Pattern: Tea Leaves by Melissa La Barre
Yarn: an unnamed honey colored wool found in the “seconds” bin at a the fair stall of a New York fiber mill.
I’ve been wanting to make myself one of these for a while now. Even before I made Little Rosebud hers. With my favorite cardigan getting more ragged by the day, the conclusion that no one else in the family was in desperate need of anything, a big pile of dirt cheap wool and a long car ride to knit away, the time was ripe.
This has been done for a couple of months now, but is just starting to see regular use in cool mornings and evenings. Within a month I foresee myself wearing it pretty much constantly.
I had considered adding some crocheted patch pockets, decided against it and am now waffling again.
And, since I never shared the details on the dress I happen to be wearing (though you did get a glimpse of it in one of my Week in the Life posts)…
It’s a heavily modified dress, more or less based off of the Big Button Dress Tutorial and made out of chocolate brown linen. I didn’t have any fabulous big buttons (for shame!), so I skipped that part. I also didn’t have a zipper of the right size and color. I gave it a notched neck so that I could slip it over my head, I want to say easily, but that’s not exactly true… more like carefully, with much shimmying, but it works. The top part on my version is fully lined. Originally I used a decorative stitch on my machine to trim the edges, but I didn’t like that at all, so I covered it all with some cotton lace, which I like very much. And the bottom was trimmed with bias tape because I was feeling lazy and pressed for time and didn’t feel like hemming it properly. I wear it often, but if I were to make it again, I’d add just a bit more length to the top piece to give a little more ease in the arms. Just a friendly little tip in case someone out there wants to make one as well!
Melody! I love the dress!!! And, the sweater! And, your hair! My granddaughters have curly hair. I wish this grandma did.
Oh goodness, you know curly hair can be quite the ordeal! Some days I like it and some days I want to shave my head because it just won’t behave!
Thank you for the kind words!
Melody,
Everything homemade, I love it! That is the reason I keep coming back to your blog to enjoy a peek into a beautiful life you have made for you and your wonderful family. Simple yet so inspiring!
Oh Melody! First of all, you are stunning, the sweater is gorgeous, and I love the dress. Your sweater is one of my favorite colors- and I love “tea with honey,” it’s perfect!
Secondly, I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU JUST MADE TEA LEAVES! Because I am making one for myself- we’ll be matching! Except mine is a different color.
Love, Mel
You’re going to love it! It’s just the right sort of cardigan. What color are you making?? I can’t wait to see it!
Yes! Mine is in “deep lake,” wonderfully wooly yarn by green mountain spinnery- it’s a sort of teal color. I was so excited to see you’ve made it too!
These photos really show how much Elijah looks like you. . . !
oh it published before I could say-
I had made the tiny tea leaves for my girl (two years ago, now she’d need the women’s pattern!) and she says she did not like how the buttons did not go all the way down. Do you think this pattern could work with buttons all the way down, or would it ruin it? Hmmm.
Melody, you look so beautiful in your amazing handmades! That dress is so lovely on you, and the sweater too. Beautiful job, dear friend!
I think Elijah looks like me too, but not everyone sees it. I have a picture of me, at just a little bit younger then him and I swear, if you put him in a pink gingham dress with a bow in his hair, we could totally recreate it! lol
Your yarn is beautiful! I can’t wait to see it all done. I think it will look very pretty with your eyes.
I was going to say that I really like it with just the couple of buttons on the top, but then we had a really cool day and I’m a little less sure now! I’m almost certain that I’ve seem some people who have done it exactly that way on Ravelry. It does change the shape quite a bit, so if the A-line, swing look is part of what attracted you to the pattern then that’s something to consider. It would be very straight up and down all buttoned up. Not that that is bad, just different. Of course, I suppose you could add the buttons all the way down and then wear it open or not depending on how you feel.
Beautiful! Great autumn color and it looks like such a comfy fit. I must add it to my Ravelry queue.