Review: The Bella Lena Dress Pattern

After I decided to design a beach caftan for myself, I realized that I didnt have much experience making crochet garments from scratch. I knew I could fudge my way through it, but I thought I'd feel better if I had just a little more practice first. Then one of my friends from a local crochet moms group posted the link to a new pattern for sale on Ravelry from the Lovely Crow-  a dress! Here is the link to the pattern for sale online:





This dress pattern is gorgeous! Airy white lace, beautiful texture in the bodice, ribbon for trim, and a matching headband. Besides, it was on SALE! Sometimes, you can't pass up a good deal like that, so I splurged.

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 24, 2016 at 8:33am PDT

I'm so glad I tried this pattern! Elizabeth Alan (the Lovely Crow) has one of the most well-written patterns I've seen. There are pictures all throughout to help you make sense of any tricky bits, and she offers full support on her web with video clips as well! Even more exciting, she allows her customers to offer items made from her patterns for sale, which gave me just the extra incentive I needed to open up my Etsy shop.

Picking blackberries in her new dress!

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 24, 2016 at 8:25am PDT

Look at how sweet she is! I love the way her carefree spirit shines through in this dress.  Even my rough and tumble girl looks beautiful, because she's so comfy. It's perfect for an impromptu beach day or cavorting in the backyard, but versatile enough for a dressy occasion worn with a slip.

Nessa is wearing about a 2T right now, but the pattern is sized through a girl's size 12. In the smallest size, it works up quickly! It only took me two days to finish the entire project, from start to finish. (That's in mommy time! I only spent about 4 hours crocheting total.)

Progress shot

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 12, 2016 at 4:33am PDT

If you are looking to crochet a  girl's dress, I highly recommend this pattern- the yarn practically flowed off my hook. Even the lacy skirt felt natural with the simple but interesting two row repeat pattern.

For those of you who don't crochet, I am available to take custom orders for this beautiful dress through my Etsy shop, Salty Pearl Crochet.

What's in a Name?

Lately, I've been absolutely obsessed with the beach. I just can't get enough sand or sun, and side I am blessed to live in a coastal climate, I can visit the ocean as often as my kids will let me load them up in my car. We build castles, splash in the surf, hunt sea shells and shark tooth fossils, and cause all sorts of ruckus!

Swimming, however, is an entirely different story! As a mom of two younglings, I don't quite fit the bikini bill anymore. With summer approaching faster than my winter fluff can melt away, I decided that a beachy crochet caftan dress was just the thing I needed to feel like a sea goddess once more.

Pinterest source

I hit up Pinterest immediately, and found tons of inspiration photos, but slim pickings for a pattern that fit my needs. So after pining over this Pin for a day or two I decided to take matters into my own hands and design my own! I'm enjoying the process so much that I decided to start a shop on Etsy to sell my crochet goods and patterns.

Setting up shop should be a breeze, but choosing the perfect name took longer than I expected. I wanted the name to capture the thrill of finding treasures along the tide line while soaking up the sun with family and friends- and I wanted to hide a little piece of myself in there, as well. I took a few days to mull it over with a friend who knows me better than almost anyone, and she suggested using my daughter Nessa's middle name, Pearl.  I thought it was fitting since Nessa is the recipient of most of my yarn binges! I paired it with my maiden name, Salter, and there it was! Salty Pearl Crochet.

Here's Nessa posing for pictures in the sun hat I made her last month. She took it off a few seconds later. (I'm working on making some bonnet straps to tie it down! Moms, I know you can relate.)

So far, I'm halfway through crocheting the dress. I'm loving it already, and can't wait to share photos of the finished product! I'll be putting the finishing touches on the caftan pattern in the next two weeks or so, if all goes well.

Until then, make a point to go enjoy the outdoors! Life always seems sweeter when you take time to find something beautiful.