!!! The photos could be in the latest fashion magazines, the balloons, the red tights and my favourite spotted shoes.....and the wind blowing the lovely hair, could be an ad for hair shampoo!!
Have a lovely time with your family and enjoy trampolining, she would love an aunt who would jump with her.
We have been away for a few days and are now in Sydney with son Mike, good fun and lots of laughing. home tomorrow, love Aubrey

[chris milatos]

Lovely dress, it looks great on you. The photos made me smile, you must have had a lot of fun doing them

[Jak]

What a wonderful post. The dress sure looks special on you and the leggings give it a very fashionable spin. Hugo's photography is just awesome, looks like a professional shoot. Hope you have a lovely break.
Jak x

[Rosa]

Hi, Vanessa.
I'm writing you from the Basque Country, a little village 25 kms from Bilbao.
I am very fond of your blog. I love it. And the knitting you do, your pictures and your drawings. Pity my children have already grown up(17 and 14).
Anyway, it's been a nice thing to discover your blog.
Thank you for being so positive and energetic.

[Emma Angel]

The dress is amazing as are the photos. Well done Vanessa and Hugo.
The dress looks great on you and so well made. The balloons were a great idea.
x

[Pipany]

Wow, it's gorgeous Vanessa. Really lovely. Well done you x

[Planet Penny]

Wow! that dress looks amazing, and really suits you. The photos are also amazing, as is your husband! I knew you'd have to make something to match those shoes eventually! Have a lovely time with your sister. I think you need some red balloons for you and Millie when you are on the trampoline!
lots of love Penny and Higgins x

[MiA]

Hi Vanessa!
Your dress is really rocking! It was a good choice to change the bottom part of it :))

Hugs
MiA

[Jenni at Baame Kniits]

Your dress turned out beautifully Vanessa!! Love the shimmery effect as well and the flow of the skirt....your photo shoot looks like you had a great time and the baloons were a brilliant addition!

Have a great time at your sisters and PS I LOVE those shoes!!!

[MsPremiseConclusion]

These photos are all so lovely and whimsical. And your dress is perfection!!
You look wonderful in it - and it looks wonderful on you! (I absolutely love the polka dot shoes with it!)

[Lily]

Well done you. The dress is really brillant and looks lovely on you. Keep up the good work
From Lily Northern Ireland

[Jennyff]

Brilliant and such enthusiastic photos. I imagine you will wear and wear that dress, it is truly beautiful.

[Penelope]

W.O.W such heavenly fun photos and an amazing completed dress! Have a great break away xox

[Helen]

Dear Vanessa
What a brilliant post that made me really smile. As usual your posts are such fun and inspirational - and I love your use of colour. Thank you for making my evening.

[Lorraine]

A wonderful and cheering post Vanessa and the perfect dress to where in winter, so lovely and bright and colourful. What a super supportive husband you have - brilliant photos Hugo!

I haven't worn a knitted dress since I was in my teens, but oh I am so wanting to make one now...just need to find a pattern.

[felicity]

poor hugo he looks like he's being bopped on the head by all those ballons. ive written a bit more about douglas and ellie I'll email you when you back, have a nice time. fliss xxx

[Julia]

Hey - the dress is gorgeous and it looks great on you. Also it looks cosy and comfy and warm - perfect. I love the way it evolved from the first project; turning into 2 dresses and something else? yet to come.
Awesome!

[susand]

The dress is FAB! The pics are AMAZING!

[Liz]

What a very energetic post!!! The pics of you dress are great! Well done Hugo!!

The dress is fantastic and as you say is just ready for cold days!

Enjoy your time away and bouncing on the trampoline - more dress pics maybe??!!

[Barbara]

Hello Vanessa!
Love your dress, love the red balloons, love your shoes, think Hugo is one amazing photographer and all round kind person and you are super-talented with those knitting needles (may I also say brave to have never given up in the face of previous knitting dilemmas and problems!) Vogue Knitting eat your heart out ...
Happy trampolining ...

[julie]

Wow Vanessa, what a wonderful post. Love the dress, it's just gorgeous, and completely proves you were right to snip and snap and start over, what a great result. You look absolutely fantastic - the colours so suit you and I love the dress from every angle including the front. Loved the photo shoot with the red balloons, they set you (and the dress) off a treat, what an inspired idea, and bless Hugo for doing all the photos, even with a cold! Hope he is feeling better, and hope you have a lovely and not too bouncy time with your sister (perhaps the weather will not be condusive to too much trampolining - all that heavy dew should at least mean a bounce free morning!

[Rachel]

The dress looks great and I love all the photos! Very cute!

[Alice]

The dress is fantastic. My 3 year old loves the pictures- 'she is floating mummy, you can't do that!' It had me thinking maybe I can, just need to start knitting my own dress!! Love the blog.

[Bibi]

wonderfull dress... so funny!!!
Great look...blue sky and red ballon!

[Bev]

Fantastic photos, love the dress and WOW LOVE the shoes. I think I need a pair too!!

[christina wall]

LOVE IT! Absolutely love the dress! It's an inspiration!

[Bonnie]

That's beautiful! Thanks so much for sharing all the work both in the knitting and the photographing. This post made my day brighter!

[Laura]

I love the dress - and the balloons! What a good sport Hugo is!

[frances]

Vanessa, that dress is such a winner! Bravo to you for staying with its creation and seeing it through to this lovely, fluid completion.

Also bravo to Hugo for wonderful camera work...of course, he was working with a top notch model.

The balloons were inspired. Have fun visiting your sister. See you hear again soon, I hope.

xo

[Emma]

Stunning! Photos, knit skills, dress. What an absolute treat Vanessa. This is a joyful post. Hurray!

[Veronika / Lalomino]

Hi Vanessa,
The dress is great. Hugo is great for being such a sport! :)
Have you thought of putting a belt on the dress, to break the lines up a bit? It's lovely as it is, but it's a thought.
I loved the very first photo. You actually look like you're flying!
Hope you're having a great time at your sister's.
Veronika

[mariebruxelles]

I looooove the gorgeous dress (you've done a fabulous job!), the beautiful pictures (bravo to Hugo!), the balloons, the lovely setting... everything!

[Rachel L]

What an achievement! I admire your commitment and stamina - both in the knitting and the post-knit photoshoot! Well done!

[melanie]

I love your dress vanessa, you are so talented with your knitting needles, it is gorgeous :) x

[Karoline]

Great photo's. Your dress is gorgeous, congratulations

[Kris]

Beautiful...and what fun photos!!!

[Julie]

It's turned out brilliantly and looks fab on you - especially with those wonderful shoes. Well done for getting it done - hope you have lots of fun wearing it and well done to Hugo too - he's a trooper!

[Ceri]

Wow I am so glad I stumbled on your post! I love the dress and would def wear with leggings and flamenco shoes given half the chance!
My 6 yo has those shoes (and a dress to match) and she is an avid trampolener who happens to love Dear Mermaid...!
You are one talented lady! Have a look at our blog if ever get a chance (unlikely looking at how much you get done!)
Ceri (from the Crafty Muthas) x

[Julia]

Fabulous photo shoot, and my God those shoes are fantastic!!

Julia x x x

[Louisaholly]

It's been lovely following the progress of your dresses. I'm still mastering hats, so it's quite inspiring to see what lies beyond!

Both of your dresses look lovely - congratulations!

[sonja poor]

Lovely dress and far and away the most FUN blog post I've read. And a happy ending to your knitting.

[Rachel Mackin]

Wow! What a beautiful stripy dress! I love the balloon photos too. :)

[body detox]

u, feels like Ive been away for a while having not done a post last Friday. I was busy finishing my stripey dress, in the hope that the weather would be good enough to take the final photos of it on Saturday, because I wanted to do this reveal before I