Winter sundress

Inspired by noted knitting queen, Kora, this winter I picked up my needles to make something for Puddle.

As a novice knitter I wanted to use a simple pattern. But tired of the usual hats and sweaters, I wanted to explore uncharted territory, dresses. I thought I had hit the jackpot when I found Jane Richmond's Elsie's Sundress pattern on Ravelry, a social networking site for knitters and crocheters. Noteworthy: Raverly has an excellent search feature and a large database of free, or inexpensive patterns.

I'm not someone who follows directions well. I rarely measure ingredients precisely when cooking and tend to take liberties with sewing patterns. But I wanted this time to be different. I wanted Puddle's dress to look like Elsie's dress.

I bought the recommended yarn, used the recommended needles, and knit the stitches as directed. But no luck, Puddle's dress did not turn out as cute. Elsie's dress has a nicely shaped front bodice and a much longer skirt.

The photos for the pattern on Elsie are a little misleading. The curves in the bodice look like they are shaped by increasing/decreasing stitches around the neck and armholes. Likely though, the shape comes from stretching the final garment where the straps meet the bodice. Plus, it looks like extra rows were added to lengthen both the bodice and the skirt.

I wasn't thrilled with my finished product. Puddle's dress turned out boxy and short.

To improve it, I added extra crochet details and buttons. I also decided the dress would be more appropriate for the winter, rather than the summer, as the recommended yarn is surprisingly thick.

With the cosmetic changes and paired with tights and a long-sleeved onesie, I think, Puddle's dress makes an excellent indoor play dress on a cold day.