PEACOCKS AND DRAGONFLIES
By all accounts, namely mine, it was a simple beginning. Delight turned into lust with fairly drammatic strides, until an entire morning had been spent sourcing a pattern and getting it ordered. I sat on the idea of the pattern for a little while, contemplating, then hit a ping! moment where the pattern and a yarn collided with mega force.
It was a beautiful tunic pattern made by Darktrico which started it. A simple A-Line tunic top in a base cotton and feature trim by Phildar. Not the easiest of patterns to get hold of - plenty on Ebay France for shipping only to France, and I don't speak french to ask nicely to have it sent overseas. So I hunted it down elsewhere, and it took a lot of money, and a lot of time for it to arrive. More time and money than it is worth, but that is totally beside the point. I'm sure given half a moment to think I'd have worked out a basic pattern anyway. I digress. [I digress even more because in getting the link for the Phildar site I had a look around....and found this - page 14, which at least is in english, and again is making me contemplate]
I had been thinking of doing the same thing in a natural cotton, but then I got waylaid by the STR Raven clan and in particular the deep blue blacks of Thraven - a wonderful wool split with slashes of peacock blue through it. Can you imagine the deliciousness of a tunic top, in reverse stocking stitch (I'm not keen on it in garter stitch) with intense dark colours and this little slash of peacock.......teamed with Liberty Print trousers, or hand dyed linen trousers, or, or, or. You can see how my mind raced. The colour. The texture. The utter deepness. Pond deep. With Koi carp floating around deep. Dragonflies above lillypads deep. It looks beautiful so far. My gauge is off so I'm adjusting as I go, and I need Pia around to measure against before I go much further. I should also lay it out against one of her sewn tunic tops and see how it compares. The reverse stocking stitch is really neat, playing the peacock slashes off perfectly. I've loved the tunic tops I've been sewing for her - so incredibly Pia - and to be able to take it into a knitted version will be just wonderful for autumn and winter. Quite likely by the time I'm finished it will look nothing like the original pattern.
But that is the joy of working with peacocks and dragonflies.
Oooh that's beautiful!
I'm such a sucker for black and blue....
Hope Max had a great day, and your tears were happy ones. Such a lovely big thing school is.
Posted by: michelle | January 30, 2008 at 04:53 PM
Beautiful . . . as always
Posted by: Melissa | January 30, 2008 at 05:15 PM
oh no.or oh yes?? that is one cute tunic and now my hunt begins and i never thought id say it but i hope this winter will wait for me...
Posted by: melinda | January 30, 2008 at 06:07 PM
I am sure you figured it all out, but next time you can ask your friendly former french resident to help you (if you think the price is worth it :))
Posted by: stinkerbell | January 31, 2008 at 12:38 AM
Hi there- new to the blog. Just wanted to thank you for putting yourself out there. I read the hell out of your writings last night and couldn't stop. You've inspired me. Hope you finish that book....
Posted by: ladybills | January 31, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Is this http://www.phildar.fr/Images/modeles/400x503/200646614A000000_R_1.jpg the jacket you mean? Check your email! :-)
Posted by: Kirsty | January 31, 2008 at 01:30 AM
Oh man, I can't wait to see how this turns out! Such a great pattern!
Posted by: Bertha | January 31, 2008 at 01:34 AM
...and a lovely illustrated book with a short children's story to go with the pattern...
Posted by: charlotte | January 31, 2008 at 09:58 AM
patiently waiting to see the end product =)
i'm sure it will be lovely.
i've yet to finish my swing jacket from phildar...a goal this year... plus a sweater for ava from one of their patterns as well...
Posted by: joyce | January 31, 2008 at 01:38 PM
you have such a lovely way with words... I hope the transition is going well :-)
Posted by: nichole | January 31, 2008 at 09:40 PM
That color is wonderful and will look so sophisticated no Pia.
Posted by: Mama Urchin | January 31, 2008 at 11:32 PM
For your beautiful words, pictures & mind, I have awarded you with an "You Make My Day Award". Thank you!
Posted by: KT | February 01, 2008 at 11:31 AM
good lord, that color is beautiful... i can just imagine it as a top. perfect. and i love the way you put this... 'pond deep.'
xoxo
Posted by: amisha | February 18, 2008 at 11:01 AM