Hi! I've been dyeing :) to knit a dress. I keep looking and looking. There's this one by Vladimir Teriokhin that was in vogue magazine, a lace dress.

(This is actually a video, amazing what you can find on the internet now)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tg0WTckPaOI

Can you believe this, if you were to knit it with the rowan silk yarn he did, at $15.95 per skein, 25 skeins! It would be like, $350 or so.
:roflhard:

I was searching on Webs & came up with two substitutes, both at $3.59 or so. Do you think one of these would do? Do you think one is better than the other?

And lastly, has anyone knit a dress and have a good pattern to show?

Here's the two other yarns at Webs:

http://www.yarn.com/webs-knitting-crochet-yarns-closeouts-new-closeouts/webs-knitting-yarns-bristol-yarn-gallery-lyndon-hill/

http://www.yarn.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/product.detail/categoryID/106ECA8A-86A4-46C8-A3E8-DED3B28F6B8D/productID/CD1C4582-180D-475D-AA28-2ECB6BAAA059/?green=15777106778

Thanks for any opinions!

Oh, this is the other dress I'm considering. From Debby Stoller's new book. Really cute. don't know about the corn yarn though.

Shoot, my pic is too big and I don't know how to reduce it.

I'll try later. Hm, ok, figured out how but something is blocking it.
Geez.

If the substitute yarns will knit at about the same gauge and are similar in fiber, they should work fine. Also, maker sure your yardage is similar.

Yup, thanks Sue. I was hoping to hear from a few knitters who have actually tacked a whole dress. Maybe later...

This is the dress I'm making for one of my daughters. When my daughter showed me the pattern I looked up the yarn and discovered it was discontinued. When in a yarn shop in Freeport I had my workbook of patterns with me and one of the clerks asked to look through it. When she saw the dress pattern she asked if I had made the dress. I told her I had been unable to find the yarn. As it happened, she showed me the Berroco SensuWool in a pretty rose color. I was able to purchase enough yarn at sale price to make the dress. Even at sale price it's an expensive dress.

One of the reasons for the expensive yarn is memory...after wearing the dress the yarn has to return to its original shape. For example, wearing the dress is going to create a "butt shape" and if the yarn has no memory there is no way to get rid of that. The yarn also has to have good "drape".

I have not yet finished the dress as I keep putting other projects ahead of this one.

Click photo for larger version. Pattern is Anna by Berroco.

Judy

thanks Judy for the picture and info! I'll be careful to select a yarn with good drape, I see what you mean about retaining shape after wearing. That dress looks like a lot of work. Lucky daughter!