Knit fashions - Part III

I know most of you dream sweet dreams of summer fashions by now. But it's a wet, nasty day here that didn't allow me to take the beautiful pictures this dress deserves and certainly prevented me from any summer-indulging thoughts. Anyway, I have a rule about that: never before the 1st of March! Otherwise all the yearning is just too difficult to cope with.

Having said that, the pictures I'm using are from another dreary day, a May one nonetheless, 2 years ago in Oxford (a place of unfriendly swans, among other things). It just goes to show how summer in Britain begs to differ. 

This year I am hoping to wear something other than a heavy knitted dress and winter boots when summer comes. Up until then I am pretty decided to bore you with my knitted stuff the and the like.

The first project done at my requirements by my mother - rather then what she wanted to do - dates a little more than 15 years back. It was born from sheer envy, as I had a friend of better means who had bought herself a knitted dress from a so called boutique, which we thought to be wonderful. Needless to say us teenagers were in a rather power flower mood those days- one of those revival things that happen every so often.

But revival or not, I couldn't afford the dress, so shamelessly I've asked, and asked, and asked my mother to copy the shape and knit me something "just like that" and in the end she cracked and said she'd make it, and prettier. And pretty it came out!...Out of reworked lengths of wool unraveled from older knits, a thing of beauty was born.

So let me introduce to you the most beautiful 90's meets hippie dress that ever was! 

All these years later, I am still wearing it, with a pleasure and joy never curbed, for it is one of the first things in my wardrobe to be "me". And a proof that a luxury could be found in an existence otherwise marked by the lack of financial means - the luxury, and priceless experience, of having things made for myself by my mother.

My friend's dress shattered after a season and a few washes. Mine still looks brand spanking new. I love it dearly.

Knit fashions - Part II

It was a sunny, beautiful day here today, and warm enough not to have to wear a coat on top of my dress.

I'll blame the silly posing on the euphoria caused by the nice, spring-like weather, after many a windy, gray and dreary day. 

So brace yourself for another picture heavy post (let's be honest, all of mine are) under the pretext of showing you further into my knitted wardrobe.

(Here I am actually clawing the bark as I'm sliding off this tree trunk)

Another of my mother's long distance creations, this dress was actually conceived by her with very little input from my part. It dates about 4 years back and the design wasn't based on anything in particular, I was simply inspired by corals, pinks and purples and wanted the color scheme to be like a sudden spring burst, something to make me smile. 

I also wanted a figure hugging, but not skin tight dress, with a simple line and finishing at knee length. 

Based on the above specifications, my mother knitted this.

I remember it was March when I received the dress in the post, and wore it straight away the very same day. It's been well loved ever since, and I tend to accessorize it with black since mother decided to finish the edges in black and also introduced the black midriff section.

The neck scarf is improvised by me and fixed in place with a little glass flower clip; the actual necklace of the dress is a simple v neck finished in black edging.

Somebody was saying the other day that the dress looks very 60's. Don't know about that, it was not made with any specific fashions in mind, but I can be blind when it comes to very personal items in my wardrobe, like this one. And while I am not very keen on the 60's, perhaps my mother was influenced by fashions from her youth. Is there anything MOD-ish about this at all? Or perhaps a slight hint of  Faye Dunaway in "Bonnie and Clyde", a film which looks more 60's than intended?...