Off Duty

Sweater: Rocky Coast Cardigan by Hannah Fettig; madelinetosh tosh merino in antler; my notes and modifications on Acadian
Blouse: Everlane modern silk point collar shirt in navy; similar styles by Theory, Joe Fresh, and Ralph Lauren
Jeans: Madewell Alley Straight (different color); I'm also a fan of Old Navy's Sweetheart style
Shoes: Sperry Top-Sider Hayden loafer; similar styles by Bass and Cole Haan
Lips: Rosebud Salve

Yes Virginia, there is a casual Yelena. Truth be told, chez moi we much preferred this outfit without the sweater, but as I explained to my husband, the blog is about styling knitwear...

I have such mixed feeings about this sweater. I trot it out a lot despite the sleeves that are too tiny, the shoulders that despite modification fall off, and the overall look which is more than a little bit dowdy. However, it's a warm, white cardigan. It has merit. It has uses. I just sometimes wish I also had the long johns I feel it ought to go with and the mountain chalet to wear both while trapising about.

I do NOT have mixed feelings about this shirt. This shirt is amazing. This shirt will be coming to live with me in several more colors. I know I wax rhapsodic about Everlane while hocking my invite link and I feel not really at all bad about that. Their stuff is amazing! For a long time, they only had two long-sleeved shirt options: rounded collar with set-in sleeves or pointed collar with raglan sleeves. Can you see why I hadn't bought one yet? When I saw that they were offering pointed collar with set-in sleeves, it took me zero time to hit the buy button. That they had it in navy was just a bonus. That I selected the right size was bonus x2. That my husband made googly eyes at me when he saw it on? Bonus x3. This shirt is full of bonus.

I'm also becoming more and more partial to my Madewell Alley Straights. The one problem I have with them is that they are, definitively, too bulky to tuck into booties, but I think I'll survive. As for the flats, they just sort of worked. I wear my top-siders a lot when I'm not doing much of anything. I pack them for after yoga class, wear them to get a pedicure, take them on vacation (dear god that all sounds so repulsivley privileged I might just barf). They're kick around shoes and I can't ever see myself wearing them professionally. That being said, I'm delighted I have them for kicking around.

Finally, just for the record, I'd like to say that I acknowledge that this is a preternaturally good photo of me. The 47 others were not like this one. This one captured everything I always want to be in jeans and everything I am pretty sure I'm not. It's the Ricky Lauren look of my sartorial fantasies and I have no shame about publishing it to the internet pretending it's actually what I look like.

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!

New Skirt | Borrowed Friend

Sweater: Raina by Marnie MacLean; The Sanguine Gryphon Bugga in Bomber Worm (similar but currently out of stock); my notes and modifications on "Kashmir"
Skirt: J. Crew on super duper sale right now!!!!
Shoes: Sperry Top-Sider Hayden loafers, similar at GH Bass (also on sale - July is a terrific month)
Fingers: Essie Topless and Barefoot
Lips: Clinique A Different Grape

I own flats! I'll bet you didn't see that coming. I happen to own these shoes in two colors and they are great for activities such as taking my buddy, Chief for a walk. Also good for that activity? A lightweight sweater and a flippy skirt. And the skirt has been on the radar for months. You see, I am a nut for pinterest because I use it to keep tabs on things I might want to own or cook and it allows me to check and see when those former things go on sale. This skirt from J. Crew was originally $98, a price I would never have paid (because it's J. Crew and its quality has gone way down in my lifetime while its prices continue to rise). The skirt is nothing particularly special, nor does it fill a hole in my wardrobe. I own a navy skirt, I own a flippy skirt. However, at $22.50, it is a completely necessary object; I bought two. In truth, I wanted the pale citrus because I certainly don't have a skirt that color, but my size sold out and I contented myself with the peacock green.

I also really love this sweater. It was my first bugga. I love how flattering the shaping is and how deeply scooped the neck is; I love how, at this point in my knitting, I was comfortable enough to change it up a bit to suit my tastes - the original had henley styling. I remember being so nervous when I started to modify patterns that I'd do something wrong and the sweater would look terrible and I'd be miserable. But that never really happened. I'm not saying I don't make mistakes while knitting, but the mistakes are rarely attributable to modifications qua modifications and often the result of my not paying attention. I would urge the more timid knitters to try it out - customizing a sweater, whether in fit or style, to more closely align with your aesthetic opens up so many more knitting doors and frequently creates a unique piece you truly adore.