Fashion: Yarn Style

Day 10 of the 100 Day Summer Challenge

 

Today I am wearing dressed to clean our rental before our new tenants move in. I am wearing Raine by Kim Hargreaves.. It is knitted in Rowan felted tweed, which wears like iron so I often choose garments made from that yarn on chore days. As I was scrubbing window frames and shelves I was wondering, why is it that I read all these knitting blogs but I don’t know any cleaning goddesses out there? Who gives advice on how to clean more efficiently or with less effort? Can anyone recommend any good sources on that?

 

Day 9 of the 100 Day Summer Challenge

 

 

Today I am wearing Wisdom by Kim Hargreaves. It is knitted in Rowan felted tweed, which is my favorite autumn/winter yarn. It is only 68 degrees today, so I am happily wearing a wool-based fiber for the first time in several months!

 

I am wearing the sweater with jeans and a novelty tee-shirt. Today is a full work day for me as an academic tutor while my husband is off at an arcade expo with a friend from second grade (!) My apologies for the selfie pictures!

 

Jules Tank

 

I have found my next project for my Summer of Basics knit-a-long, the Jules Tank by Sarah Hatton. I had wanted to keep knitting tanks in pursuit of that elusive perfect wearable summer top and this is a really cute pattern. I will be knitting it in Rowan Handknit Cotton, which is scrumptiously soft!

 

Sweater Guards: Day 8 of the Hundred-Day Summer Challenge

 

 

I am now a full week into my challenge to wear a handmade item through summer for 100 days in a row! You can read here about the Hundred Day Summer Challenge. Today I am wearing Isle by Kim Hargreaves.  It is knitted in Handmaiden Sea Silk and edged with Rowan Shimmer, a discontinued metallic yarn, in blue.

 

I am keeping the cardigan closed with a sweater guard. This antique-style sweater clasp came into vogue in the 1950s when little cardigans worn over poofy dresses were all the rage.

 

Actress Sylvia Sidney

 

Back then the vogue was to wear them as a neck closure, but I find these clasps really handy for cardigans that don’t button. the sweater guard hooks together at the center but also has a side clip on either side to attach to your cardigan edge. If you make a beautiful sweater that is just a tiny bit too small to close with buttons, you can always just fasten it at the waist using a sweater guard. 

 

I found a tea towel based on a Vincent Van Gogh painting of Irises and made it into a little project bag this week. The best part is the lining with the little iris chains:

 

 

Paper Lace: Day 7 of the Hundred-Day Summer Challenge

 

 

 

Today I am wearing #11 Lace Tank  by Nancy Cassells. This is a Vogue Knitting pattern. It is knitted in Habu silk wrapped paper yarn, which is the most unusual yarn I have ever knitted with.  Making lace with it was a bit like making straw flowers. The silk-wrapped paper is extremely flat so it is not a good choice for stockinette or textured knit/purl stitches, but is perfect for lace. The straw-like strands of yarn hold the shape of the lace stitches like iron and create a beautiful effect in the negative spaces between lace clusters. Over the years, the only complaint I have about the yarn is that my tank has gotten shorter progressively over time.

 

I am wearing the lace top with my new Goldfish Memory shawl, to keep my arms warm.  

 

 

I have become slightly obsessed with sewing knitting project bags! I chose this fabric for my friend Talin because her parents used to sell Turkish carpets, and this fabric reminds me of an exotic rug.

 

Day 6 of the 100 Day Summer Challenge

 

 

Today I am wearing  Interval by Shellie Anderson. It is knitted in my favorite base for summer wear, Rowan Calmer Yarn. I bought this lot on ebay about six years after the yarn had been discontinued, so you can see it is something of an obsession!

 

 

I am wearing the sweater with an A-line skirt. It kind of surprised me that these two pieces work together because they are both bell-shaped, but the waist going in at the center seems to balance the outfit.

 

Ever since I reviewed my research on Regency fashion and fabrics for my upcoming Bakery Bears knitting podcast interview, I have been thinking of the gorgeous silk brocades and muslins from that time period, so I sewed myself a little project bag using a silk/linen blend.

 

 

When I was reviewing color names from the Regency period, I stumbled across this color, which was called Puce. Instead of referring to a fresh green, Puce in the Regency period came from the French word for flea, “puce” and is the color of blood, which in the 18th Century was associated with purple/pink or pink/brown. Men wore this color a lot—imagine a dashing regency gentleman with a waistcoat in this fabric! I think of that every time I use this project bag!

 

 

Day 5 of the Hundred-Day Summer Challenge

 

 

Today I am wearing Petal  by Kim Hargreaves. It is knitted in Rowan 4ply Cotton, which has been discontinued. That is probably my favorite yarn for summer wear, as it is so light and soft. Those knits have held up for years, and I am curious if Rowan’s new yarn, Summerlite 4ply cotton, will measure up. I am hoping to knit a top with that yarn soon to test it out.

 

 

I am wearing the sweater with a second-hand Chanel skirt. It is really amazing the finds one can discover thrift shopping!

 

 

I have also been having fun with my sewing machine, trying to improve my basic skills by sewing more knitting project bags. I used two tea towels for this, one with the cats facing forward, and one from the back.

 

 

 There are also little kittens chasing balls of yarn in the lining:

 

Goldfish Memory: Day 4 of the 100 Day Challenge

 

My shawl, Goldfish Memory, by Casapinka, is finished at last!  I love the soft warmth of this shawl over a sleeveless dress. The merino is light but comfortable. I used Miss Bab’s Yummy 2ply in the colorway Temptress for the gorgeous hot pink/charcoal colorway which you can see upclose here against the white and grey in slip stitch patterns that really show off the hand-dyed yarn: 

 

 

The off-white yarn speckled with grey is Lorna’s Laces fingering yarn in the colorway Black Tie. I used a Plymouth silk merino fingering blend for the charcoal colored yarn, so deep in my stash the tags are lost and I don’t even know the name. Aren’t the colors lovely together?

 

 

This is a cleverly fashioned hexagonal shawl which means it has diverse uses. You can wear it as a full shawl for drama:

 

 

Or you can dress it down by folding it in half and wearing it as a scarf.

 

 

This is Day 4 of my Hundred-day challenge, in which I am trying to wear a handmade item 100 days in a row through summer. I think this shawl will be a versatile piece, as I can throw it on over a sleeveless dress to keep me warm, or use it as a scarf with a tee and jeans.

 

 

Day 3 of the 100 Day Summer Challenge

Today I am wearing Sherry by Kim Hargreaves, knitted in Rowan Calmer yarn. I love the way that Sherry transforms a man’s waistcoat into a cute woman’s cardigan. The shawl collar was fully fashioned and knitted into the body of the sweater.

 

 

Okay, okay I am obsessed with Calmer yarn. But it is so incredibly comfortable to wear against the skin, particularly in summer! It is as soft as a terry cloth robe, and you can unravel it again and again! Sherry is the third sweater I knitted with these skeins of yarn, as the first two were not what I wanted. Calmer has been discontinued but I still prowl resale yarn sellers to find it.

 

 

Today I paired Sherry with a vintage Dior blouse ($35) and a pencil skirt I purchased at the thrift store back in the 1990s. Tomorrow I will wear an exciting new project, which I just finished!

Day 2 of the 100-Day Summer Challenge!

 

 

 

Today I decided to wear the tank Adelphe by Sarah Hatton. It is knitted in Handmaiden Sea Silk fingering weight yarn.   

 

 

 

My knitting friends tease me that I am obsessed with handmaiden sea silk yarn. It is lightweight, drapes beautifully, and is easy to knit and unravel. I find I can wear garments knitted in sea silk in the warmest weather comfortably if they are sleeveless or short sleeved.

 

 

The best part about this yarn is its sheen.  I am wearing it outside my favorite place in the world, Uncommon Threads Yarns in Los Altos, California. The tank is paired with a second hand Ted Baker skirt and an antique Coro necklace from the 1950's. Ever since I became aware of the enormous environmental issue that "fast fashion" is creating, I have been trying to shop second hand for clothing and jewelry. I discovered the benefit of that is I can actually afford to buy designer brands I like! For example, this Ted Baker skirt, which retailed for about $200, cost me $35.

 

Today I finished crocheting this absurd little octopus using Jamieson’s Spindrift yarn. It is a glamoroctopus for my friends’ little girl who is obsessed with bling, so you can see she has rhinestone eyes and metallic eyebrows.

100 Day Summer Challenge

 

Yes, I am doing another 100 day challenge! The idea of the 100 day challenge started in 2014, when in an effort to clear our home of excess knitwear, my husband threatened to toss out any handmade item I didn't wear over the next 100 days. He was quite effective in getting me to dust off all my old handknits from the beginning of time to risk losing them. I did discover some tops were too frilly or small for me to wear and I gifted them to friends and family members. I love repurposing hand knits! For example, the top below has become a church dress for my cousin's young daughter who enjoyed it much more than I ever did!

 

In 2014, as my hundred day challenge progressed, I came to treasure my hand knits more and more. I don't think was the outcome my husband or I expected, but it certainly intensified my interest in making clothes 

 

This time I am challenging myself! My aim is to wear a handmade piece in the heat of summer, 100 days in a row! Am I alone in getting really lazy when the weather gets too warm and feeling like, why bother, I'll just throw some shorts on? I am hoping this challenge will help me get more creative with dressing in hot weather and more importantly, to find ways of making things that are practical for this time of year! The hottest days in the California Bay Area are from July to the first week of October, so that is why I am starting now. 

 

 

Today is Day 1 of the Challenge. I am wearing Cameo by Kim Hargreaves, knitted in Madelinetosh Pashmina in the Forestry colorway.  It is paired with a peplum top by Ted Baker, which has the feel of hand-painted fabric. I chose to wear this outfit because it reminds me of Regency muslin. Today I filmed a mini video on Regency fashion for the upcoming Bakery Bears Podcast, so the “cameo” cardigan seemed fitting! Dan and Kay are visiting a stately British home that is most often used for Jane Austen's Pemberly in film versions of Pride and Prejudice, and they asked me some questions about Regency fabrics, fashion, and hand crafting. I have researched these areas as I write fiction set in Regency England, but I am sure I will learn more from viewer comments!

 

I will be posting a photo here on my blog every day to document my 100 day challenge. Please comment to cheer me on, give fashion feedback, or share your own photos of wearing your handmade things during the summer!