(K)not To Brag: It’s A Winner

There’s two parts to the “It’s A Winner” reference in the title of this post. First up, I’ve got a new spin on a favorite Fall outfit and second, an afghan I crocheted was awarded 1st place at my local county fair this past Summer.

While this is its first appearance on the blog, this dress is the same style I wore earlier this year in Onward Ho!. In that post, I confessed to having bought the dress in all three colorways; today’s gray ditzy floral, a solid black, and an abstract burgundy floral. If I remember correctly, I bought the gray and the black at the same time because I couldn’t decide between the two. The fit, length, and style (plus pockets) were just what I’d hope to find in an easy-to-wear dress I rationalized the merits of keeping both.

Needless to say, I was smitten and wore both a lot, usually with boots and either a denim jacket or a chunky cardigan. Then, several weeks later when I came across the burgundy one on a clearance rack, I was both thrilled and a bit hesitant. Thrilled by the marked-down price as well as the possibility to get another version of my favorite dress, but a bit hesitant about the color.

Personally, I adore burgundy; it’s a nearly universally flattering color for most. My concern was that it might look dated but I got it anyway. Little did I know that burgundy would soon the color trend of the season. Like that even truly matters. Just wear what you like ‘cuz no one else really cares anyways, right?

Back to my winner ‘fit, it’s my usual go-to formula but I could (and do) wear it day in and day out. As I already said, I typically pair these dresses with boots and a jacket or cardigan. There are many options for both in my closet so the possibilities seem endless.

As a go-to look, knowing I have a pre-determined outfit/formula that works for most circumstances means I have much less stress over what to wear. Also, having a few choices for mixing and matching allows me to use some creativity while wearing my tried-and-true favorites if I so desire. Above all else, I will be comfortable and confident because I’ll like what I’m wearing.

As for the particulars of today’s look, I think I’ve said enough about the dress so I’ll move on to the rest of it. My stretch denim chore-style jacket was a recent purchase at that membership warehouse store we all know and love. Even though it’s rather lightweight, it’ll be a great layering piece when the temps dip into the 50s. I couldn’t find it listed online so it might be an in-store-only item. BTW, there were also several colder-weather jacket options available as well if you’re in need of one (or two).

My boots are Miz Mooz and they were a recent Poshmark acquisition. I’d come across other styles by this brand while shopping but the typical price point for their boots is more than I usually care to spend on my footwear. After seeing a too-small pair of dark blue booties that I liked at Nordstrom Rack, I searched for them second-hand. With patience, I was successful which then led to other acquisitions like the boots I’m wearing today.  Statement earrings and a chunky charm bracelet round out the look.

Now for the second part of the “It’s A Winner” story. In a kind of a spur-of-the-moment decision, I thought I might submit my latest handiwork project for judging at my county’s annual fair this past Summer. I was about half done with the afghan shown on the left below when that idea popped into my head. Quickly, I looked online for information on how to sign up and when the entries were due. Fortunately, the sign-up deadline was still a few days away and I had a couple of weeks until the afghan would need to be turned in. Easy peasy.

I’m not new to crocheting. My mother taught me a few basic stitches when I was a child. I learned the rest from reading patterns and through trial and error. Mostly I’ve made afghans, and over the course of 50+ years, I’ve crocheted well over a dozen of various sizes. All of them were made to be given away.

Afghan recipients have been a boyfriend I had in my early 20s, our niece and nephew each got one as did my daughter, and one time I made my son a scarf during a 5-hour Brazillian straightening appointment many years ago. I also made a few crib-size blankets for donation to a local hospital’s NICU that our temple’s social action committee supported.

With more time at my disposal since I’ve retired, I’ve taken to crocheting afghans as gifts for expecting parents. So far, I’ve made four of them, and this year I’ll be making another four. The afghans have been a surprise for the expecting parents but two of the four for this year are for second-round babies so those parents may have “expectations”.

As of now, I’ve finished two blankets which you see in front of me in the photo above. On the left is the one I submitted to the county fair. It’s for a little girl due later this month who will be the fourth grandchild for the couple from the first of the September Weddings. The pattern is a simple single/double cluster and is approximately 44″x44″ (see photo below for a larger view).  This was the first time I’d attempted a colorwork pattern which I found not too difficult. I used the same pattern for the blanket on the right but made it a little larger because its recipient is the baby’s 3-year-old big sister who was born before I started this endeavor.

Back to the tale of winning 1st place. I held no expectations other than the participant ribbon that was handed to me when I dropped off the afghan about two weeks before the start of the fair. No information was provided on how/when I would be notified of the judging outcome. All we were told was that all submissions would be displayed during the fair.

My husband and I had been out of town the day the fair opened so we didn’t find out until day 2. The exhibit hall was our first stop after we arrived at the fair and I spied the afghan in the display case almost immediately. I was so shocked and delighted to see it with a 1st place tag. Truth be told, though, it wasn’t the only 1st place tag among the admissions. Turns out there are many classes within many divisions within the Clothing & Textiles category so there were many other “winners”. But still, a win is a win, right?

If you’ve been keeping track, I’ve got two more afghans to make for the other two babies due before the end of this year. Once both are done, I’ll share them in a future post. As for my winner outfit, it’s not unlikely that you’ll see this dress again in a future post in some other such combination as it appears today. However, instead of boots, I could opt for my chunky Converse sneakers or perhaps a pair of loafers. Instead of a denim jacket or cardigan, it might appear with a blazer or a vest. You never know.

Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Photo credit: MMPerez

Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.