Journal Entry #2 -- The Dress

While I have been "away" from the blog (again....ahem....) I have been doing a great many things. I will reveal these moderately interesting things over time, but you may be wondering about Jo's dress.

Yes, she is still getting married, and yes! I am still knitting it.

Jolene admonished me, however, pretty early on in the knitting process that Andrew can never be allowed too see the dress -- not even in parts -- on the blog, or anywhere. After an appropriate "duh....." from me, and an acknowledgement of my feminist daughter's tendency to adhere to some old traditions (I supposed I just learned that this is one of them), I agreed. Sort of.

I will share some pictures here, but only a few until the big day (which is yet to be determined by the completion of the dress... no pressure....) . And, as I believe that Andrew gets the blog postings from Facebook,  I will not be announcing new blog posts about the project on Facebook. Twitter and email notifications will still go out. I hope these precautions will satisfy everyone.

So far, I have completed the body of the top and the button band. I am now working on the sleeves. Having just re-read my last post, I see that I explained the dizzying array of needles and yarn for each piece of this project and the fantastical pain that getting gauge was! I am preparing to do all of that again for the skirt -- and not looking forward to that piece! In fact, it is my belief that the diversity in needles, gauge and materials is likely the biggest reason not many knitters have attempted this pattern.

So far, no regrets on the materials I have selected. They are all working splendidly. And I have not had to re-measure Jolene.  (Whew!) Things seem to be going pretty well, except....

I have noticed a phenomenon during this project: anytime I work on the dress, math, gauge swatches, writing notes, taking photos, trying it on, knitting...I hold my breath. The whole time. Each time, I only realize I am doing it after I am feeling strangled. To come up for air, I have been doing other projects, too, which may put me behind, but who doesn't need to breathe!? I ask you!! If I end up staying up for sleepless night, re-living the writing of complicated 15 page research papers for AP English in high school? So be it! Some of my best work is done under pressure, but it must be done with a little side of O2.

The pay-off so far for all this hypoxia? The top FITS! It fits how she wanted it too. (Long breath here...I just noticed I was doing it again....dang it!!) I had to shorten the waist, which made me very anxious. and Jo lives about 2.5 hours north of me, in Seattle, That was a toughy. I cannot post a pic of that (yet). you will just have to believe me :)

Here are a couple of pics:

The picture above was taken "on the blocks," before shoulder seaming and button bands were completed. The pic to the left is just a close up of the edging.

These are all I have for now. but more to come!!

So much to share from the summer, but for today, this is it!










Get your cozy on, it's winter!

Janelle, fellow rabid knitter