Sunday in Greenwich Sweater Dress

Before I started this dress, two things happened. 1) I saw a dress in a Free People catalogue that was insanely expensive and a very simple knit. 2) I saw a pattern dress online that looked pretty easy. When I went to KnitNY, I spent a solid 20 minutes looking at yarn; and coincidentally when I went home the colors were similar to the dress in the catalogue. I figured I could modify the pattern, and it might end up looking like the dress I wanted to buy. The Free People dress is to the right. You know, the well-crafted dress worn by the model. My dress came out similarly enough; and unfortunately cost probably as much, doesn't look as good, and took a really long time to make. Success! I copied a pattern that crocheted tch in rounds from the neck down. I didn't like the see-through, beach-cover look so I switched to sch, and started ignoring the pattern. At the end, I alternated 2 rows sch with 1 row tch for the cool finish. Plus, apparently I have to have a look so different that I need to alter the pattern...just in case someone I know (a) knows how to crochet (b) buys the same color yarn and (c) has the same pattern. It could happen. Check it out. I am pretty happy with how it turned out, but it is a little too short to wear with stockings. I call it Sunday in Greenwich. Guess when and where we took the photos. (Photo Credits: Iron Martin 2008)

"On the Wall" Switch Plate

Katiebeans always wanted to decorate a light switch plate, and when I dropped by the hardware store yesterday to pick up a surge protector, I picked one up for a buck. I immediately decided to paper mache/decoupage it. I tore out some skate pictures from Thrasher, dipped them in a mix of water and clear Elmer's School Glue, and stuck them to the plate. As it dried, I smoothed out the images and wrapped them around the back and through the front. While still wet, I applied a layer of glue with my finger. I let it dry over night on a stand so it didn't stick to anything flat. I screwed through the paper into the wall. This is called the "On the Wall" Switch Plate.