A Handknit Aesthetic

I have a tendency to choose darker colors for my Winter appropriate clothing (as most people do).

But it's always nice to have a few pastel knits in the collection.  And since I love just about any shade of purple, lavendar was an obvious choice for my next knitting project.

I was really not aware of it at the time, but I have been on a bit of a Victorian inspired clothing journey, along with a penchant for a good neck/shoulder ruffle.

This particular design is knit with circular needles.  I definitely prefer to piece my knits, mostly because it can start to get a bit cumbersome when the sweater really starts to come together.

But this one isn't too bulky since it sits just below the waist, and my chosen yarn was quite lightweight.

As with many of my hand knits, this project was put aside (although not for very long).  I just wasn't sure how to attack the ruffle portion.

But as with most contemporary knit patterns, it makes so much more sense to me once I have needles and yarn in hand.  I can picture how to put most sewing patterns together in my head, but a page full of knitting abbreviations doesn't do the same for me.

I am, once again, extremely behind in my blog posting.  And if this week's weather is anything to go, it's time to store the long sleeved wool knits away.

But I am trying to post things as I finish them and photograph them, so here we are.

As for this knit project, I will say that it was quite successful.  

I even managed to wear it a few times this Winter, which doesn't always happen with my knit projects.  Maybe I need to get over my disinclination to work with top-down sweaters that are worked in one piece!  

Sweater:  Made by me, Fabel Knitwear
Skirt:  Made by me, Vogue 2902
Shoes:  American Duchess "Ginger"

Ruffled Knits

My knitting has been fairly sporadic as of late.

But I did manage to finish this sweater for the Winter season!

The pattern is the Gibson Ruffle Blouse from Fabel Knits and it caught my eye as I have been drawn to more Victorian inspired designs as of late.  

The pattern suggests using a mohair silk blend for the ruffle.  I have a bunch of Rowan Kidsilk Haze stashed away, but it wasn't a color match for the wool I had chosen.  So I decided to hold two strands together for the entire sweater.  This creates a halo effect, which I think ended up looking great.

The knitting was fairly straight forward.

The ruffle didn't end up looking quite as ruffled as the designer's version.  I think I followed the instruction correctly, so not sure what happened there . . .

But maybe I prefer it that way?

I'm definitely pleased with how this particular knit turned out.  And that's the most important part!

Autumnal Textures

I finished this pumpkin colored sweater in 2024, but only just got around to wearing it.  And part of the reason is that I wanted a classic brown skirt to pair with it.

So now that I have added a brown skirt to my wardrobe, there shall be lots of sweaters to pair with it.

As for the sweater, I am very pleased to have a pumpkin colored cabled option in my collection.

I am also feeling the need to jump into another cabled knitting project.  I just love a textured hand knit!

But seeing as it is already February, I should probably not start another knitting project.

I could, however, think about perusing my older knitting books and magazines to see if anything inspires me.  There are plenty of skeins of yarn in my sewing room that could use some attention.

Then again, looking through all those patterns could encourage me to buy new yarn, and that's the last thing that I need.

As for the color choice, I am thrilled to have a pumpkin sweater of my own, but I am not entirely sold on the Autumn color story for me, personally.

The brown and the tweed are another story - more of those, please.

I am also reminded that I could use more navy or deep blue colors as wardrobe basics . . . and there are always more colors to play with in that stash of fabric mocking me from upstairs.

Sweater:  Made by me, Raglan Cable Knit
Skirt:  Made by me, McCalls 8542
Earrings:  Vintage
Boots:  Calvin Klein "Dawna"

Covered in Cables

I do not have a lot of orange in my wardrobe, but an orange sweater immediately takes me back to high school and reminds me of a friend that was very fond of her pumpkin colored sweater.  I decided that I needed my own hand knit version.

The pattern is a vintage one from the 1970s that I found online.  I love a turtleneck, and the textured cables seemed like an excellent choice to pair with this lovely tweed yarn, aptly named "Pumpkin Pie."

Going through old photos of this project, I am realizing that it is the final knitting project for which I had a bit of help from my wonderful Valentino.  He was not much of a lap dog in his younger years, but he did love to sit with me for the last few years of his life.  So now I have even more of a reason to treasure this sweater.

Most of the sweater patterns that I have come across with turtlenecks come with raglan sleeves.  I wonder why that is?

This project came together easily.  My brain deals well with a knit pattern that keeps everything nice and lined up in a vertical column.

The yarn is from Knit Picks, and it did not give me any grief.

I have also come to realize that I prefer to knit sweaters in pieces rather than in the round.

I wouldn't say that seaming those pieces together is my favorite part of the process (which may be odd considering my affinity for hand sewing) but I certainly don't mind it.

Maybe working in separate pieces reminds me of sewing a garment together which is why it makes more sense to me than making something from top to bottom in the round.  Short rows, for instance, are something that drive me mad, and considering how often they are used to make sweaters in the round, that may be part of the problem.

But however it may have been constructed, it's safe to say that I have added another cozy hand knit turtleneck to the collection.

And I really love the look of the oversized cables.

If I didn't have at least four other in-progress knitting projects, I might even cast on another before Spring weather puts me off knitting with wool.  But I should probably get back to the unfinished items that are already started.  Only time will tell if the temptation of a new project is too much for me to concentrate on one of the other knits projects that could use some attention.

Cold Weather Knits in Pastels

The weather around these parts can't seem to make up its mind if Spring has sprung, or if the wet and cold weather isn't quite finished with us.

We had a few really lovely days a couple of weeks ago which felt like a tease now that the rain and wind has returned.  

I suppose that gives me some more opportunities to wear my wooly sweaters, but I am really ready for the warmer weather at this point. 

Then again, I am currently working on a wool coat, so make that make sense!  That may come to an end soon, however, as I don't have a suitable lining on hand, and I am starting to crave more Spring and Summer appropriate projects.

As for this skirt, I am very happy to have it in the wardrobe.  It's easy to wear, and who couldn't use another classic black wool skirt?!

I did underline this piece, and I was slightly concerned that the wool seam allowances might be itchy, however, I haven't noticed them, so I am going to call that a win.

I am still not completely sold on the high waistband (which you can't see here).  I think I just prefer to have my skirts hit at the waist, so that is not the fault of the design.

As for the sweater, it may not be all that exciting, but it is a great, easy to wear staple that got me through the Winter months.

I do need to remember to add more pastels to the cold weather appropriate side of the closet, because it really is nice to have a brighter option to pair with all of the dark moody pieces that lend themselves to Winter weather.

Or maybe it's just my love of anything in the turquoise color family that makes me such a fan of this simple sweater.

Sweater:  Made by me, "Cherie" by Kim Hargreaves
Skirt:  Made by me, Vogue 1961
Earrings:  Vintage
Shoes:  Nine West