l'Atelier ChicKnits : the Queen Bling Shell

the Ghost of Xmas Past...

THIS is the Topsy Turvy Time of the Year! These are the few weeks you purge the house of Doxies. Top to Bottom. Under the Couch. Behind the Bookcase.

And what do you find?

Well...

In my case: UFOs!

Here we see something I started and sidelined (hmm, banished) around this time last year? 2004? Oh. Apparently, (using my own Google search in the right sidebar - duh) I see I flirted with this in January of this year!

Problem is - now that I see it again, I'm not hatin' it - I WANT to Wear It!

It was destined to be a simple little shell made from some sparkley ribbon by Katia called *JOYA*.

And joyful she is - shall she get back on the Xmas Bus with the rest of the Holly Jolly #66 Riders? This yarn will surely make the Sugar Plum Fairies go round in their heads!

Comments (6)

gettin' the fash on over here...

Fancy. Party. Shell.

The thin shiny ribbon parts blow-up every few inches with a gold glittery puff. Personal fireworks so to speak.

After it's washed, they lay pretty flat, so there's no invasion of the bobbles look to this just texture -

Hopefully, I'll have enough yarn (and I use that term so loosely) to finish this - it is going fast but seems to eat up the yardage much quicker than the company line would suggest.

I'm aiming for a deep-scoop neck shell - with a very thin edge of gold (leftovers form another project) to finish the edge. I'll scoop out the back to save yarn too - it's depth TBD by the yardage count towards the end of the project. OH, to live dangerously...

 

Comments (13)

Ye olde Christmas Spirit has been in rather short supply here at Chez Chic until around 11:30 pm Sunday. But of course, all the tree lots in town were closed by this wee hour, so somebody just had to make do...

Rivaling the minimalistic decorating I did last year, my little singing Scoopy-Doo now rules the Coffee Machine and gladly hosts the current WIP, my Ribby Shell in Lorna's Shepards Worsted and the Bling Fest that is the Katia JOYA Shell.

Will the JOYA make a joy-ful sound in the hut for the Holiday? This, if I am lucky (and baby, I'm feeling L.U.C.K.Y.) might just happen, because I just finished all the body increases and I have 2.5 balls of ribbonn left!!!!!!! This means straps! Some back action before a scoop so my freckles aren't amusing the masses!

Enough yarn to finish a project? THAT's just a nice peaceful feeling.

Mr. Roker sez
the Absolut Bottle Cozy
is a nice touch...

Comments (5)

The beat goes on...



Even though I'm doing my best to deny it,
the New Year is almost upon us.

I'm not quite ready to burp that baby - this year has unfinished business galore! A trip to the Marination Chamber reveals several of what I will hereby refer to as *swatches* (but in fact are really pieces of abandoned projects).

Some of these swatches are close to finishing - a sock or two.

Some are quite ambitious. (This one MUST get finished. Somewhere. Somehow.)

Most are folly.

My Queen of Folly, the incredible non-edible Blingster, however, is almost finished. This lovely shell, who LONGS to ring in the New Year, is too advanced to be on the #66 bus anymore but is now the early morning/after work project. I wrote this pattern awhile back and since then have learned a thing or two developing another project, the elusive Nicole (who, because of my Ariann knitting deadline was viciously sidetracked. It missed its Christmas debut - I cry I weep. Whoever saw me wearing last year's model, I apologize (not)).

Everything, including Queen Bling, will have its day eventually (this seems to be the lesson of 2006) and if I can just stay focused, might exceed expectations.

As you see above, the Back of Queen Bling is a modest scoop. This will reveal my lovely Little Drummer Girl tattoo, without scandalizing my more sensitive associates. The Front, however, is a different story...

Comments (6)

wherein I practice what I preach...

This is one of my most favorite tops. It is a stretch tank with a relief paisley pattern in the velvet. The label reads "Pandora". I've had it so long I've forgotten where I originally bought it but I suspect it might've been the neighborhood Rainbow...

It is a holiday staple.

So much so that when I decided to make the Queen Bling top, I used its dimensions as a standard to shoot for. If I could match the measurements in strategic places on this top, chance were very good that it would FIT me in the same way.

This is the key to success for most of the garments I've made that fit me well the last few years. I've studied commercial standard measurements and brought this into play by comparing the dimensions in my off-the-rack wardrobe to actual knitting patterns and designs out there.

At first, I was shocked by the major discrepancy between the two worlds. Why wouldn't the two standards be closer together? I want my hand-knitted garments to look and fit like a commercial garment. Would this time be any different?

Deal or No Deal?

hit reload to replay animation...

Deal. Even though the materials used in these tanks are a world apart, their basic fabric behavior is very similar. The velvet has a little lycra and therefore has tension in its fabric; the knitting of the sparkly ribbon adds tension and stretch to its fabric as well. Side shaping matches; length is negotiable. Since I actually have some *JOYA* left, I am going to pick up around the bottom of the QB shell and add about an inch or however long the yarn lasts...

Comments (15)

New Threads FRIDAY!
*************************************

Queen Bling
Designer: Bonne Marie Burns
Yarn: Katia *JOYA*
Color: Copper #8
Gauge: 18 sts/24rows over 4"
Needles: #10.5

Behold! The power of the Lust for A New Party Outfit!

I am shocked/not shocked that I actually finished this - it was basically begun on the 14th of December and WHOOT! Two weeks later, even though the blur of the holidaze spun my head, even though the naughty nature of this tinselly ribbon provoked and aggravated this native, even though other more important projects were staring me in the face, I finished this.

PARTAY!

A pile of jewels anchored by a brooch fills the deep neckline with a sigh.

Originally, I was going to use leftover gold tone ribbon to finish the edges, but it didn't work! The bright gold in the main ribbon clashed with the dullness of the edging. So I went back to the drawing board and decided to try the red leftover ribbon instead. It neither detracts or retracts but edges the shell with a delightful KISS of color that is in the same tonal range as the Copper in the body ribbon.

You've painted up your lips
And rolled and curled your tinted hair
Ruby are you contemplating
Going out somewhere
The shadow on the wall
Tells me the sun is going down
Oh Ruby
Don't take your love to town

...Read the Complete Notes HERE...

Comments (30)