Fashion: Yarn Style

Yarn Shopping in Paris 2017: Lil’ Weasel Boutique

 

Le Passage du Grand Cerf

 

Hidden away in a 19^th century passage is Lil’ Weasel, an exquisite boutique selling yarn and Liberty of London fabric. 

 

 

It is best to consult a map, as I have been here twice over the past seven years and neither of my taxi drivers has been able to find the store. Luckily, I had just debated in French with my cab driver about the evils of capitalism and high-paced living (him) versus the slow process of hand-making clothes (me) ---so, as I had established my credentials as a civilized person, the driver was now on my side and refused to abandon me on a corner somewhere in the district. Instead, he stopped random passersby until someone gave us detailed instructions on how to find the yarn store.

 

Patisserie Stohrer

 In future, when I go to Lil Weasel again, I will take the metro to Les Halles and walk down rue Montorgueil, the legendary market street which houses Stohrer’s Patisserie, among other fabulous finds, and make my way the boutique close by. I had no idea it was three blocks away until now. My Parisian friend Nicole, who met me at Lil Weasel, blew my mind by walking us over to Paul’s Boulangerie on rue Montorgueil a few minutes away from the shop so we could have coffee and chat, which just proves that the best way to learn how to navigate Paris is in the company of a local.

 

 

Lil Weasel organizes yarns by color rather than by weight, which is great for color-oriented shoppers. I prefer to see yarn organized by brand or weight but I know I am an exception. The color arrangement does create a visually stunning environment, and the boutique also had an interesting selection of hand-dyed yarn, both foreign and French:

 

I was most interested in finding local French yarn, so I purchased a skein of (Vi)laine yarn in a muted silver.

 

(Vi)laine’s brand name is based on a French pun, as it combines the word “villain” with the word “laine”, which means wool. Nicole has used this brand before, which is local to Lyon, France, and told me that the quality was excellent, so I did not hesitate to purchase it. It is a hand-dyed blend of 50% Falkland superwash wool and 50% silk.

 

Bin of (Vil)laine yarn at Lil Weasel

 

I also decided to pick up two skeins of the Hedgehog Fiber from the UK that I have heard so much about, as none of the American yarn shops I have visited have ever carried it.

 

The hedgehog yarn on offer was the Cashmere Merino, a blend of 50% cashmere and 50% merino, and the colors were simply scrumptious. I purchased two skeins in the Film Noir colorway, and plan to knit them into a shawl, because the yarn is so soft it will feel amazing around my neck.

 

After perusing all the yarn, Nicole and I went next door to check out the gorgeous Liberty of London fabric in Lil Weasel’s sister store.

 

 

Typically, Liberty fabric is way out of my budget, but the remnants in a bin in a corner of the store were very reasonably priced so I walked away with about a yard and a half of a gorgeous print I want to sew into a blouse.

 

Shopping at both the yarn and fabric boutiques was a delightful experience. The sales ladies were knowledgeable and kind, and overall the customer service was excellent. There were many beautiful and fun things to look at, such as the crocheted amigurumi on the door

 

And the knitted butterflies in a special case in the window which is a quirky touch.

 

Overall, I loved Lil Weasel, as well as other boutiques in the Passage du Grand Cerf which offered artisanal jewelry, antiques, and African decor. 

 

 

Completed Victoria Cardi/Brunch at Laduree, Paris

 

 

There is nothing more exciting than sewing on the last button of a cardigan, only to try it on as a finished garment! After all the planning and knitting and dreaming, today Victoria has come to life! 

 

 

Who doesn’t love making their own clothes? But I think the true satisfaction of knitting is the ability to transform a dream of oneself, clothed in a piece representing the person you want to be, into a real-life moment. This is why I often photograph my knits in the garden because in that light-filled space fragrant with yellow roses, I feel inspired and free.

 

Inspirational Chanel cardigan 

I suppose freedom is the same reason I am drawn to Chanel—Gabrielle was essentially a self-made woman. An orphan, she used her sewing skills, charm, and cunning to build a business from the ground up. And the knit fabric she used, reclaimed from cast-off war material, allowed 1920’s women a freedom of movement and independence they had never experienced before. Embellishing my knits with a hint of Chanel style reminds me to be bold and to take risks with my own creative projects.

 

 

As a nod to Gabrielle, I used black and gold buttons with a heraldic image which is typical of earlier Chanel knits. In an attempt to emulate the careful couture finish of a designer cardigan, I adapted Victoria’s border pattern, twisting all the knit stitches in the ribbing on the right side and twisting the corresponding pearl stitches on the reverse to create an even appearance.  The problem with normal ribbing is that the knit stitches are often larger and more open than the pearl stitches, creating the impression of gaping holes intermittently between the even purl bands of the ribbing. Anna Zilborg, the anarchist knitter, taught me this technique and I have adapted it to many of my knits, especially those made in silk or cotton fabric, which does not block or fuzz over evenly.

 

I also added waist shaping to this pattern, originally intended to be made straight up and down. Overall, I found Sarah Hatton's pattern easy to follow and fun to knit.

 

https://www.laduree.fr/en/ 

While in Paris, I could not resist celebrating Father’s day with my father and step-father at the Laduree Patisserie on the Champs Elysées.Nothing can exceed the elegance of this establishment or the scrumptiousness of its pastries! Our festive party of six ordered the full brunch, which allowed us to mix and match pastries. The delectable croissants, savory seed and nut buns, and housemade jams were presented on three-tier stands on the table.

 

Brunch was also served with orange juice, tea, hot chocolate, and a choice of omelette or scrambled eggs.

 

But even more spectacular are the petits fours that Laduree displays at the front of their shop

 

 

 

We managed to resist these, but succumbed to a chocolate pistachio croissant to share at the table, and I purchased a box of meringues to go.

 

 

Someday I am going to meet up with some knitting friends here because what could be more perfect than to knit surrounded by so many delicious examples of handmade perfection?

Yarn Shopping in Paris June 2017: Modes et Travaux

 

Knitters seeking high-quality French yarn in Paris will find it in the second level of the mercerie, Modes et Travaux where Anny Blatt yarns and catalogues reign supreme. I met a Parisian knitting friend at the boutique last Tuesday and took the opportunity to check out the newest designs and featured yarns.

 

 

I purchased the Autumne Hiver No 222 Catalog which came out in the fall. Yes, I know it is summertime now, but I would rather wait six months to get my hands on the patterns in person than pay the $25 Euro fee to ship the magazine to the US! The brochure features some really exceptional patterns, including The Polly Pull, which several of my Parisian friends are also planning to make once the weather grows cool.

 

Polly Pull on Anny Blatt website

 

There is something sublimely understated and elegant about this pullover that strikes me as uniquely French. It is knit in chestnut and black merino stripes and then over-crocheted with the slick ribbon yarn, Victoria, in black.

 

Aware of my luggage limitations, I purchased only the Anny Blatt Merinos yarn in Chestnut as I felt I could find something similar in black more easily in the US. I also am hoping to find a similar weight yarn to the Victoria that is not a ribbon yarn, as I want to avoid the heaviness it could potentially create.

 

Another pattern that really intrigued me in Catalog No 222 is The Becky Tunique.

 

 

Ever since I saw Karl Lagerfeld’s Paris Salzburg fashion show, which integrated Austrian folk-motifs hand-executed in beading and embroidery on knitwear, I have been obsessing about how to create a knit that has a similar style.

 

The Paris Salzburg was really a celebration of a tradition of handwork that goes back hundreds of years and I have not been able to get some of the beautiful embroidered motifs out of my mind, such as the red pattern embroidered on the black jacket above. This is why I think the Becky Tunique appeals to me so strongly. I also rather like the cream background versus the black, as the black and red combination is so dressy whereas the cream makes it more everyday wear.

 

I purchased just the black and cherry yarns that form the embroidered motif and plan to use some cream kidsilk haze out of my stash for the bulk of the sweater. The black and red motif can be knitted using reverse fair isle (with all the crossed threads showing on the front) or embroidered in duplicate stitch or I may just use traditional fair isle to draw the fabric in together at the waist, I have not decided yet.

 

 

For Chanel enthusiasts, Ilanka Quincy and Lucia from Catalog 222 cannot fail to please:

 

 

 

After shopping at Modes et Travaux, I met up with my wonderful Parisian friends who gather once a month at a coffee shop down the street to knit together and share their latest creations. They are a wonderful group of warm, creative women and as always, my meeting with them was the highlight of my visit to Paris!

 

 

That, and of course, the salted caramel eclairs at Fauchon…….

Happy ‘Knitting in Public’ Day

 

 

 

Today, my friends Sylvie and Sophie and I decided to celebrate “Knitting in Public” day by meeting at Café Borrone in Menlo Park. We enjoyed a lovely chat while knitting our favorite projects. It seems ironic that whenever I meet up with a girlfriend at a café to knit, we are often interrogated about our knitting hobby by the people sitting next to us when we just want to enjoy a private conversation. However, today, when our group met in a very public place to celebrate our hobby, we were totally ignored. I think this conforms to some universal law—the less one wants to be noticed the more one is, and vice versa.

 

Is the craft of knitting dying out?

www.pintarest.com

I don't mean this question seriously. But honestly, nine times out of ten, when a person accosts me in a cafe, they mention an older female relative—a mother, or grandmother, who used to knit, and they mourn the fact that "no one knits any more." This theory that knitting is dead tickles me because here my friend and I are sitting in front of this person, our knitting pattern books and yarn spread across the table, proving just the opposite! Yet the penny doesn't drop. It makes me wonder, do the avid spectators at these cafes react to my presence as they would to a wild buffalo or endangered bird in their midst? According to the Craft Yarn Council, there are 38 million knitters and crocheters in the U. S., so I don’t quite understand... Perhaps you, my readers have some theories about this?

 

 

My Victoria by Sarah Hatton has been seamed and is just awaiting buttons. However, there will be a delay before I can post the finished photos as I am flying to Paris tomorrow morning. Hurrah! I will instead be posting photos of any exceptional yarn, fashion or delectable pastries I encounter in my travels.

 

Just yesterday evening, I finished sewing a project bag dedicated to my Europe travels. It is made from a tea towel depicting Cambridge University in England!

 

 

The linen fabric gives a wonderful antique feeling to the piece. And just look at the fabulous men in eighteenth century costume at the bottom of the other side image! They must be Cambridge scholars or lecturers.

 

I lined the knitting bag with fabric that shows leather-bound books, which I thought was just perfect!

 

 

This bag to me represents the centuries of learning and culture that Europe offers, and I can’t wait to get there!

 

Happy Knitting, Everyone!