Green and Lumpy

This shows what a bad blogger I have been over the past few months - I finished this sweater in January and have only just got around to prattling about it.
So, Ta-Da!!!! What do you think?

The pattern is Cathode by Stefanie Japel and was in Knitty Winter 2004. The main body is knitted on 8mm and the ribbing on 3.75mm

The main part is knitted from Stylecraft Loop the Loop which I picked up for a bargain at 59p per ball from Kemps and the ribbing is from some old Rowan Lambswool DK that I got from a lady on Freecycle so the sweater was practically free. Okay, it did take me a while to get going and then a while to finish off the ends but it is now done.

I liked the pattern, it's clearly explained and worked from the top down so you can adjust any bits that you need whilst going along. There is no sewing up at the end which means just can just knit and knit and knit and then wear with none of that faffing that seems to take forever when sewing garments together. I also think that it's a great pattern for someone looking for a first sweater.

I think that my yarn choices were inspired, well I would say that, the contrast between the lumpiness of the Astrakhan and the smoothness of the DK works very well. Also having a textured yarn helps with making it more interesting to look at rather than a smooth body.

I also think that this shape flatters just about any body shape and makes your tits look huge (or so my boyfriend says) which is no bad thing in my book. The collar is very glamorous and almost reminiscent of a 40's style drape while the ribbing helps with giving you a smooth line as well as pulling you together. I think this is a classy vintage looking sweater that is easy to knit and, if you get your act together, a quick knit too.

Earth Hour approaches

So are you going to do your bit? Have you already done your bit? In case you are unaware tonight, in just over an hours time it will be Earth Hour. It's an environmental awareness campaign that encourages you to turn off the lights for an hour (the clue is in the title) to take a stand against climate change and to reduce, even for a short while, the burden that the planet is under. It starts a 8.30pm in your local time zone.

You might not agree with climate change and there's a lot of science going back and forth, as well as less informed and frankly quite scary people ranting, about how it is or isn't happening. Some say the amount of CO2 that has been released since the 18th century has drastically altered the was the planet can function, but then has been countered that with the reasoning that a few million years ago the atmosphere was even more CO2ed than now and nothing terrible happened then so it's not going to happen now. I think this is a tad simplistic as a few million years ago there wasn't the number of creatures on the planet that there are now. Humans weren't even humans, we were still evolving and no where near homo sapien let alone homo sapien sapien which happened about 500,000 years ago. There wasn't 6 billion people on the planet all trying to make it through the day and night with enough food, water, heat and light.

As one of those that lucky enough to live in a relatively free way, to be able to say what I want, and buy what I like, to be what I want to be and have CHOICES, I know that there are many people on the planet who do not have those choices and who might not be able to comment, who do not have the technology available to them, who have not been granted the education to be able to get their voices heard. So please, for them, for those that already live in darkness, who already live in the shadow of environmental destruction, for those that do not have the choice please join me in turning off your lights for 1 hour and see if we can, acting as a global community make a difference.

Bad me but fabulous dresses

I haven't blogged for ages and ages and now I have things to say and I'm getting a bit shy. BUT Bold is my fashion, so since I have some fabulous vintage dresses that are now on ebay I thought that I would share them. They are listed here and there are some crackers among them. How about this great late 1960s Waltah Clarke Maxi dress? It's a UK size 14 with a start price of only £4.99.

or if you are more into the Hawaiian prints of Alfred Shaheen how about this beauty? A red with black printed pattern in a UK size 14 or 16

Or are you more of a disco queen and would love this fabulous Furstenberg wrap dress (not sure if it is DIANE von Furstenberg) dress but it's still pretty stunning. It's a UK 12 and again starts at £4.99

But I think that my favourite out of the clothes that I have on ebay today is this beautiful vintage 1940s rayon dress with original matching belt in a UK 16 or 18.

I have more to put on, a fab mod dress in cream wool with an abstract pattern, a multi-coloured cotton late 1950s dress that brilliant, a satin cocktail dress that needs a bit of TLC, an early 1940s that needs some care but is beautiful. I have an amazing 1950s wiggle dress that will make you feel like Marilyn and a sharkskin dress that is to die for. I just need to get myself sorted and then it will be all up for sale as I am not going to wear this stuff, even though I love it and it's better that it goes to someone who will love and wear it.