Tag Archives: idea log

Idea Log: The cinched shift, take two

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Idea Log: The cinched shift, take two

Ever since I cut out that black sleeveless top, I’ve been imagining it with pockets (inspired by my beloved linen tunic’s slant-patch pockets) and also as a very simple dress. My idea of the ideal dress length has morphed as a result of the muumuu and my acquisition of an Earthen Slip, which I want to wear every day, every way. So the hemline on this imagined dress keeps dropping. And after seeing the Ulla Johnson jumpsuit I raved about in last Tuesday’s post, the pocketed top and dress ideas bled into one, now with an elastic casing a la Ulla. The funny thing is, as I was sketching this, I realized it’s really an iteration of the cinched shift idea I posted last July. Which means sooner or later (sooner, please!) some version of this is going to make it off the page and into my closet.

By the way, if anyone knows of an existing pattern for this — seems like it must be out there! — please let me know.

(Fashionary sketch template via Fringe Supply Co., as usual.)

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PREVIOUSLY in Idea Log: Field Scarf turned sweater

Idea Log: Field Scarf turned sweater

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Idea Log: Field Scarf turned sweater

My last Idea Log was about my obsession with Purl Soho’s new yarn, Linen Quill, and the sweaters I was dreaming of knitting from it. Since then, two things have happened:

  1. Before I had a chance to place an order, a box of skeins magically appeared on my desk. (Thank you, Purl!) And although I haven’t had a chance to swatch with it yet, it’s every bit as delicious as it looks in the photos.
  2. They published this pattern for their woven Field Scarf, which is so beautiful it makes me dizzy. That palette is just perfection.

However, I don’t weave and don’t have any plans to start. (No matter how desperately I want this scarf.) So what’s a knitter to do? Well, naturally I’m sitting at my laptop staring at these photos, imagining ways to knit a sweater that retains the spirit of this scarf.

The basis of the scarf is the three vertical bands — the warp is the ivory, then the ivory-grey marl, then the black, and they’re woven through with an ivory weft. The nearest simulation of that would be to knit with two strands of ivory, then one strand of ivory and one of the marl, then one strand of ivory and one of the black. It would be amazing to use intarsia to make those bands vertical on the sweater, but I’m not quite that clever. However, it would be simple to do it as horizontal bands. The trick is how to “weave” in the lilac and gold, especially perpendicular to the wide bands. So I’m thinking of vertical button bands where the persistent strand is the lilac instead of the ivory. And then how to get a bit of the gold in there? Maybe a thin stripe that’s gold and marl before switching to the ivory-black band? In which case it would be ivory-ivory, ivory-marl, gold-marl, ivory-black.

I also really love the starkness of the black fringe along one-third of each end, and think one marl cuff and one black cuff might have a similar effect.

It would be super fun to play with …

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PREVIOUSLY in Idea Log: Three sweaters haunting my thoughts

Idea Log: Three sweaters haunting my thoughts

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Idea Log: Three sweaters haunting my thoughts

This is a much less complex Idea Log than past installments, albeit in triplicate. Here we have three very simple sweater ideas, spurred by specific yarns, that I can’t stop thinking about knitting. So I’m recording them for the moment rather than making any queue commitments:

1. I think I’ve abandoned the whole Penguono project. (For me to ever complete a knitting project, I have to be entirely covetous of the FO, and I’m just not in this case.) But these insane skeins of black-and-white handspun yarn I got from Rebekka in the course of things keep begging to become a sleeveless tunic. I’m imagining a slightly oversized, crewneck version of my turtleneck.* It would be so quick and simple and delicious, but also a bit of an investment by the time I acquired enough skeins.

Idea Log: Three sweaters haunting my thoughts

2. A little birdie pointed me to this new Purl Soho yarn, Linen Quill — I don’t think it’s even been officially announced yet — and omigod I cannot stop imagining the perfect sweater for each gorgeous color. (Held double, of course.) But the ones that are haunting me most are an easy wide-cropped cardigan (you see I’m debating the sleeve shape) in the Kettle Black — despite my having knitted 3 black sweaters in the last few months! —and …

Idea Log: Three sweaters haunting my thoughts

3. … a simple little tank in the Rose Granite. I’ve been wanting a pretty pale pink top since seeing a certain J.Crew photo in late 2014 (blush top, lilac cardigan, army pants, so good), and have been imagining it as a slinky woven item, but now I think it would be amazing in this yarn. Only question is how it would look with my skin.

*I know, y’all. I would really love to write that pattern, but there’s never time. Hopefully one of these days!

Idea Log: Penguono x Joseph

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Idea Log: Penguono x Joseph

Early Wednesday morning, I got a text from my sweet friend Rebekka, who was all lit up about knitting Stephen West’s Penguono cardigan and wanted to know if I would knit it with her. Like, starting tomorrow. Since I’ve long wondered what an understated version of this sweater would look like, I was quick to say yes, and the more I redrew and rearranged and recolored it in my head, the more I realized my version would be heavily influenced by these Joseph pants from the Pre-Fall 2016 collection that I cannot stop thinking about. (I might be starting a fund in the hope of having however much money they cost by the time they hit stores this summer. If, god willing, they do.) (Note to the reader who asked: Net-a-Porter carries Joseph.) I’m imagining the sweater all in ivory with slightly darker side panels and a big black patch pocket on the front. Possibly knitted; possibly boiled wool, with a flap. It’s fun to daydream about.

So in that moment, I got all excited about the idea of this sweater. And then I remembered I’m not supposed to be casting on sweaters willy-nilly. There’s Bob sweater still with hours upon hours of its stockinette body to be knitted. There are two unfinished hatalong hats waiting patiently in my Field Bag. There’s my very real need and very strong desire for that black pullover that’s supposed to be next. And there’s this crazy Penguono idea that could be a lot of much-needed fun or could be a lot of valuable knitting time poured into an idea that doesn’t pan out. And it’s soooo much knitting.

There’s the angel on one shoulder and the devil on the other, and this is the conversation they’re having. I’m in the middle, thinking I’ll most likely cast on, knit it in the designated hours with Rebekka and in the gaps among other things after that (for the next two years, prolly!) and see if anything ever comes of it. I mean, it’s a stash-buster and my stash needs busting, right?

IN EXCITING SHOP NEWS: We’ve got fresh stock of the Stowe Bag sewing pattern and the Maple Hand Loom Kit, as well as the elusive grey Field Bag (also in black and natural). Along with all the other beautiful things at Fringe Supply Co.!

UPDATE: We’re having major snowstorm in Nashville today and won’t be driving to the studio or anywhere else. We’ll resume shipping just as soon as road conditions allow!

Idea Log: Cowichan blues

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Idea Log: Cowichan blues

Here’s one last Idea Log for 2015, and it will be the first sweater I’m obsessing about in 2016 — Do I just have a heightened awareness of them or are Cowichan-inspired sweaters suddenly everywhere? I can’t open an indie boutique email or flip through a mainstream catalog without seeing them. The one that recently got torn out and taped to my wall is among the least authentic — that blue and white number up top, currently for sale at J.Crew. (It’s called Abstract Fair Isle Sweater, and has about as much in common with true Fair Isle as with Cowichan, but there you go.) I’m still dying to cast on another Cowichan-ish sweater after finishing my knitalong vest, and although it continues to be spooky 75-degree tornado weather here, I know we’re headed for that time of year when I’ll be wearing my Bellows every day and wishing I had another super woolly shawl collar cardigan to alternate with. Before casting on my vest, I contemplated doing it in black and navy or ivory and navy. As much as I love all-neutral colorwork, I also swoon hard for blue and white. (Some notable examples here.) It’s like Delft knitwear or something — so dreamy. So I keep gazing at this J.Crew cardigan and wanting a version, and over the weekend it dawned on me that it could be as simple and knitting Andrea Rangel’s Knitter’s Dude in ivory and navy (two colors instead of three) and perhaps doing the wide stripes as a pair of thinner stripes to play up the linework quality. I might want to bulk up the gauge, though — I’m thinking Lettlopi in colors 0051 and 9420 (as pictured via Tolt). And then of course with a zipper instead of the buttons, because zippers forever and ever amen.

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PREVIOUSLY in Idea Log: Perfect outfit No. 1

Idea Log: Perfect outfit No. 1

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Idea Log: Perfect outfit No. 1

With everything going on at the time, I had to sit out the Spring 2016 collections, but the good news is that Pre-Fall has begun! I’ve probably said this before, but the Pre-Fall collections are my favorite for lots of reasons. Chief among them may be the timing. These are cold weather clothes that we get to peruse while there are still months of winter and winter-int0-spring weather ahead of us, so inspiration can actually be applied immediately. (As opposed to looking at Spring collections in September, for instance.) They’re just starting to roll out, and there are no significant knits for us to talk about yet, but I’m obsessed with this Karen Walker ensemble up top. For me, it’s not possible to wear denim and khaki together without feeling like I’m about to clock in for a shift at the Gap, but this outfit gets my wheels spinning anyway. I’ve been searching for perfect wide-cropped khakis since seeing this pair on Leandra Medine awhile back (loooove them with that indigo-and-ivory embroidered top). And all I can think about since the day I pulled my favorite sweatshirt on over my linen dress is more short and wide sweatshirts — but in slightly more dressed-up fabrics. I’m still dreaming of the Linden in boiled wool, and so on, and I am totally crazy for the proportions of this Karen Walker top — especially those cuffed elbow-length sleeves!

Bottom line: this top and these pants together make my heart sing. What doesn’t work for me is the shoes, but I’m all about Zac Posen’s approach of putting shiny combat boots with wide-cropped pants. (And culottes, and dresses! Swoon.) (What can I say? I’ve never gotten over grunge.) So that’s my perfect outfit number one right now. My new quest:

THE TOP: I could definitely use the Linden pattern to make a raglan version of this top, but I’m into the combo of the slightly dropped shoulder and the cuffed sleeves. So I’m thinking it might be better to tweak the Hemlock Tee for this. Mine won’t be denim, but probably a speckly black-and-white wool I’ve got in my stash, and yes, the boiled wool idea. This is also what I’m wanting in sweaters right now — this very shape. It’s more or less what I’ve started with my grey wool sweatshirt, and I wake up now every morning wanting one in solid black Lettlopi.*

THE PANTS: I had the perfect version of these pants from J.Crew in the aughts, wore them to tatters, and have been in search of their equal ever since, my longing compounded by the aforementioned Medine pic. But to no avail. I fear I’ll have to break down and attempt to sew pants. If it comes to it, I have a Liesl Gibson pattern in mind: Lisette/Butterick B6183, with slightly widened legs. Anyone got other suggestions, or a source for a really good khaki twill?

THE BOOTS: I’m currently scouring the internet for the closest affordable thing to the ones shown in Posen’s collection.

*By the way, I can’t believe I did a whole post about black yarns and left out lopi. Ever since wearing Kathy’s black Stopover for the holiday lookbook, I can’t get that yarn out of my head! If you haven’t seen all the great black yarn recs on that post, make sure you check out the comments!

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p.s/unrelated: The maple hand loom kits are back in stock!

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PREVIOUSLY in Idea Log: The mildly folksy tunic

Idea Log: the mildly Folksy tunic

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Idea Log: The mildly Folksy tunic

Earlier this summer, I was having lunch with my friends Anna Maria and Rebekka one day and Anna started telling us a sweet and funny story about a Panamanian woman who had just been in her shop, Craft South, who Anna felt sure was judging her harshly (based on the look on her face as she looked around) but who actually apparently liked what she saw — to the point that she wound up giving Anna a trove of small embroidered pieces from her home country. They’re made by the Kuna people, and she was convinced that Anna was a person who would appreciate them. Anna was blown away by the gift and by the pieces themselves, especially the more unusual embroidered collar-and-cuff combos that were part of the collection, called molas. She wound up pulling them all out for us to see, and insisted Rebekka and I each take one of the pieces to do something fun with. I immediately chose this charming fish and knew I wanted it to be a pocket. On something!

In the ensuing weeks, I decided yes, definitely a pocket, and that while it would be fantastic and appropriate on something like Cal Patch’s Folk Blouse sewn at dress length, I would almost certainly never wear it. So what I want is just a nod to that — a loose, casual, simple tunic on which my pocket can shine. The challenge would be fabric, since the embroidery is done on a sort of off-black cotton that wouldn’t be easy to match.

Well. Along came serendipity in the guise of Jaime and Amber of Fancy Tiger Crafts. They were coming to Nashville for a workshop at Craft South, as it happens, and Jaime sent me a text one day that just said “olive drab or off black?” I thought it was a message typed into the wrong text window — you know how it is — and responded “?” She said that’s all, I just had to pick, and I said I couldn’t possibly since those are basically my two favorite colors plus I had no idea what I was picking. When they arrived, they handed me a little bundle adorably stitched up in a brown paper bag, and what I pulled out of that parcel was a length of Japanese linen-cotton that is a dead ringer for the background of my fish pocket, which they knew nothing about.

I am so grateful for my friends, and not just because they give me gifts that add up to awesome clothing.

So what about the pattern? Surfing around the internet the other day, I saw a dress someone had sewn that led me to the Sutton Blouse pattern, which seems to be just about perfect for this.

(Beloved Fashionary panels from Fringe Supply Co., of course.)

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By the way, speaking of Craft South, I should mention that I’m going to be there on Tuesday eve the 15th, hanging out, knitting, and answering any knitting questions anyone might have. Anna calls this “knit picking my brain.” I’ll also have the thoroughly awesome Kathy Cadigan in tow that night. So if you’re in Nashville, please come! Details on their site (and I promise to brush my hair).

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PREVIOUSLY in Idea Log: The cinched shift