Fashion: Yarn Style

Are Bell Sleeve Knits Back on Trend?

Amy Adams in American Hustle

 

I don’t know how this is possible, but recent movies and fashion shows seem to be bringing 1970s styles back on trend. Who can forget the absurd collars and cuffs of the seventies and wide-bottom courduroy pants? Not to mention the avocado and orange shag carpets! There is one photograph of my father I treasure--he stands posed against a window looking dashing with his overlong black curls and sideburns, tight pants and color-blocked bright blue and pink button-up shirt. Now that is a photo for the ages! I never thought I would say this, having barely survived one go around of seventies styles, but I find myself drawn to bell sleeve tops all over again! Is it just me, or is the above outfit fabulous on Amy Adams?

 

Kim Hargreaves Reflection

 Kim Hargreaves has designed a sweater with many elements of the Amy Adams top that I really like. It has a split hem which gives it a more modern flair, and the V is not nearly as plunging as Adams' blouse, which makes it wearable, for, say a date night with my husband. I feel this is a flattering design because the V neck breaks up the bulk that would otherwise be created by a sweater with such heavy sleeves. Another cool top with bell sleeves that I’ve been eyeing is Caitlin Hunter’s Willowwood. Its oversized but cropped cut gives it a modern update.

 

 

Another sweater I’ve been eyeing from the same Pom Pom magazine is Nora Gaughn’s Nightingale, which has a bell shape in the upper sleeves which seems like a fabulous 1970’s Victorian mélange of the bell and mutton chop sleeve. And how fabulous are the cables????

 

 

What do you think of the bell sleeve trend? Should it stay? Should it return to the 1970’s? I haven't entirely made up my mind. A few months ago, on a whim, I cast on Hargreaves’ Reflection, partly because I had the required yarn in stash and partly because of the nefarious influence of that glamour shot of Amy Adams. Then I had second thoughts and put it aside for a few months. But there is one thing I am sure of--if you are going to knit a trendy piece, you should make haste to finish it before the trend goes away! So I have picked the project up again. And let me warn you, dear readers--when you knit sleeves with this much volume, each one takes as many stitches as the back piece of a sweater. So this impulse sweater has become something of a commitment. I hope it will be worth it in the end to have my little moment of retro flair!

Where Does my Sock Yarn Come From?

 Blizzard Socks by Kay Jones

 

On Christmas day, after I had finished all urgent Christmas knits, I treated myself by casting on a pair of socks for me! I used the pattern, The Blizzard Socks by Kay Jones. Kay seems to specialize in patterns with unique details that can be easily memorized and then knitted without too much mental exertion for a true relaxing experience. I am also a big fan of her Jemima socks:

 

 

I can’t tell you what yarn I used for my Blizzard socks, because it was a one-time purchase at Vogue Knitting live in San Francisco. I wound it during a cleaning whirlwind in our home and the tag disappeared. The resulting yarn mystery got me thinking about how little I really know about the sock yarns I knit with anyway.

 

 

We truly live in a time of spectacular artistry among yarn dyers. Whether I am purchasing sock yarn from Olann (my favorite), La Bien Aimée or any of the great indie companies out there, I know my purchase supports the artistry of that particular brand. I love supporting small businesses, especially woman-owned businesses, as I run one myself [Academic Tutoring.] But what are the sources of the fibers that different indie dyers use? Before now, I've been too shy to ask, as I heard it might be a “trade secret,” and I didn't want to put anyone on the spot.

 

 

The hand dyer, Krista McCurdy of Pigeonroof Studio yarns admits in her newsletter, “almost all dyers, including me up until now, won't share sources, and it's stupid…. People don't buy your yarn for the yarn. They buy the colors you dye, which will always be unique to the dyer.”

Pigeonroof Studio yarn

 

I can imagine important reasons why yarn dyers might not want to reveal their source. But Krista revealed her yarn is sourced from AshlandBay and Wool2dye4. I felt it was really admirable that she was willing to share this information, as I could then research those companies. I am currently interested in buying yarn made from “local” fiber or at least fiber originating from the United States, so I found it interesting that AshlandBay and Wool2dye4 are both NorthAmerican companies although the yarn itself does not seem to be American. Out of curiosity, I visited the AshlandBay website and I read that they  offer "a meticulously curated selection of fibers and yarns from around the world.” A further search revealed two sources of AshlandBay’s fiber: Falkland Islands Sustainable Wool and South African Cape Wool. Wool2dye4's website reveals they offer Bluefaced Leicester Bases that come from the UK which they then make into yarn in their Virginia mill. The sources of their merino alpaca and silk were not mentioned directly and I only spent a few minutes browsing the site.

 

 

But I feel it would benefit me more as a consumer to ask more questions. Yarn traceability could empowers me to make educated decisions when I purchase yarn. Olann, whose yummy yarn is pictured above, is embarking on a natural dye-based yarn club using non-superwash yarn, which is exciting to me because my favorite dyer seems to be moving in the same direction I am. She has mentioned she is seeking in future to source yarn in Ireland where she lives and keeps her dye studio. Overall, I feel more information just generates more interest in a yarn. If I'm lucky enough to afford it, then I can decide if I prefer to spend, say, $28 for a 400-yard skein of Pigeonroof Studio fingering yarn that might originate from sustainable Falkland wool, or subscribe to Olann's natural BFL yarn club, which just opened for membership today. Would I rather spend $30 for a 400-yard skein of Forest yarn from Green Mountain Spinnery? That sock yarn is 30% tencel and 70% Targhee wool from herds “along the front range of the Rockies” and spun in an organic wool mill in Vermont.

 

Perhaps I want to support a Virginia mill so I could seek out indie dyers who use the BFL made at Wool2dye4. Or I might prefer to splurge $36 on Cormo fingering from Sincere Sheep since it's made by a California rancher. Why do I care? You ask. Well, I spend a lot of time with that skein of yarn in my hands so its natural to be curious about its fiber source.

 

Cormo Fingering from Sincere Sheep in California

I’m not going to go all rigid about yarns and where they come from because I think it's all fabulous. But recently, while perusing youtube videos of Fibershed's wool symposia, I discovered to my shock that at least 50% of the wool produced in California is sold for pennies on the dollar on the commodity market, which often results in a financial loss for Californian sheep farmers. The California wool is then processed in China, South America, India or elsewhere using methods and or chemicals that may be undisclosed or unregulated.

 

 

However, California and other states need wool so the fiber processed overseas is later shipped back to the USA, without much of any information about how it was milled. Then it may be dyed by a small producer, and ultimately end up in my hands. I’m not saying this always happens or is always an environmental issue, but would you be happy buying apples that were grown in Washington but then shipped overseas to have a special wax added to them to make them look appetizing, only to be shipped back to Washington again for you to eat? Those apples may be cheaper than the ones you can buy at a farmer’s market, but are they as good for your system, or the local economy? You can learn more about this issue here:

 

 

The fact that some California farmers actually lose money when they pay to have their sheep sheared because there is so little demand for their fleeces locally just seems sad and makes me wonder how much longer people will want to keep farming sheep in my state. I feel that since I am a California resident I should try to keep this problem in mind as one of the criteria I use for selecting yarn. In fact, recently I've been knitting with Gather yarn, a California wool and Arizona Alpaca blend milled in Arizona and sold in gorgeous sportweight balls at A Verb for Keeping Warm: 

 

 

Perhaps it’s time to slow down my pace of yarn consumption so I have the time to learn where my hard-earned dollars are going. I don’t have any influence as an individual over the current government shutdown or other nation-level decision making, but on a local level, my purchasing power is real. And I’d like to use that power consciously.

 

This post was revised from its form earlier today with the goal of clarifying my ideas...

Knitting Resolutions of 2019

 

Bean Hollow State Beach

 

Soaking in the beauty of the moody sea and sky at Pescadero, I reflected on my knitting goals for this year. From 2017 to 2018, knitting was my refuge from a variety of terrible natural and political disasters. The hurricane in Houston destroyed my aunt and uncle's home, which was also the repository of our family’s geneology, photographs and heirlooms, and we were all devastated. Not to mention all the political upheaval in our country and abroad. I also suffered a terrible head injury for nine months whose impact was worsened by the local fires in California. I feel I am finally recovering from both now that clean air is restored again. So I hope to stay as present as possible this year and to practice gratitude for what is right here!

 

 

Resolution One:  Craft with More Local Yarn and Fabric

 

After my 2018 trips to Edinburgh, Paris and New York, I have acquired enough exotic yarn to knit with. It suddenly struck me as silly that I was putting so much effort into sourcing “local” yarn in, say, Scotland, when I should be doing the same thing here in California as a matter of course.

 

My Stash of Jamieson’s Spindrift Yarn from Scotland

 

When I surveyed my stash, I realized that only about 10% of my yarn acquisitions consist of wool grown AND milled in the US. And only about 3% of it is California wool. For one takes pride in EATING locally, why aren’t I crafting locally? Is there really such a big difference between supporting a local poultry, vegetable or dairy farm to a sheep farm? So my goal is to knit the exotic yarn I already have but when seeking new yarn, to source from California or USA companies as much as possible.

 

 

Resolution Two: Knit More Practical Garments to Wear

 I arrived at this resolution in a roundabout way from my daily profession. I’ve worked as an academic tutor who specializes in reading and writing for years, but this fall, I studied side by side with a high school senior to help him pass his Environmental Science AP final. I specialize in empowering students with learning issues such as dyslexia which can pose seemingly insurmountable barriers to comprehension.

 

 

Since this student faced four different learning challenges at once, I needed to create customized visual and auditory formats to help him master the material. Not only did my student’s test score improve from an F to a B, but I learned way more about pollution than I had bargained for.

 

 

This exposure to the disastrous effects that plastics, synthetic fibers, discarded clothes and chemical dyes are having on nature increased my interest in the slow fashion movement. I've joined the Seam Allowance Club at A Verb for Keeping Warm, which is a support group for those who wish to hand make a quarter of their daily wardrobe, if possible from locally-sourced materials. 

 

https://www.ravelry.com/projects/yarnstylist/jemima

 

Resolution Three: Knit More Socks

To be honest, I never appreciated knitted socks at all until I wore my first homemade pair. Before, I thought it was a silly waste of time to knit garments no one would ever see inside your shoe, but I admit it, I was wrong. There is something unbelievably comfortable about socks customized to fit your feet. I find that I experience less fatigue when walking in them, and since that is my main form of daily exercise, it is a priority. I still love knitting sweaters, but how many wool pullovers does a girl really need? It's impossible not to want to knit more but I'd rather be making things I can wear in every temperature.  

 

Scrappy socks, inspired by Kay Jones

 

 

Socks are  a portable, practical project, easy to ball up in a tiny bag in one’s purse. This cannot be said for sweater knitting. And I love the way making them is like painting in miniature. The 32-36 stitch canvas on the front of the foot is the perfect size to create an exquisite pattern or message without laboring for months on end.

 

Jarvis Socks by Kate Atherley

 

It will certainly be easier to achieve my 25% hand-made clothing goal if I continue to wear my knitted socks every day. It is not always practical to wear a sweater, even a cotton cardigan, in sunny California. But my hand-knitted socks were comfortable all summer long. Wool naturally wicks away moisture and an added bonus was that I didn't need to wash my socks as frequently because of the odor-reduction properties of wool. My husband still wears his hand knitted socks regularly and is asking for more of his own.

 

 

 

Resolution Four: Go More Public with Knitting

 

So far, I’ve been too shy to share any of the knitting patterns I’ve designed, and have never even posted photos on Ravelry. Also, all of my teaching has been in very small groups. I want to challenge myself to go a bit more public with my creative activities next year. This is by far my most challenging goal, so we will see how much gumption I can muster to make this happen.

 

What are your crafting goals for 2019? I would love to hear about them!!!