My favourite way to finish sweaters is a crochet edge, one reason is its incredibly quick way to finish, and the second is it gives a sweet hand-made touch – the last one I did was a navy cardigan – I don’t have the before photo but it was a zara long cardigan which was rather jaded looking and languishing on the ‘euro rail’ (reduced rail in charity shop). (I have put a small ‘how to add trim’ or ‘how I do’ here)
I had thought a few times of trying crochet trims on tee-shirts but never did – until this ‘Anthopologie’ number popped up on my pinterest feed the Xanthe dress.
I follow Anthropologie on Pinterest, and I only got to visit the store for the first time in York. It was interesting but slightly boring, the huge whale made from denim was brilliant, but it was really racks of the same clothes. I think I have gotten used to charity shops with where everything is different and requires a look, that I sometimes get bored in shops! I didn’t see this dress when I was there, but it did pop into my feed a week after I came back. I really loved the fresh look and colours and thought I should try something similar. So a few days later when I was in a charity shop, I got this jersey skirt and its a perfect colour (although a small bit light). I cut the waist-band off, cut a ‘vague’ underarm curve to give illusions of sleeves, and then a neckline.
Originally this dress was to be whipped up in no time, and use some left over yarn. I blanket stitched the neck and sleeves and did them first in a mix of single, double crochet and fillet stitch. but this was not meant to be, I was nearly finished when the weight of the yarn had the dress stretched to mid-calf. But as I was happy with the dress besides…………I went out and bought the yarn in 4ply, and started all over again. This time I flew through it as the stitches were worked out. I pretty much went with similar patterns to the original, I used some fhdc’s here and there, and I am unsure how the braiding was done on the ‘Anthro’ dress, but I did a foundation chain, and threaded it through the white fillet. I tightened the neckline but I am thinking of making it big again after seeing the photos, it was more boat-necked before hand.
There is something so perfect about crochet summer dresses, especially on a warm day, as they are incredibly comfortable to wear. I don’t really like to sit in sunshine so generally use this sunhat every summer if I sit ‘out the back’. (when I say every summer, I mean every summer for the past 27 years…… probably my best buy-it-once buy)
upsew 