Fashion: Yarn Style

Retro Knitted Skirt Suit

 

 

 

My principle goal for 2016 was to knit a vintage-inspired skirt suit for myself. I chose Kim Hargreaves pattern, “River”, for the skirt, as the textured rib pattern and Rowan Lima yarn seem to have held up very well according to the women who have knitted it over the past few years.

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/river-2

 

There is nothing worse than a skirt that develops a bumpy shape in back so I knitted the skirt quite tightly and followed the pattern directions for gauge even though it meant going down several needle sizes.

 

 

Rather than crocheting a row inside the skirt to hold an elastic band, as the pattern instructed, I decided to finish the skirt properly. I cut out a piece of interfacing from a scrap of silk, pressed the edges down 1/8 of an inch, and finished them on my sewing machine. Then I hand-sewed this casing inside the skirt waistband and threaded in two ¾ inch pieces of elastic with hand-stitching in between. This was a detailed process which I will describe in another blog post later.

 

 

 

The tunic pattern I used for the top of my retro knitted suit is Leah by Kim Hargreaves:

 

 

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/leah-9

 

My readers voted for this top, and I am so glad that I followed their advice because I really love the way it turned out! My additional incentive for knitting this project is that my name is the same as the pattern’s. J I did add some additional waist shaping, to enhance the hour-glass retro style I was aiming for:

 

 

I also modified the boatneck. With my square jaw, a boat neck collar is not flattering, so I added nine rows of short row shaping to the shoulders on each side. By thus building up the shoulders, the neck was lowered into a rounder shape, and I like it very much. This was a total experiment, as the garment is knitted in one piece, which I have never done before.

 

 

 

Since the garment is knitted from the bottom edge of the front to the bottom edge of the back, with a slit in the neck in the middle, I created a mirror image of wraps and turns on the shoulders on each side of the neck opening. The resulting neckline still has a stylish, modern look but does not reveal my bra straps or create a harsh neckline. Do you see the way the collar seems to dip down at the neck because of the short rows I knitted on either side?

 

 

Well, it took me most of 2016 to complete my goal of knitting a retro-inspired suit, but I finished it just under the wire! I love the simplicity of this ensemble, and the way it is so fun and easy to accessorize. I believe this will become a favorite wardrobe staple in years to come!

 

 

Holiday Entertainment & My Video Podcast Cameo!

 

 

Holiday vacation is almost here! What an exciting prospect! As I rush about buying and wrapping gifts amidst a mountain of work, I can’t wait to curl up by the fire in a comfortable chair. Once I am ensconced with a blanket and fluffy cat, the first thing I will do is pick up a wonderful book about knitting, or watch a knitting video podcast, perhaps even one where I was invited to present as a "KNITTER OF THE WORLD!

 

 

But more about the podcast later.

  

During the holidays, The Yarn Whisperer by renowned yarn guru and humorist Clara Parkes is a wonderful comfort read. I laughed all the way through it, and learned a lot as well from her insights.

 

 

 If you are searching for more informative reading, however, I recommend Knit to Flatter by Amy Herzog or The Knowledgeable Knitter by Margaret Radcliffe. I was really happy to discover The Knowledgeable Knitter, as I recently struggled with seaming and finishing my reverse stockinette T-shirt. Radcliffe had great advice on techniques for finishing reverse stockinette fabrics as well as a ton of other useful tips. I am still forging my way through, and the writing is so fascinating I have even read it in the bathtub!

 

 

 

I discovered Radcliffe’s book and a wealth of other wonderful knitting advice on the fruity knitting video podcast, which is my new obsession! Andrea and Andrew are delightful knitters who share a wealth of knowledge, and their podcast features gorgeous European scenery, fascinating interviews with knitting experts all over the world, and little cameos of amateur knitters and their lives. You can find their podcast in which they interview the famous British designer Marie Wallin here:

 

 

Watching this video podcast every two weeks has become addictive and I quickly subscribed. Andrea and her husband, who also knits, are so charming and insightful about the role creativity plays in their everyday lives and family! For me, it is just as comforting to watch their show as to curl up with a favorite novel. My friend Lexi was so captivated by the fruityknitting podcast that she binge-watched all 18 episodes in one week, and my other friends have become hooked as well! So you can imagine how tickled I was that I got to appear on the podcast in episode 19, in the “Knitters of the World” segment. You can watch the podcast here:

 

I was honored to be invited to speak about my couture approach to knitting on the video podcast. When I watched it later, it was rather moving for me to see my own body of work over the past twenty + years. The video created a time capsule that allowed me to see all the beautiful fabrics I had striven to create across that time line, as my skills and passion grew. We knitters and bloggers strive to bring creativity focused on beautiful colors, forms and textures into our daily lives, and this moment was significant in helping me acknowledge that I am growing into the woman I have been attempting to become since college.

 

 

  The Knitters of the World segment is 14.36 minutes into podcast 19:

 

However, I strongly recommend that you watch the whole episode, as it contains a wealth of knitting knowledge, and a FABULOUS interview with famous knitting designer Deborah Newton. She shared such amazing advice, I will be re-watching the interview segment with her over and over again! Newton’s book, Finishing School,  has moved to the top of my wish list, after witnessing the depth of her knowledge in the interview. You can also find more information about Newton in the podcast notes here:

 

Also, Andrea shares some interesting advice on how to avoid puckering in Intarsia knitting and shows off her gorgeous Blossom sweater by Marie Wallin. The episode also features a beautiful clip of Andrea herself singing (she is a professional musician), and her husband shares his charming perspective as a knitting newbie on constructing his first garment.

 

Happy Winter Knitting, everyone!!!!!

Trent and Other Knitted Gifts for the Holidays

 

No one beats Martin Storey for designing wearable pullovers for men. In my opinion, the key to a successful sweater hand knitted for DH is simplicity. The point is not to entertain ourselves crafting flowers and elaborate cables and then asking him to wear them. Honestly, some of the men’s patterns out there are so nauseatingly girlie that even female recipients would blush. Martin Storey avoided this pitfall by designing a monochrome ribbed sweater that highlights the male physique.

 

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/yarnstylist/trent

The funnel-neck of Trent emphasizes broad shoulders and gives the garment a modern, casual look. The yarn, Rowan Brushed Fleece, is soft and light but warm, perfect for many men who can be surprisingly picky about the texture and hand-feel of fabric they are wearing once they are coerced to put it on.

 

 

My husband loves this pullover and wears it three days out of five to work. The lucky man also owns several gorgeous hand knits which in the past his mother tailor-made for him, so I was able to stealthily use those as a guide to his measurements while he was out. Thank heavens for my Maxi, my mother-in-law, because when I washed the sweater and it grew by two sizes, she was on hand to help me fix it. She pinned the sweater while he wore it, then seamed it on my sewing machine and cut off the excess knitted fabric.

 

 

Would I knit a garment with Rowan’s Brushed Fleece yarn again? Absolutely, but I would obsessively wet block the swatch. I don’t know if the growing is especially bad in a ribbed garment, but I couldn’t believe how much this sweater increased after washing. Also, the dark grey dye came off in my hands and on my needles while knitting, but that may have been an odd batch. My friend Kristen knitted with the same color and did not experience that problem at all.

 

 

Continuing with the formula of simple pattern + quality yarn, I have just cast off a hat for my father-in-law which now needs to be washed and blocked. I used the free Caron pattern, “Men’s Basic Hat” pattern :

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mens-basic-hat

 

The yarns I chose for this hat were String Dolcetto and Oslo cashmere & merino blend yarns.

 

 

As deliciously soft and squishy as I had found this yarn to be when test-knitting it at a recent trunk show, I discovered that the Dolcetto yarn was a bit hard on my hands when I knitted it on smaller needles in double rib stitch. Afterwards, I read that cashmere is less elastic than wool, which explains the issue. Next time I splurge on that yarn, I will confine myself to a stockinette project.

 

A knitter’s work is never done during the holidays, is it? So many gifts to make, so little time! Next on my needles will be a gift for my baby niece, the adorable little hat, Chouette:

 

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/chouette

 

Happy Holiday knitting, everyone!