WIP: Provence, Part 2

A few weeks ago, I finished knitting the body of my Lace Scarf Cardi and had to stop - some of the photos on Ravelry showed sweaters that were longer in the shoulder/bust area and shorter in the body than I'd like, and I wanted to block the body portion to see how long it would really be.  I hung it up to dry, to see how much the linen in this linen/alpaca blend would stretch upon wearing.  The verdict?  I think it's just about right.

I had a relatively chill weekend for the first time in weeks, so I stayed home with Lumberjack, watched Battlestar Galactica, and worked on the sweater.  It's funny, now I can totally tell what has been blocked and what hasn't been - the lower body is pretty soft and smooth, and has a lovely halo. From the gathers on up, however, the fabric hasn't quite settled into itself.  It's bumpy in the lace and less cohesive as a fabric in the stockinette - you can see a lot more individual stitch definition.

The cast-on of the sweater was just stockinette, so the other day I picked up a grosgrain ribbon in a similar smoky lavender color in hopes that I can tack the ribbon to the lower hem to keep it from rolling.  I had hoped that blocking would flatten the cast-on edge, but it's still curling pretty bad.

Overall, I'm really happy with how it's turning out.  Hopefully it continues in this direction!

WIP: Ice Blossom Crochet Scarf

  

So even though there's been stretches of two or three whole days when I haven't been crocheting or knitting lately, I've still made considerable progress on my crochet scarf.  It's actually my only current work in progress, which makes me think I should probably find something new to cast on soon, since I'm pretty close to finishing this ball of yarn!

I also have to confess: although I love working with this yarn, I fricking hate put-ups of yarn like it.  I spent over a half hour this morning untangling a messy alpaca-silky knot that spontaneously formed when a big chunk of the yarn fell off the ball.  Although balls like this are convenient for casting on new projects since they don't involve winding off a skein, I find that skeins are prettier and yarn cakes are much easier to manage.  And that is totally worth the inconvenience of winding.

Oh well - it's looking very pretty, and I'm finally falling into a rhythm with my crocheting.  I'm excited to see how it blocks out!

Fashion Illustration: Practicing Style

I picked up a cool book on fashion illustration the other day, called Fashion Illustrator by Bethan Morris.  It's interesting because it's not really a how-to fashion illustration book, but more of an inspirational guide on how to make your illustrations not only accurate, but stylish and interesting to look at.  I often find myself too simplistic in my design aesthetic, so it's helpful to see examples of how other people have composed things in an eye-catching way.

I finished the first chapter of the book and felt like I wanted to draw something, so I found a few pictures and went to town.  I did pencil sketches yesterday afternoon and inked two of them last night with three different pen weights, which I find really helps to draw fine details.  I also tried to be careful to merely suggest more difficult elements like the hands and facial features, instead of drawing them fully outlined, which can make them look harsh or weird.

Overall, I was pretty happy with the way these turned out!  I haven't decided yet if I'm going to try to add color.  I sort of like them the way they are.  And although I think I have much more to learn, this was a fun first step!

Outfit: Fitted Dress and Heels

   

I bought this amazing early-sixties dress several months ago at Doubletake Vintage & Consignment in Issaquah, and it sat in my closet unloved since then.  Why?  Because it's one of those dresses that juuuuust barely fits - you know, the kind of dress that looks great when you're standing, but is just a smidge too tight if you try to sit, or eat, or breathe.

But rather, it did just barely fit - a combination of food allergies and a general desire to eat healthier has made me pay more attention to what I'm eating, and I'm slightly smaller as a result.  This morning, I figured I'd give it a shot, and it zipped up just fine!

And the dress?  Boy, I love this thing.  Fitted dolman sleeves, waist seam with tucks for a nipped-in waist and fullness in the hip, bodice detail for a bit of interest, retro length, fabulous color and floral print... I think I might have to duplicate it, because it's everything I want in a dress, ever.  All I had to do was add some pumps and I felt like a rockstar.

And yes, the hand-turnip I'm making in the last photo is supposed to be a heart.  Oh well.  I guess I turnip this dress, then!

Fitted purple floral sixties dress: Vintage

Pale blue pumps: Fluevog Brevas (no longer available)

Earrings: Super old