Fashion: Yarn Style

Aislinn by Amy Herzog

 

Aislinn is a wonderful, figure-flattering design by Amy Herzog.

I chose to knit my cardigan out of Rowan's Calmer yarn instead of

the Plucky yarn the pattern called for because I wanted a black

cotton-blend sweater I could wear over dresses. The problem with 

hand-dyed yarns is that they sometimes clash with printed fabrics. 

The smooth black cotton is a more neutral frame for this print. I also  

needed the strength and sheen of cotton to repel the whirlwind of 

white cat hair that attacks most of my knitted garments.....

 

 

As you can see, Miro is all over my projects even before they leave

the knitting needles!

 

Amy Herzog put many thoughtful details into Aislinn, such as the 

vertical panels of lace--there are actually three different lace patterns

used in the sweater. It was rather tricky keeping track of all three 

patterns at once, but it was better than a crossword puzzle to keep my

mind occupied!

 

 

I thought it was interesting that Herzog wrote on the pattern that she 

designed the cardigan for an hour-glass figure. The vertical lace panels

certainly draw the eye up and down, and the cast-on ties in the lace

panels draw attention to the waist.

 

 

 

I liked the lace because it created an interesting textural variation

that I think goes well with the rose-printed fabric of the dress.

 

 

I knitted the back of the sweater in a smaller size to ensure

that it would fit my shoulders but kept the sleeves a bit loose.

 

 

You can see the same eyelet lace pattern that is at the bottom

of the fronts of the cardigan also runs along the back and the

sleeve cuffs:

 

 

Do you think the vertical ribbing patterns compliment the

pleating detail of the rose-printed dress?

 

Speaking of roses, they are all over, aren't they? 

Spring has sprung here in California, and it is 

glorious to see the first blooms of the David Austin roses 

in the garden. They remind me of Rainier Marie Rilke's

poem, "The Rose Interior. "

 

Where for this Inside is there

an Outside? Upon what pain

is such linen placed?

What skies find themselves reflected

in the inland lake

of these open roses,

these carefree ones, look:

how loosely in the looseness

they relax, as though no trembling hand

could ever spill them.

They scarcely can contain 

themselves; many let themselves

fill up with inner space

until they overflow and stream

into the days, which keep on

closing fuller and fuller,

until all of summer becomes

a room, a room within a dream.

-Rainier Marie Rilke

New Poems

 translated by Edward Snow

 

 

The Make, Wear, Love Retreat in Pacific Grove

Asilomar State Beach

 

Asilomar in Pacific Grove, CA was just as beautiful as I had hoped it

would be. We were close to the beach, and it was wonderful to know

we were on a 106 acre nature preserve, breathing in pure ocean air!

 

 

In preparation for Amy Herzog's Make Wear Love Retreat by the California,

coast, I cast on Amy Herzog's knitting pattern, Aislinn. It was really 

an intriguing pattern designed for an hour-glass figure, with 

lovely lace detailing and an innovative waist tie picked up and knit 

into the fronts. I had a lot of fun working on the sweater during

 the retreat, especially as I was surrounded by a group of women 

who knitted any time and anywhere all weekend long!

 

 

 

 

Now, as I am working on the final sleeve of my sweater, I am reflecting back 

happily on the wonderful time I spent laughing and knitting at Herzog's retreat!

 

 

The weather was overcast all four days, but that made for perfect sweater 

weather! Asilomar is a retreat center originally built for the YWCA,  to 

prepare a new generation of bold, intrepid women to face the world. The 

original buildings were designed by Julie Morgan, the famous arts and 

crafts architect, and the site is only a few steps away from Asilomar public 

beach, which I visited at every possible opportunity. The sight of the wild

flowers blooming in the sand dunes made me smile every morning,

 reminding me that beauty can be found in the most unlikely places!

 

 

Amy Herzog proved to be as warm and kind a hostess as she is a talented

knitwear designer. The retreat was thoughtfully structured to allow time for

learning, fun and reflection, and I enjoyed every minute of it! My favorite

feature of her retreat was the Hall of Sweaters. This was a former chapel

building equipped with pews and a set of long, low tables where Amy left

stacks and stacks of sweaters she had knitted as samples for all of her

designs. It was fantastic to have the chance to try so many sweaters on!

 

 

 As you can see, we were lining up all weekend to try on different styles of 

knitwear! It was a really valuable opportunity, because photos sometimes lie

(or perhaps photos mainly feature tall, skinny young women wearing clothes

to be knitted by much more experienced and curvy women!) Even seeing a 

garment flat, you don't really know enough about how it will suit you:

 

 

But in the hall of sweaters, we could make immediate judgements about

which cuts and necklines were unflattering to us:

 

and which of Herzog's designs would be worth time and effort to knit:

 

 

I also thought the workshops were practical and entertaining. The 

most helpful tip I learned in Amy's class is that it is worth the time

to knit a longer and wider gauge than a pattern calls for, because if it 

takes you more time to swatch, you will be more likely to relax and

knit the way you will when you are knitting the actual garment

sitting on the couch and watching television! It was also interesting

to learn the reasoning behind her custom fit patterns, which I have 

knitted, providing 2 inches of positive ease in the waist--she explained

that when something is tighter on part of your body, that part of your

body looks bigger. I do agree with her. However, I feel that if you are 

going to give 2 inches of positive ease in the waist, the same ease 

should be given to the hips as well. Amy uses 2 inches of negative

ease there, in order to "prevent the sweater from riding up when you

lift your arm". I never knit my sweaters that short! Also, I feel that by

cinching in the hips so much and billowing out fabric at the waist, the

overall figure appearance is rather sausage-shaped rather than an hour-

glass, which I feel personally is more desirable. But to each her own!

 

 

The yarn market was also spectacular! A Verb for Keeping Warm, from 

Northern California, was there, featuring their special yarn which they make

themselves, called Pioneer:

 

 

My partner in crime, Kristen, of the fabulous blog Knitionary, told me a

fascinating story about the history of Pioneer yarn, which I hope she will

share on her blog someday. Kristen's company was the best part of the whole

retreat for me, and she kept me constantly laughing and having fun. During

the market, we entertained ourselves by trying on the knitted samples

designed by Julie Wiesenberger of Cocoknits--my favorite was Gisela!

 

 

Kristen was wearing her smashing Goldie pullover, but that didn't stop her from

trying on many samples as well, and we giggled far into the night.

 

 

I would definitely attend the Make, Love, Wear retreat again! It was wonderful

to be surrounded by so many kind, delightful knitters in such a beautiful

natural setting. I would also bring my own groceries again. Asilomar is run by 

Aramark, because it belongs to the National Park Service. The food is acceptable.

I like good food, so I packed plain yoghurts, nuts, protein bars, and fresh veggies

to sub out for some of the meals. But what else do you expect in a woodsy cabin

setting where the deer roam freely during the day?

 

 

I should just mention in passing that Clara Parkes class on yarn fibers was 

breathtaking. I went out immediately and ordered her book, The Knitter's

Book of Yarn. Clara is a hilarious speaker and can make the most intricate

technical detail seem simple and easy to master. I am looking forward to reading

her books in future, as well as Herzog's Fit to Flatter book. I hope there will be

another Make, Wear Love retreat like this on the West Coast next year!

Spring Knits by the Sea

 

Recently, I visited Point Lobos State Park in Big Sur, California. It was

 a gorgeous, sunny day, and an otter frolicked in the surf at the foot of the  

cliffs. My mother-in-law and I found a private bench where we could knit and 

watch the otter diving about while our husbands hiked through the forest.

 

 

We knitted contentedly and admired the spectacular view. The ocean shone 

deep aqua, and the strong tide sent waves crashing against the rocks below:

 

 

 

Through the screen of the trees, the coastline of Monterey Peninsula was visible. 

And I will find myself there tomorrow, when I attend Amy Herzog's Make, Wear, 

Love Retreat at Asilomar! Set right on the coast of Monterey Bay, the retreat

features classes taught by Herzog, and other knitting experts as well as a fashion

show of knitwear with plenty of time to relax and enjoy the ocean view.

 

 

My dear knitting friend, Kristen, who is the author of the blog Knitionary, 

and I will be attending the retreat together and sharing a room. I can't wait!

Amy Herzog will be leading all kinds of intriguing activities on how different

yarn fibers lead to different fabrics. And she will create a mini-marketplace for

yarns to be sold, as well as providing tons of samples of her different patterns for

us to try on. It really sounds like a fantastic adventure!

 

Usually, when visiting the beaches along the 17 mile drive of Monterey, I only 

have time to jump out of the car, sniff the tangy salt spray in the air, and

 photograph a fellow nature lover such as this seagull before impatient 

companions call me back to the car. The advantage of staying at Asilomar 

is that we will be within walking distance of one of the lovely beaches

 of 17 mile drive, where I can linger as long as I want. There is something 

about the deep aqua color of the water around Monterey and Big Sur, rimmed 

with perfect white foam, that is hauntingly beautiful.

 

I have been longing to capture this color combination in knitting, so I have

been looking at some designs for the seaside that feature stripes. Kim

 Hargreaves' Shore design uses a clever reverse straight stitch pattern to 

make the white stripes pop out. I was really enamored with this until I tried 

to get 31 sts = 4 inches in Rowan Summerlite 4ply. Wow! Not even close!

I switched to Handmaiden Sea Silk yarn, which is a finer 4ply than the 

Summerlite cotton, but after wet blocking my swatch, I still couldn't get the 

31 sts= 4" gauge.

 

 

So I chose a Rowan design from Magazine 55, Wharf. Here the gauge

is 28 sts= 4", which is closer to my tension with Handmaiden Sea Silk:

 

I also love this pattern because the multiple-colored stripes allow me to use up

odds and ends from three leftover skeins of Handmaiden Sea Silk, while I am 

using some Habu NS28 pure mulberry silk to knit the white stripes. The 

resulting fabric is really lustrous because of all of the silk I am using, 

and reminds me of the sun reflecting off of ocean waves:

 

 

So far, the back piece progresses slowly. Those sized 2 needles require time, and

the Habu white yarn is made of millions of tiny filaments that split like crazy.

But I don't think that will show in the finished fabric once it is washed.

 

 

What are you intending to knit for spring? Please share!!!!