Fashion: Yarn Style

Metallics meet Knitwear; a Divine Match!

 

 

One of the biggest fashion trends of the 2014-2015 season has been metallics. And no one creates fabrics interwoven with silver, bronze and gold like Chanel!

 

 

These garments are from the Fall/Winter 2014 2015 Couture fashion show of Chanel.

 

If only I lived in a chateau and went to the opera every day, perhaps it would make sense for me to pine over these clothes:

 

But are metallics really wearable in every day life? Karl Lagerfeld, with his usual genius, uses a supermarket as the setting for his Ready to Wear Fall/Winter 2014 2015 runway show, to suggest that glamour thrives anywhere!

 

I agree! As you know, my obsession with designer-inspired knitwear has led me to dabble with many different types of metallic threads in knitwear.

Rowan shimmer yarn, kidsilk haze

 

Rowan anchor artiste metallic yarn, kidsilk haze

 

Rowan frost & Rowan kidsilk haze eclipse, Leo

 

Rowan felted tweed & Rowan kidsilk haze eclipse, Libra & Acquarius

 

I have leaned towards silver-toned metallic knitwear in the past, and I have never knitted an entire garment in gold. Still, this is clearly the year to do it—full-on metallic looks are all over the runways:

 

Chanel Fall/Winter Couture Show 2014-2015

 

However, given how bright an all-over gold sweater could be, I decided to tone it down with a very simple shape, the Henley. The pattern I am using is “Light”, from Kim Hargreaves new book, Still.

http://www.kimhargreaves.co.uk/view-books/still/

 

It is usually very difficult to find a gold yarn that looks expensive rather than cheap. However, Rowan surpassed themselves with Kidsilk Haze eclipse yarn. The gold shimmers subtly in a silky mohair haze that is as soft to the touch as it is exquisite.

 

I am pairing the Kidsilk Haze Eclipse with a very thin gold thread, Rowan Anchor Artiste Metallic fine, which seems to have become discontinued almost as soon as it was released. The dk weight version of the anchor artiste metallic is still available, though.

 

I am very happy with the resulting fabric. Kim Hargreaves’ pattern calls for kidsilk haze to be combined with fine lace yarn, so my gauge is working perfectly.

 

So far, I have finished the back and the front. The buttons I am using are gold-toned Chanel buttons I purchased over the internet. At least, I hope they are really Chanel. They were pretty inexpensive for designer remnant buttons.

 

This project has been taking forever! I started it in December, but then became obsessed with my plaid jacket

 

Then I came down with the terrible flu that has been going around, and was too tired to knit for 2 & ½ weeks. But now I hope to make some real progress!

 

Is anyone else planning to knit a metallic sweater this season? If so, what knitting pattern would you use?

Coco Meets Plaid!

 

 

 

It is finished! My beautiful plaid à la Chanel! Actually, I designed the color scheme on the fronts, which is why I suppose I am thrilled with this one. Brandon Mably inspired me in his color workshop to be more bold, so I suppose I surprised myself by combining hues I normally would never think of together in these fair isle/slip stitched front pieces of the jacket.

 

 

I was recently gifted a wonderful book, Chanel, The Little Black Jacket, by my wonderful MIL, Pipapo, on Ravelry. The book features photos of different celebrities wearing the same black Chanel jacket styled in a hundred different ways. It really made me realize how important styling is for knitwear. I am experimenting now with different ways to wear this jacket. When it is buttoned up and worn with no accessories, the colorwork really stands out.

 

Of course, the buttons are a bit of an acessory themselves. I used antique two-toned silver and brass buttons that I purchased at Stitches West from Linda at Unbuttons. The jacket called for 15 in all, but I used 13, as that was all I had. This meant using four buttons on each sleeve cuff instead of five, but I think it still works:

 

I do love the way the brass accents in the buttons pick up the glint from the gold threads in the jacket sleeves.

 

At some point, I will have to enforce the buttonhole band with some ribbon, but at the moment my mind reels at making nine buttonholes by hand. Perhaps I will figure out how to machine sew buttonholes into a ribbon instead for this one!

 

As far as styling goes, I believe jackets knit in aran-weight yarn with color work are on the bulky side, so they need to be paired with fitted pants to create a balance. Because of the bulk created by the yarn and stranding, I also feel this jacket is most flattering when it is worn open and belted. I found a used Chanel belt for a great price on ebay and paired it with the jacket to create a fun, sophisticated style for the jacket.

 

 

 

For the back, I used Kim Hargraves’ pattern, “Steed” in order to create a peplum effect.  

I know that some people can wear an all-over plaid pattern without looking bigger than they are, but it is not easy to do unless you are six feet tall or your garment has body shaping. And how can one build shaping into complicated  color work? My solution was simply to make the fronts only in the plaid. Then I knitted the back and sleeves in a solid color, which allowed me to add significant waist shaping to the fronts and backs without worrying about distorting the color work. The detail of the peplum supplies enough interest by itself. It is a very clever design by Kim Hargreaves, perhaps I will have to knit a whole jacket based on her pattern someday.

 

The best part about finishing my jacket in time for Christmas is that I was able to show it to my favorite knitting partner, Pipapo! She has designed a fabulous Chanel-inspired jacket herself this year, so we were able to wear our favorite projects together:

Isn't her jacket absolutely ravishing? She created the vertical lines in her plaid by intarsia, my mind reels at the thought of how difficult that must have been! Of course, I would never have had the courage to tackle a complicated project like a designer-inspired jacket without her example. She has many knitted and woven jackets that are spectacular in that vein. It just goes to show how important it is for all of us to find people to inspire us and support us in our creative endeavors.

 

Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a 2015 filled with wonderful friendships and creative possibilities!