I’m deep into the summer struggle. In need of tops with at least a little bit of sleeve for indoors, but in fabrics that are bearable outdoors. Really, this is the summer I absolutely have to learn to wear dresses (and make said dresses) — more about that coming up — but in the meantime, I just really need something to put on my top half with my trusty wide-leg pants, so I can get dressed in the mornings. And I’ve had this little tee in my head.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve had a fixation for a few years now about tops/dresses with volume stemming from neck pleats or gathers. I particularly love a placket combined with gathers. But as far as something simple to sew, simple to wear, I just want a linen tee made slightly more interesting with neck pleats. Rather than proper set-in sleeves, I’m imagining it as just a two-piece situation — front and back — and believe I can get here by manipulating the same old pattern I’m forever messing with. And if it works, I want it in like a few different weird/bright shades of linen.
I’ve never attempted a mod quite like this one, which makes it both a little daunting and a lot of fun. I just need to make the time to try it! Asap.
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!
For anyone new here, Summer of Basics is a very simple concept: Spend the next three months making three pieces your wardrobe could really benefit from. The definition of “basic” is completely up to you — one person’s outlier is another person’s core wardrobe item. You be you! They can be knitted, sewn, crocheted, or any mix thereof. If you take this as an opportunity to stretch your skills, awesome! And everyone is invited and welcome, whatever your age, race, size, gender, ability, you name it — including those in places where we’re headed into winter, not summer. Please don’t let the word “summer” or “basics” deter you!
Remember, this year is Low-key SoB — no eligibility requirements or judging or prizes, just the joy of making good stuff for yourself. You can share your progress — or follow along and chime in — by using the #summerofbasics hashtag on Instagram and/or by posting on your own blog or wherever on the internet and leaving links in comments here for others to see.
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For my trio this time around, I’ve decided on 1 knit, 1 sew and 1 crochet project! (Life circumstances permitting.) Hilariously, they all come from the same color family, which is pure coincidence, albeit born of my obsession with this part of the color wheel at the moment:
1.KNIT: Grace pullover by Denise Bayron Denise is a good friend but I knew nothing about this design until it was revealed a couple of weeks ago as part of the Laine issue that launches today. The instant I saw it, I knew I had to knit it — in the toffee-colored Our Yarn from Fringe — so it was a no-brainer to make it one of my SoB picks. I’ll be knitting at a little bit finer gauge than the pattern (chunky rather than superbulky), but it’s top-down so will be easy to adjust. This will be such a simple, versatile sweater — and in this abbreviated shape, hopefully well worn.
2. SEW: Dress N by Naomi Ito I’ve been obsessed with this Nani Iro dress pattern, simply known as pattern N, since it first crossed my radar last year. I ordered the book at the time — Atelier to Nani Iro, in Japanese — and thought I would brave it. But I’d be lying if I said I weren’t thrilled that the English edition publishes in just a few weeks. I’m determined to form a dress habit this summer (more on that soon) and this one is the obvious place to start. Plus I’ll be using a fabric designed by my pal Alexia Abegg — part of the debut collection for the new Ruby Star Society line launching this summer — which is called She, in a gingery spice color they call Earth. (As it happens, she’s talking about all of this on this week’s episode of the Love to Sew podcast.) Everything about this is a little outside my comfort zone and I am SO excited about it.
3. CROCHET: Joanne hat by Wool and the Gang I desperately need a crushable hat and have never found one that works for me. And I think I’m actually going to try two here — the first being the crocheted Joanne bucket hat from Wool and the Gang (from last summer’s New Favorites), in a tawny colored raffia (the natural was sold out!), and the second being a sewn hat pattern in the Nani Iro book (left image above), which I’m planning to make out of natural canvas, just to see! Hopefully one or the other will actually suit my head and solve my problem, if I can manage to tailor the fit.
There’s also a new Fancy Tiger pattern coming sometime this summer that scratches one my longest-running itches, and I’m considering it a bonus item. I decided to make the hat one of my official 3 instead, to help ensure I actually tackle it!
So that’s my plan, and it seems so doable! How about you — will you join me?
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.
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!
It’s May, and I know some of you are wondering about Summer of Basics! My apologies for the cliffhanger — I’ve been thinking about retooling it a little bit for this year and hope to have an announcement about that next week. If you have thoughts on it in between, please do leave a comment below.
I feel like nearly every time I make a list of things I intend to knit and/or sew, I’m almost guaranteed to make one or fewer of those things. Since the list I set out for myself last month, I added the possibility of a blanket/shawl for my niece, and in the interim I have worked on only one thing: the shawl-collar smock-vest situation above. Somehow it’s taken me a month to knit those three plain little pieces of fabric, but now the fun part starts!
I’ve had this idea before (for my vanilla cardigan) but am saying it out loud this time: I’m considering sewing canvas pockets onto this garment instead of knitted ones. I really like that combination and decided against it for the cardigan partly because it would have been too bulky to get under the foot of my machine. But it might work here …
Meanwhile, swatching for the prospective navy pullover.
I’ve also never really actively participated in Me Made May before, and probably won’t this year in any traditional sense (maybe the occasional mirror selfie on IG, dunno) but it seems like as good an excuse as any to dust off my sewing machine, which hasn’t been touched since last summer. So that’s my pledge: By this time next month, there will have been sewing. In addition to the patterns mentioned last month, I bought the new Wiksten Shift, so who knows what my Garment of Return will be. But I’ll be sure to tell you about it when it happens!
I first metDenise Bayron on Instagram about a year ago when she had just learned to sew and was wowing everyone with her skills. No doubt her experience in knitting and the fashion industry were factors, but it was mind-blowing how quickly she was drafting her own inventive jumpsuit, for instance. And have you seen her knitting patterns? Last year’s chic Cardizen has just been joined by a clever cross between a head kerchief and a bandana cowl, the Hatdana. (Straight into my queue!) With more in the pipeline.
On top of her immeasurable talents, Denise might actually be the friendliest person I’ve ever met. I’ve loved getting to know her better in recent months and am excited to be able to share more of her story through this q&a. To keep up with Denise, follow @bayronhandmade.
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Do you knit, crochet, weave, spin, dye, sew … ?
I knit, crochet and sew. I learned to crochet from a neighbor when I was 4 years old. I practiced frequently and enjoyed doing it immensely but lost the habit as I grew into my teens. I’ve picked it up again in recent years.
As a young woman living in New York, I worked in the fashion industry as the VP of a public relations agency for many years. The corporate hustle didn’t allow for much making. Even worse, I absorbed the conflicting message that quality clothing is both expensive and disposable after a season. Fast fashion diminished my self-worth because of unattainable expectations. So I quit my job to pursue more meaningful work in the personal wellness industry. Ironically, leaving the fashion industry opened me up to making clothes by hand.
A few years later, I moved from New York to Madison, Wisconsin. I was in a new city, and I had no friends. Within days of moving, I attended a fair-trade festival. The first person I met was a woman who was a knitter and the manager of a local fair-trade organization. I asked her if I could volunteer at her company. I also asked her if she would be my friend. I’m surprised she didn’t run in the opposite direction! I worked part-time for that organization for about 5 years. I was surrounded by items that were made by artisans and farmers from around the world. I grew to appreciate the beauty of handmade things, their longevity, their intrinsic and sentimental value, and the cultural lessons that can be passed down through craft.
Through my volunteer work, I was granted a visa to work with an artisan partner in Thailand. The partner ran a cooperative business comprised of women from the northern Thai hill tribes. My assignment was to teach the women English and marketing strategies so that they could compete in a global economy. These women made magic with their hands. I had much to learn from them too! After our classes, I stayed on to watch them sew, knit and embroider beautiful things. I continued traveling through eight countries and had similar exchanges in Myanmar and Indonesia too. The time I spent learning handicrafts from experienced artisans changed my life and point of view.
When I returned to the US, I continued to develop my knitting skills. Sewing, however, was still on the back burner. This all changed when I moved to California four years ago. I found myself in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a rich and diverse maker community. I searched for a local yarn shop and found the most charming shop — A Verb For Keeping Warm! It was within walking distance from my home. OMG, two steps away from heaven, right??!! The shop hosts a monthly maker meetup called Seam Allowance. The meetup is a sew-and-tell of sorts where participants pledge to make 25% of their wardrobe by hand. I was floored by the quality of the projects shared in the group, and I was incredibly inspired. I was determined to try my hand at sewing. I walked out of the shop with a pattern by Sonya Philip, the designer of 100 Acts of Sewing. Sonya’s clear pattern instructions and tutorial videos helped me complete my first sewing project — a pair of pants! That success gave me the courage to keep sewing and later try my hand at drafting.
Tell us about your tool preferences and peccadilloes.
In a dream world, I am a monogamous knitter with one set of wooden needles and only enough yarn to knit the project that I am currently working on. In the real world, I do, in fact, have only one set of interchangeable needles. However, I need more cables to hold multiple WIPs.
In a past interview I vocalized my dislike for the clicking of metal needles. Never say never, because I’ve had to eat crow after working on a recent lace project. I found myself searching online for Addi Turbo Rockets. I didn’t buy them, but my little heart wants them so badly.
How do you store or organize your tools? Or do you?
I try to keep my tools to a minimum and buy the best quality and most beautiful tools I can afford. As far as organizing, I keep my yarn stash in two baskets on my sewing table. I also have one bookshelf where I store my fabric and hand knit projects. Next to that bookshelf I keep a couple of bolts of fabric standing upright on the floor. A local friend and shop owner offered to sell me 120 yards of tencel for $100! This offer was a no-brainer, so I immediately broke my own minimalism rules and rushed to her home to pick them up. She also gave me some garment-quality cotton, linen and wool as a gift. It was a total score!
How do you store or organize your works-in-progress?
I live in a tiny apartment in Oakland. I don’t have a dedicated studio for my work. My bed is two feet away from my workspace. I’ve placed two long Ikea desks side-by-side to make one long surface along the wall. That’s where I cut fabric, sew, knit, work on my laptop and drink hot coffee. Multi-tasking sometimes means that there is fabric on the dining table, yarn in baskets under my favorite armchair, and scrap paper on the bed. It’s not always pretty, but stuff gets done. I have to thank my partner who is the most organized person I know. He does the cleaning and sorting while I cuss at the dropped stitches on my needles and grade my patterns.
Are there any particularly prized possessions amongst your tools?
The tools I use the most are my Lykke interchangeable needles, Gingher shears, and Merchant and Mills snips. I love the Cocoknits stitch stoppers. I also use the black Magpie stitch markers that look like big safety pins as progress keepers. This year I also invested in a new knitting bag. It is the Twig and Horn crossbody project tote. I have the Fringe Supply Co. Field Bag in a matching toffee color and the Fringe leather tool pouch. Now everything is matchy-matchy and beautiful.
Having said that, I used to keep my projects in a Ziploc bag inside of a ratty Fjallraven backpack. Although I love a pretty bag, and sharp shears are essential for cutting fabric, I want to avoid repeating the negative messages I received from the fast fashion industry. More isn’t always better.
Do you lend your tools?
Not really. Not because I’m cheap, but because it has never come up. My maker friends all have beautiful tools of their own!
What is your favorite place to knit/sew/spin/dye/whatever?
I do most of my making at home. My home is tiny but cozy. It’s clean, quiet and smells nice. My new favorite candle is Teakwood by Wax and Wool. I’ve tried knitting in cafés and in the park, but really, my home is my haven.
What effect do the seasons have on you?
I knit year-round. Some knitters complain about working with wool in the summer, but I live in California. We get chilly coastal winds at night which is the perfect climate for knitting. I tend to sew mostly in the spring and summer. This year I want to try my hand at sewing a swimsuit. I have my eye on the Sophie Swimsuit by Closet Case Patterns.
Do you have a dark secret, guilty pleasure or odd quirk, where your fiber pursuits are concerned?
No dark secrets. Quirks? Loads of them! I love neutral colors and work with them almost exclusively. If there is a pop of color in my stash, it is probably for a gift. I also look for yarns and fabrics that don’t shed much. I am careful to avoid lint because my hair is styled in locs. As a result, I stay away from mohair and alpaca. I realize I’m missing out because the “halo” is beautiful, but I don’t want fibers to get stuck in my hair!
What are you working on right now?
At this very moment, I am editing how-to videos for a new knitting pattern called the #hatdana. The Hatdana is unique and versatile accessory that is both practical and beautiful. It works as a bandana to hold your hair away from your face, but it is slipped on like a hat. It can also be worn as a cowl with the bandana in the front like a kerchief. I’ve been sharing sneak peeks on Instagram every day this week in anticipation of the release. I am so grateful for the positive reception it has gotten so far.
I’ve just wrapped up testing for another pattern, and I have several other designs in the queue. My proverbial plate is full, and my heart is happy. Thank you for allowing me to share my ideas with you.
