Anyone for Tennis?
This is a knitted dress with crochet insets.....
"... to line up the prettiest back view".
No denying the charm of this dress (and model) though sadly I need them to be a little less revealing these days. But in the words of my 82 year old aunt - at the height of the mini skirt fashion when I was 13 - "well if I had legs like yours I'd bloomin' well show 'em off!".
Instructions.Special cluster stitch as follows:
Make Cluster: FrontUsing size 10 (3¼mm) needles, cast on 156 (164 : 172 : 180) stitches and starting with a knit row, work in stocking stitch until front measures 1½ inches, ending with a purl row. Shape as follows: Next row: {k 10 (11
: 13 :
14) k2togtbl} twice,
knit to last 24 (26 :
30 : 32)
stitches, {k2tog, k 10 (11:
13 : 14)}
twice. Repeat the last 6 rows 5 (4 : 4 : 4) times more. [132 (144 : 152 : 160) stitches ] Next row: {k 10 (11
: 13 :
14), k2togtbl} twice,
knit to last 24 (26 :
30 : 32)
stitches, {k2tog, k 10 (11
: 13 :
14)} twice. Repeat the last 4 rows until 84 (92 : 100 : 104) stitches remain, ending with a decrease row. 2nd and 3rd sizes only : ALL SIZES: Shape as follows: Next row: k 10 (11
: 13 :
14), m1, knit to last
10 (11 :
13 : 14)
stitches, m1, k 10 (11
: 13 :
14). Repeat the last 4 rows until there are 114 (120
: 128 :
134) stitches, ending
with an increase row. Next row: cast off 4, k 51 (54 : 58 : 61), k2tog, turn and leave remaining stitches on a spare needle or needle holder. Continue on these 52 (55
: 59 :
62) 52/55/59/62 stitches
for the first side as follows: Now decrease 1 stitch at the armhole edge on every row and at the
same time decrease 1 stitch at the neck edge on the next and every
alternate row until 37 (40
: 41 :
44) stitches remain.
Now decrease 1 stitch at each end of the next and every alternate row until 25 (26 : 27 : 28) stitches remain. Keeping armhole edge straight, continue decreasing at neck edge on every
alternate row until 21 (22
: 22 : 23)
stitches remain. Now decrease at the neck edge on the next and every following 4th row until 16 stitches remain. Work straight until armhole measures 7 (7½ : 8 : 8½) inches, ending with a purl row. Shape shoulder by casting off 5 stitches at the beginning of the next
and following alternate row. Work 1 row straight. With right side facing, rejoin yarn to the remaining stitches, k2tog,
knit to end. Left BackWith No 10 needles, cast on 61 (65 : 69 : 73) stitches, and starting with a knit row, work in stocking stitch until back measures 1½ inches ending with a purl row. Shape as follows: Next row: knit to last 24 (26 : 30 : 32) stitches, {k2tog, k 10 (11 : 13 : 14)} twice. Work 5 rows straight. Repeat the last 6 rows 5 (4 : 4 : 4) times more. [49 (55 : 59 : 63) sts] Next row: knit to last 24 (26 : 30 : 32) stitches, {k2tog, k 10 (11 : 13 : 14)} twice. Work 3 rows straight. Repeat the last 4 rows until 25 (29 : 33 : 35) stitches remain, ending with an decrease row. 2nd and 3rd sizes only: Work 3 rows straight. ALL SIZES: Shape as follows: Next row: knit to last 10 (11
: 13 :
14) stitches, ml, k
10 (11 : 13
: 14).
Work 3 rows straight. Repeat the last 4 rows until there are 35 (38
: 42 : 45)
stitches. Continue shaping bodice and at the same time shape back slope as follows: Next row: k2tog, knit to the last
10 (11 : 13
: 14)
stitches, m1, k 10 (11
: 13 :
14). Next row: knit to the last 10 (11
: 13 :
14) stitches, m1, k.10
(11 : 13
: 14).
Next row: purl to the last 2 stitches,
p2tog. Now decrease 1 stitch at back slope on the next and every following Continue shaping back slope and shape armhole as follows: Next row: knit. Continue decreasing at back slope on next and every following 3rd row, and at the same time decrease 1 stitch at the armhole edge on every row until 14 (17 : 18 : 21) stitches remain. Now decrease at the armhole edge on every alternate row and continue decreasing at back slope as before until 4 (5 : 6 : 8) stitches remain. Keeping armhole edge straight, continue decreasing at back slope as before
until 2 stitches remain. Right BackWork to correspond with the left back, reversing shapings. Your increase row on bodice will read: Crochet borderWith No 11 (3mm) hook, make 340 (356 : 372 : 388) chain. 1st row (right side facing): 1 tr
in 6th ch from hook, * 1 ch, miss
next ch, 1 tr in next ch; repeat from *
to end. This completes lower edge border, do not break yarn. Sewing in position as you go along, work left back border as follows: 1st row: 4 ch, miss first tr, 1
tr in next tr, 5 ch, miss 2 tr, 1 CL in next tr, 5 ch, miss 2 tr, 1 tr
in next tr, 1 ch, 1 tr in next tr, turn. Rows 2 to 6 inclusive, form border pattern. Continue in pattern until border fits up left back edge to top of slope,
when slightly stretched. Work right back border as follows: With right side facing, rejoin yarn to 9th stitch in from left-hand edge of bottom border and make 4 ch, 1 tr in next tr, 5 ch, miss 2 tr, 1 CL in next tr, 5 ch, miss 2 tr, 1 tr in next tr, 1 ch, 1 tr in 3rd of 4 ch. Finish to correspond with left border. To Make UpPress parts lightly on wrong side. Join shoulder and side seams, then join border to lower edge. Armhole Borders: With right side facing and No 12 (2½mm) hook, work 1 round dc all round armhole. Work picot edging as follows: Neck, Back and Lower Edge Border: With right side facing and No
12 (2½mm) hook, start at left back lower edge and work 1 row dc up
Next round: Work in dc to a point level with the start of the back slope shaping, then work picot edging up to shoulder, all round neck and down right back to point level with the start of back slope shaping. Then finish by working in dc to lower edge, working 16 button loops. To make a button loop: Work 3 ch, miss 2 dc. Now work picot edging along lower edge, join with ss in first dc. Press seams. Sew on buttons. |
Materials
|
This is styled reminiscent of the astonishingly popular seventies photo depicting the back view of a female tennis player (or more accurately "a student in tennis whites").
And not forgetting, the year after this photo was taken, we were all inspired by British tennis as Virginia Wade won the 1977 ladies singles at Wimbledon (without having to reveal her bottom).
I was unable to watch the match as I was working during my student summer break - but in the evening at Victoria railway station - where they had only just installed the new electronic announcement boards - I read "Wade wins Wimbledon 4-6, 6-3, 6-1" demonstrating the sense of elation felt by all since this was a pretty unusual departure from the norm for good old British Rail at that time...