West End Girl

Sweater: West End Girl by some designer named Yelena Dasher; Black Trillium Fibres Pebble Worsted in Bright Rose
Skirt 1: J. Crew felted wool skirt; similar styles at Ann Taylor, Madewell, and T by Alexander Wang
Skirt 1: J Crew fluted mini skirt; several similar styles at ASOS including in chartreuse, purple, and hot pink, as well as a more versatile winter white at Nordstrom
Boots: Manolo Blahnik; I'm going to be honest - there is nothing out there right now like these boots which I bought from an online consignment store, however if you'd like to dream big with me, these Gucci low boots are amazing!
Lip 1: Bobbi Brown high shimmer lip gloss in Hot
Lip 2: Make Up Forever Rouge Artist natural in N31, Soft Fushia (sic)

Can you tell I had fun shooting these photos?

I saw a really cute, slightly cropped sweater by Acne last year that worked a lattice across the front and had really deep ribbing. Like a lot of capital-F fashion, it wasn't super accessible to people who aren't fashion bloggers, but I dug the lattice, and I dug the wild electric mint green it was worked in. Fast forward to seeing some of the Black Trillium Fibres bright rose shade and an idea was born. This process was not without hiccups, however, as it was my first time charting a pattern at all, and definitely my first time trying to apply a motif across multiple sizes in a way that would preserve the feel while making the sweater available to a range of people.

But I had some truly amazing and intrepid test knitters and the yarn, which I know I gush about a lot, is just ridiculously awesome (I know I'm not supposed to buy more yarn, but I am heartily tempted to get myself another SQ of this). I'm really proud of the sweater and I think it has looked wonderful on the testers which also makes me happy - the idea that people would volunteer their time and yarn and not end up with a sweater they love keeps me up at night.

Ok, so let's talk fun styling. It's a hot pink sweater. It's so outrageous, it's almost a neutral. Yes, it's fine with the grey wool skirt, but it totally works with the chartreuse one, and I also have a traffic cone orange skirt I think I'll wear it with. As for the metallic grey knee-high boots, they were a ridiculous deal (albeit used), and they fit perfectly, and I simply couldn't leave them on the site for someone else to grab. Will I wear them as often as I wear my knee-high black boots? No. Am I absolutely ecstatic that they have joined the family? Yes. Hair and makeup were also a blast for these photos. Whether I went with mod or pop, the sweater just encouraged theatricality, so I hope you find the results as amusing as I do.

And I really do think this would make a great Christmukah present to yourself - grab a SQ, take some of your time off to curl up with a sweater WIP, and show me your FO sometime next year!

Looking Ahead, Part 1

Here's why it's been quiet:
1. Thanksgiving vacation - it could have been better though I am tan
2. SICK AS A DOG
3. Sweater outfit photographed (on only day last week I didn't look full on ebola-ridden), but designer hasn't released it yet so no looksies

However, with the year about to end, I can start ruminating on next year and the outfits that will be.

I will be finishing my neon cabled sweater design today, barring something unexpected. For those who don't know it will be this color pink

with an allover cable pattern. In a perfect world, this weekend will have a day where photos can be taken because I have plans for shots with my super flared distressed Alice + Olivia jeans

and with a mini skirt and these soon-to-be-arriving second-hand Manolo Blahnik

silver boots.

When that has been dealt with, I will immediately cast on Linda Marving's Cable Round Sweater

which I hope to bang out before the January 2 deadline. I'll be using some Plucky Trusty in In The Navy. On that topic, I'd like to inform people that Paypal has recently extended their dispute window to 180 days. Since the shipping times for orders from The Plucky Knitter traditionally skirted the 45-day window for disputes, I was extremely wary, on principle, of purchasing from the pre-order updates; now I can feel a little better about participating, which I did, on Friday, by grabbing 2 SQs and a single skein for a hat. I haven't decided how I will initially style the sweater yet, though I do have a vintage skirt that might do nicely.

Then, remember this woman?

Well my interpretation of this sweater is also OTN as we speak in the ridiculous Astral Bath Spectra DK (which I adore and am so ecstatic I have a custom SQ on order). This sweater will, eventually, go with everything I own, but I am particularly eager to wear it with my Reformation Calico skirt

and possibly booties. I'm crazy like that.

That should more than round out 2014. We'll talk about 2015 later.

The Creative Process (snicker snicker)

Mu husband thought you all ought to see what it looks like when I'm not posing for the camera. Oh hi there, surprise, I'm still in a sweater and high heels even when I am hunched (sorry, mom) over the computer with knitting in my lap.

I'm working on my first design with a chart and it is way tougher than I thought it would be. WAY! I've identified some of the problems: I don't spend a lot of time reading charts because I kind of internalize what the stitch pattern is and then only refer to the chart to verify my work along the way. As such, if something is out of place or dubious on the chart, I auto-correct it in my brain because I see that, for example, all the other rows cross the cable to the right, so this one line where it crosses to the left is an error. Such luxuries are not cool when you're the one writing the pattern. A gorgeous, wonderful, patient, group of knitters are joining me on this journey and have been super helpful - so much so that I am almost ready to move from crappy notes to attractive pattern layout AND make a chart for them (and future knitters) that is not riddled with errors and inconsistencies.

But it's not easy, I tell you.

I finished a sleeve last night so I know that the sleeve works mostly. As in the sleeve will work better for everyone who isn't wearing my imperfect sweater, with two more stitches per size. I will likely do the collar next so that I can have all the bases covered in advance of the testers. This will produce a hilarious WIP since it will have 1.5" of body below the underarms (aka not even remotely enough to cover a bust), one sleeve, and a collar. I'll spare you those photos.

And yes, that is a stemless wineglass next to the coffee cup. What, does your desk look any different?

Wheeeeeee!

Sweater: Better Breton by ME! wollmeise dk in admiral and natur
Jeans: Madewell Rail Straight jeans (possibly discontinued; replacement (?) style is Alley Straight
Shoes: Sperry Top-Sider Hayden Loafers in Sahara; similar styles (with tassel) and in patent from Bass
Nails: Butter London flawless basecoat which makes a pretty good matte nude...
Lips: Make Up For Ever Rouge Artist Natural in Aubergine N50

Today is kind of a big deal.

It's my first for-sale independently published pattern. And, to be Californian and British for a moment, I'm properly stoked. Since we already talked about this sweater a couple months ago, I'm not going to bore you with rehash. What I will say is that writing a pattern is both easier and harder than I anticipated. Easier in that numbers don't lie. Provided you start out with good notes and proper measurements, applying a to b is not that difficult. If your gauge is 24sts over 4" then to have something 32 inches wide requires 192 stitches. The End. But transposing that simple truth across ALL the measurements needed is a bit tedious and more than a bit nerve wracking (cause it's so easy to make a mistake and never realize it). Which is why (and because if I'm asking someone to pay me for something, I ought to make sure it's good), I enlisted the help of a tech editor, Joeli on ravelry, to point things out like the fact I had copied and pasted the totally incorrect and nonsensical final measurements from some (likely notepad) document onto my "final" doc.

It's also a bit difficult to trust the standards especially when you, yourself, aren't so standard. My personal neck to underarm measurement is shorter than average; my bust to waist differential is larger than average; I prefer a shorter sweater. How to reconcile those preferences with a garment that will be universally (or will aspire to be...) applicable is challenging. Do I make the adjustments to my version but write the "real" numbers into the pattern? I didn't. I made my version according to Hoyle - and I'll make my next one a little more to my norm. This not only made the process easier, but also allowed me to feel as though the sweater I was selling was also the one I was actually wearing.

So we'll see how this little experiment goes. I'll be at Rhinebeck this weekend as will ALL of the other extant Better Bretons. So if you'll be there too, look for us on Sunday and maybe, just maybe, buy yourself some yarn to make one of your own!

The Emily

The jeans are from Banana Republic, the lipstick was one that didn't look good on me so I don't remember the name, and the sweater is why we're all gathered here today. The sweater as expertly photographed by Connie!

Making a long story shorter: I met knitters in person I had only ever "known" on ravelry, we actually enjoyed one another's company in person even though we live in NY Metro so it's not like there's a shortage of other people to hang out with, and now we hang out a lot. I'd been wanting to start designing my own sweaters because a) it's a good challenge and b) I would see sweaters I wanted to make that weren't already patterns. I didn't however, quite have the motivation to start doing it. Until I realized I could call upon these knitters I know in real life and see often and press them into service as muses and models. So a project coalesced. Five sweaters, five women. The Knitters I Know.

This is the first of the five sweaters and was inspired by a photograph of a Vogue editor, who kind of looks a little like Emily and is certainly shaped a little like Emily. I was certain this style pullover, a little bit cropped, would be flattering on Emily even if Emily was less sure (Yelena, my sweaters are generally at least 17" from the underarm). Fortunately, it was my yarn and my time and I could have made Emily a Big Bird sweater. Granted, she would likely have needed a lot of cajoling and alcohol to model it and let me put the photos on the internet, but I happen to have, at my disposal, a lot of alcohol. I think I sold her with the color, though. And I can't even remember how I discovered Lakes Yarn and Fiber, only that when I saw this color pop up in the store, I had to have it and I had to have it for Emily. When Emily saw the yarn, I'm pretty sure she would have worn it even if I had knit it into a pair of hot pants.

I'm a big fan of asymmetry when done subtly. I love an asymmetrical neckline or hem, and I think that it allows a simple garment to remain simple while not looking boring. So the double zips on the inspiration photograph weren't going to move me as much as a single zip. A single zip is a little sporty and enough of a statement without being a STATEMENT. Being a statement isn't my aesthetic nor is it Emily's.



The sweater is simple and pretty quick to finish. It, and many of my future (seems optimistic, but if I put it in writing I might have to make good) patterns will follow this example: work the back to the underarms, pick up the stitches for the front at the shoulders and knit to the underarms, join, and complete the sweater in the round, use short-row sleeve caps to make top-down sleeves. I have plans to make one for myself with long sleeves in grey - but those plans may likely not become flesh (or yarn) any time soon. So in the meantime, a number of really awesome, really cool people ar going to test the pattern for me. I'm hoping to release it in early November and I've already swatched for the next victim, er, muse.

I'll give you a hint: there will be cables.

In Progress: 1858

Who starts a knitting and fashion site in the summer anyway? As the mercury climbs and I try to find work-appropriate ways to be as unclothed as possible (sweet, sweet linen, how I love thee), I'm also doing some other sneaky things. Like many knitters before me, I'm taking the jump from modifying patterns to suit me to just writing them up from scratch. It's not as though there aren't thousands upon thousands of amazing designs out there, but sometimes the exact precise one you want isn't out there.

 Case in point, the Breton. Do a ravelry search and you'll find lots of Bretons, marinieres, or whatever you like to call a blue and white striped sweater in the style of the classic French shirt. Why, therefore, am I designing my own? Because in my addled brain, not one of the sweaters already available was exactly what I was looking for. Did most of them check off most of my boxes? Yup. But I really have wanted a sweater like this, have been hoarding the yarn for it, and wanted it to be (dear god) perfect.

 So what does perfection look like?

 1. Top-down. This has become pretty much a must for me. I need to be able to try the sweater on as I go and have a reasonable idea of what it looks like. I've started to re-jigger bottom-up patterns that I knit so that they can be knit top-down (a recent example is my Harrogate).

 2. Set-in sleeves, also top-down. I've tried a variety of different contiguous set-in sleeves and they just don't match the shape of my particular shoulders as well as this method. Which is kind of sad for me because a lot of really cute patterns are using that method right now.

 3. Neck options. This white with blue stripes version I think I'm going to keep with a raw collar; the blue with white stripes I'm doing next, a crew neck. The slash-neck is lovely, but ever so slightly more bra-strap revealing and less popular so I decided against it.

 4. Full length, body and sleeves. Don't get me wrong, I don't have a moral objection to 3/4 length sleeves, I just don't like them for me for this sweater. I realize this is a minor thing because one can (and I do) frequently modify sleeve length, but while I was writing up a pattern myself, I figured it could have the sleeves I like.

 5. Stripe placement and width. Again I could have modified an existing pattern to my preferences, but since I was doing all the rest. The first stripe should hit at the top mid slope of the bust, not higher, not lower. I originally started with 4 rows of contrast color and 12 of main color, but ripped back to replace it with 3 and 9 respectively. It was the right thing to do.

 So the body of the sweater is done, and I'll be starting the sleeves this evening. I'm quite excited to have it off the needles so I can wear it, and a couple of girlfriends may have offered to test the other sizes for me (because they are swell). It's not my first foray into design, and I have a couple other projects in the works, but it is a fun diversion on a too-hot-for-knitwear day to share a sneak peek.