Tag Archives: slow fashion

Merry Elsewheres

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Merry Elsewheres — yarny links for your holiday week perusal

I may not be the most festive person in the world, but what I do love about this stretch around the holidays is the way the world slows down while we collectively shift our focus for a minute (a day, a week), away from the daily grind and onto the people and places we cherish. Whether you’re crowd-averse like me or a confirmed extrovert, have big news to celebrate or are feeling the presence of a newly empty chair at your dinner table — or whatever your particular circumstances may be — I hope you find peace and joy this week. I’m spending it with my sister and her family and will be back here later in the week with some news and some recapping, so meet me here then! But if you’ve got a bit of time on your hands in the meantime, here are some links to keep you learning, crying, laughing or swooning—

— First, speaking of family and complexities and all that — I want to say thank-you to everyone who has shared such incredibly powerful and personal stories in response to my post about Matilda’s cardigan. It turned into a conversation about loss and hope and grief and love and … life, and knitting’s place in that. And I’m grateful for it.

— I hereby co-sign @arohaknits “petition to rename these items …” (and now I’m also giggling remembering the great “arm leggings” of 2012, which why on earth have I not been wearing those?!)

— Have you seen the knitted postage stamps and the knitting itself? (via)

— I like both Michael Ruhlman and Kay Gardiner and am eager to listen to their conversation

— I’m obsessed with this granny-square sweater by the always-inspiring Jo of Kkibo

— and wowed by this cardigan-driven look

— Totally fascinated by Cocoknits’ pick-up-THEN-knit method

— Christmas decor I can get behind (esp if done with proper pompoms!)

— Mary Jane and her dream sweater

— and the I’m Not Lost project is amazing — there’s the backstory and a PDF download here, and don’t miss the flash mob! (photo by @kristyglassknits)

I know there are loads of efforts along these lines — SO much knitting for good cheer, charity and more — and would love for you all to share as many of them as possible in the comments.

Merry holidays to you and yours, whatever you celebrate!

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PREVIOUSLY: Holiday Hewett + Elsewhere

Elsewhere: Big-screen sweaters, Japanese denim and knitted pie

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Elsewhere — links for knitters, sewers, slow fashion advocates

Happy Friday! I know it’s been awhile since my last links list, but this one’s got something for just about everyone—

— How to knit a pie crust

— “‘The Lighthouse’ Is a Film About Men Arguing In Moldy, Beautiful Sweaters” (thx, Deepa!) (lower photo)

— Tender Buttons, RIP

— A must watch: This gorgeous 6-minute documentary on denim in Japan (upper photo)

— Vogue Knitting has announced Launch Pad: A Small Business Development Program with an emphasis on providing resources for entrepreneurs from marginalized groups to help increase diversity in our industry

— The “Invisible Jumpers” photo project is now a book! (thx, Alyssa)

— “There are no regulations” (via Clara)

— Great interview with Quince’s Leila Raven about her career path and design process

— What if all fashion schools took field trips to landfills?

— and this mini-Stonecrop cardigan is too darling

IN SHOP NEWS: We’ve got the new MDK Field Guide, No. 13: Master Class with patterns by Kaffe Fassett, as well as a limited-edition set of drawstring bags we’re calling Stash Bags sewn from collected miscuts, in a variety of sizes and colors. They’re sturdy canvas, endlessly useful and priced to sell! (At least one size is actually already sold out …)

Have a happy weekend, everyone—

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Elsewhere

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Happy Friday, friends. I’ve got a nice varied stack of Elsewhere links for you below, but one tangential one first — from Grace Bonney as she closed Design Sponge after 15 years, a bit of advice I can simultaneously nod along with and continue to learn from, and I hope others will too: How to handle (and learn from) being called out. Please read and pass it along!

• Well said, Denise, and obviously about knitting as well: “Sewing has taught me that I’m in charge of the image I present to the world.”

• Does anyone have a spare copy of this to sell me?

• I love this crochet swimsuit

• The fashion industry’s diversity problem

• Three new-to-me, WOC-owned, slow-fashion brands I’m loving: Emme (totally brilliant upcycling and more), Chelsea Bravo (hand-painted casual wear) and Proclaim (“inclusive nude” bras and bodysuits)

• Maybe this is the one to get me going: Quilted hexagon potholders (perhaps at coaster size?)

• This sleeve swatch [heart eyes!] — and it takes me back to this ol’ gem

• “Systematic overproduction just isn’t sustainable, no matter how you spin it.”

• This doll outfit in my size, please (Which takes me back to these beauties!)

• Next-level yoke (click the little right arrow on the first image)

• Stunning shibori

• And wowwwwww

IN SHOP NEWS: We’ve got the brand-new MDK Field Guide No. 12: Big Joy! And so much more …

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Elsewhere

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This has been a distressing week in the US (one of far too many of its kind), and you know I feel so strongly that every one of us needs to be informed and engaged and to work for peace. (Boy have my thoughts on how advanced these past three years.) But we also have to take care of ourselves and keep up our strength, which means being present with the people we love and also allowing ourselves to disappear into our knitting or sewing for a minute, to catch our breath and boldly face the world again.

I’ve got a mixed bag of links for you today, for your edification and/or enjoyment; I’ll see you back here on the other side of what I hope will be a comparatively peaceful weekend—

— Squam’s diversity-and-inclusion panel from last month has since been posted online. It’s long, so maybe watch it in chunks if you need to, but I hope you’ll watch

— I love every word of this interview with Oaxacan weaver and natural dyer Porfirio Gutiérrez: No one told us we were artists (via)

— Podcast eps I’m eager to listen to: The Dressed interview with Joy Bivins on the history of the Ebony Fashion Fair and the debut of Ceci Knits the World

— I’m in MDK’s debt for linking to Lorilee Beltman’s brilliant video about how to memorize the Kitchener Stitch — I always have to remind myself which way it goes and will never need to again!

— … and also for asking Jillian Moreno the question I’ve always wanted to ask someone: the difference between fingering-weight yarn and sock yarn

— Remember that wrapped hoop earring tutorial? Anne updated it on her own blog — and look at this lovely espadrille project

— Why the American shoe disappeared, and why it’s so hard to bring it back

— and totally fascinating use of a sock blank

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On an unrelated note, I want to acknowledge the loss of Toni Morrison this week, which feels especially sharp within this particular news cycle. I don’t really even have the words for it, but I loved this passage by Tracy K. Smith from one of the many NYT tributes I’ve read in the past few days:

“… the living monument of Ms. Morrison’s body of work assures me that the language of peace, justice, safety and stability must enter our imagination as they always have — not through the language of policy, but via our willingness to regard one another as worthy of attention and love. Such ideas must be sat with, moved through, married to our vocabularies for love, desire, loss, resentment, remembering, healing and hope. And those vocabularies are the primary terrain of the artist.”

I’ve been saying lately it’s been too long since I’ve read any of her novels. Time to dig back in …

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Elsewhere

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Pattern rename + Elsewhere, yarny links for your clicking pleasure

Before we get to today’s Elsewhere links, below, I want to note that I’ve changed the name of my Wabi Mitts pattern to Mamoru Mitts. Cultural appropriation (vs appreciation) is a subject I’ve paid ever-increasing awareness to since becoming a knitter, and while I think most people agree there’s some grey area, I personally would like to avoid even the grey zones. Especially in this case, since the ancient term wabi-sabi, which has deep and hard-to-convey meaning, is increasingly abused and misused, and I don’t want to contribute to that. Shortly after first deciding to change it, I also ran across this blog post on use of the term, which solidified my decision.

The mitts were originally inspired by Takako Ueki’s beautiful yarn, Habu N-68, which we sell in the kits, and by my admiration for Japanese aesthetics. (The Book of Tea is a perpetual reread for me, if you’d like a recommendation!) In weighing the decision to change the name — and to what — I spoke with Takako about it and she ultimately suggested a perfect alternative: Mamoru, which means to protect. Questioning myself on this led to a treasured conversation with my friend Takako and a name I feel is an even better fit for the pattern, so they are happily henceforth known as Mamoru Mitts.

For more on cultural appropriation, I thought it was really beautifully addressed in PomPom’s interview with Emi Ito, along with the links in the footer of that post.

And with that, Elsewhere—

— Major loss for the US yarn industry

— Wow, a whole new way to think about finger knitting

— I LOVE the concept for He Sewed She Sewed but not so sure about Bluprint — your thoughts?

— Food for thought: “In many ways, finishing the insides of my makes is similar to taking care of my mind and body. On the outside, I can be as put together as possible, but if I’m frayed, messy and all over the place internally, my appearance is just a facade.” Discuss!

— Exceptionally pretty crochet

— If you’ve ever wished for a video of my basting stitch technique: @wildandwoollyshop is here for you

— Quilting advice for garment sewers — will this be the thing I need to finally try it?

— “Don’t wait to work on your wardrobe until you are the size you want to be.“

— and This. Sweater.

Also, as I hope you know, we donate a percentage of Fringe Supply Co. revenue each quarter in an effort to pay it forward. Our Q2 donation has gone to KIND (Kids in Need of Defense) to help in their effort to provide legal assistance to children detained at the US border. If you’re looking for ways to help these children and the vitally urgent situation right now, in addition to making monetary donations, KIND’s front page lists a variety of steps you can take. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your support of Fringe, which allows us to contribute to important work in this way.

With that, I’m out. I’ve got a houseful of company coming for an epic event in my husband’s life this weekend, so I’ll see you back here next week!

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PREVIOUSLY: New Field Bag + Elsewhere

A new Field Bag + Elsewhere

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A new Field Bag + Elsewhere

First things first: There’s a new Field Bag color launching at 9am CT, very exciting — I’ll update this spot and reveal the photo at that time! YES!, that is a photo of an olive-drab Field Bag alongside the matching olive w/waxed army Town Bag and army green Porter Bin! I would say “it’s back,” but it is the same fabric as the body of the new olive Town Bag, which is slightly different than the original army-green Field Bag we’ve all mourned for years. So it’s all new but every bit as wonderful as the late lamented version! And it’s available now atFringe Supply Co.and through ourstockists. We also have the brand new MDK Field Guide: Wanderlust, and are restocked on our sashiko tool kit and the natural Porter Bin!

Meanwhile, a bit of Elsewhere:

— I absolutely loved the Love to Sew podcast interview with my good friend Alexia Marcelle Abegg about living life as a creative, and plan to listen to the new Brittany J. Jones episode while sewing tomorrow

— What type of Fiber Muse are you?

— Great piece: Do we really need any more sustainable fashion brands? (thx, Cara)

— “No horizontal stripes” and other plus-size clichés worth breaking (Down with all the edicts, IMO)

— Ash finished her epic Logalong blanket!

— Style muse

— Rachel’s sweater-turned-skirt is astonishing

— and look at Kate Middleton eyeing that Shift cowl! (last image)

Happy weekend, everyone — I’ve a half-done linen skirt to finish and some vest pockets to wrap up. What about you?

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere + Holiday weekend project idea

Elsewhere + Holiday weekend project idea

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Elsewhere + Holiday weekend knitting project idea

I woke up to such exciting news yesterday: Kay finished her Logalong sweater! And it’s a beauty. (Back story here.) Which is likely what reminded me that my Log Cabin Mitts pattern is a great holiday-weekend project, whether you need something portable for travel or an addictive little something to get into (and scrounge leftovers for) on a quiet weekend at home.

Here’s a longish Elsewhere for the long weekend—

— Never have so many people sent me the same link: ‘Knitting is coding’ and yarn is programmable in this physics lab (NYT link) (thx, everyone!)

— Makers of color: Have you responded to Jen Hewett’s survey for her upcoming book? Just a few days left …

— Settle in for this one: Anni Albers on How to Be an Artist

— I always love reading about the birth of a new yarn

— Obsessed with these scrappy quilted jackets here and here

— Great question

— Canadian councilwoman calls out gender disparity at city council, one stitch at a time — you can see the disparity better here (thx, DG)

— “So, while it’s #memademay and I cheer at the handmade garments in my feed, I also cheer for the mended, darned, repaired, re-dyed, redesigned, or simply beloved clothes we’ve been tending for years. I celebrate the intention, the mindfulness, the awareness. And remember that we all have different resources in time, money, skill, equipment, and craftsmanship for our clothing. And hope that beauty can be the ecology we tend and support in Slow Fashion.“

— “The question is no longer whether it is necessary to improve sustainable business practices, but rather how long it will take before consumers stop buying from brands that do not act responsibly.”⁣

— Dream sweater

— And yes to baby animals in sweaters (but they are planning to pay for photos, right?) (thx, Jen)

On a totally different front, I’ll be reading the Wikipedia short history of Memorial Day, which — as with just about everything — is more rich and complicated than I recall knowing. And we’re planning to dust off Ken Burns’ Civil War documentary this weekend, which I’ve only ever seen bits of.

However you’re passing the weekend, wherever you are, I wish you the best — and I’ll see you back here next week!

IN SHOP NEWS: The butterscotch Porter Bin is back in stock, along with the new olive/army Town Bag I’m so thrilled you’re all loving! And all the other lovely goodies, of course.

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere