Summer Knit Sun Dress with Lace

Vogue Knitting, Spring/Summer 2010 is one of my favorite Vogue Knitting issues for patterns, because it includes both beach-y, floating lacework patterns as well as more solid, textured pieces.

This is pattern 22, Sun Dress by Alice Halbeisen. The yarn is Filatura Lanarota Cool Cotton (dk weight, 52% cotton, 48% acrylic), color 29. The yarn was great to work with; sometimes when I order bulk I am a little hesitant about what I'm getting, but the quality is excellent.

Overall, I more-or-less followed the pattern as written. I was not meticulous about my decreases; I eyeballed how far they were apart and then counted my stitches periodically to determine what progress I was making. I also did not maintain a perfectly straight decrease line, moving the decreases over from time to time. The sides in the magazine picture looked squared off, and I wanted to avoid that.

In addition to making somewhat purposefully imprecise decreases, I made everything longer, both for the sake of my long torso and to make the pattern into more of a dress and less of a long tunic or cover up. To accommodate the lacework, I wear a black camisole underneath.

The yarn is by no means too heavy, but it draped less flatteringly than I liked at the ribbing by my waist, so I wove in a thin ribbon to cinch the waist.

This pattern bears some resemblance to Libby Baker's Hush-hush slip on knitty, emphasized more by my color choice. Therefore, if it is more challenging to secure a copy of the Vogue magazine, Hush-hush could be a great alternative, or even preference.

So there you have it! Proof that I have been knitting all of this time, despite my neglect of the website. ;) Graduation is coming up quickly for me, so it will likely be quiet again for a little while, but stay tuned for some posts (and patterns?!) this summer!