Wardrobe Wednesday - Slow Fashion Edition

On Monday, Karen Templer threw down her slow fashion wardrobe challenge for the month: 20 pieces yielding 30 outfits for October. As you'll see here, she's done a fantastic job with her 20 x 30. I, on the other hand, am taking a slightly different approach. In October, I plan to highlight outfits that I've actually worn utilizing handmade in the rotation. Since I plan on finishing up a bunch of projects this month, I think I may plan a 20 x 30 for November. Right now, all that wardrobe planning is a little too daunting.

However, I am pretty pleased to show off an outfit that I have actually, really, honest-to-goodness worn, since we are getting some cooler weather now interspersed with sun and 70s (it is turning into a really lovely autumn here in the Pacific Northwest). The cotton/linen striped sweater is this one from Vogue Knitting, circa 1987, that I completed this summer for a 35th anniversary challenge a bunch of us are participating in on Ravelry. Easy-peasy design and a great completed piece.The black velvet pants I have had forever, and the hem on both legs has been mended. The scarf is my crocheted Colorblocked Scarf I originally designed in 2014, and the necklace was a gift in a swap package from France. I wore a pale pink cami underneath, and I was mighty pleased with the comfort and ease of this outfit. 

This cotton/linen tee has already gotten good rotation with these pants, as well as with jeans and sandals.  I will probably make another next year, in different colors obviously, and probably a different size. 

Handmade love.

It's Wardrobe Weather Time, Folks!

In the United States we celebrate Labor Day the first weekend in September. It is always a time of renewal and beginning for many, myself included. Growing up, if I was going to get any new clothing, Labor Day weekend would be the time, right before the start of the new school year. 

Old habits die hard, but in this instance why should they die at all? Who doesn't like a new outfit or a quick accessory to spruce up a perhaps slightly tired closet? Look no further as I enthusiastically raise my hand! So I hope you will join me in the final group make of my 5-year design celebratory year as I, along with other fellow maker peeps, get together in my Ravelry group and create some fall wardrobe magic.

I'll be making (I think, time permitting), another New Wave Skirt, a Bomber-inspired Hoodie Vest (I have been hankering for one of these for my very self for a long while now), and of course a new Mixlace Poncho in greens and creams. (An aside: I cannot believe there's already two Ravelry projects started for this design, and one maker is already done! Ahhhhmazing in the best possible way.)

I'll also be sharing how I am revamping my wardrobe one outfit at a time with some additional Wardrobe Wednesday posts between now and the end of October. I do love this time of year, and I hope you'll join me in getting your maker wardrobe on.

Wardrobe Wednesday!

Two front pieces, one completed sleeve,
and another in process on my
Definitely In Africa Cardi.

While the current Hot Fun In the Summertime along is nearing an end (Sunday the 31^st is the last day to post finished projects, everyone!), a look at the current state of my Definitely In Africa cardigan, as well as doing some electronic housecleaning the other day, made me think about how I came to my current place of wanting to make more of my own wardrobe, which dovetails with my year-long celebration of designing for the last five years.

In April of 2011 (!), I blogged about my aspirations as part of the second Knitting and Crochet Blog week. I actually put my hands to my face when I re-read the post - I cannot believe how spot-on I was in terms of my strengths. At the time, I shared a portion of a list of designs I wanted to make, as well as a book I created of 20 Vogue Knitting designs. I still have the book as well as the list, and although designing has taken center stage, I remain determined to work through many of those designs. It's intriguing, though, that several of the knit lace pieces in the self-created book no longer hold much appeal. I am a crochet lace lover first and foremost, along with most other things within the modern crochet technique arsenal. On the knit side, cables definitely, and good 'ole squishy garter stitch are my continued preoccupations.

I can't believe I still have this list!

I am also struck with the language I used in that post ("systematic, wardrobe-like approach") to describe which fiber techniques I wanted to explore further. I have stated and written previously on many occasions that sewing my wardrobe holds no appeal (along with my deep aversion to socks!). However, creating things both knit and crochet for myself has held a whole lot of appeal for a very long time. It was, however, not until 2011, with the exploration of favorite design elements, that led me to put it all in writing.   

For me, what's been most amazing is how much I enjoy the garment and accessory aspect of my design life. For those who have been following this blog and my fiber career know, I am an interior design junkie, always rearranging my own living space. I thoroughly enjoy designing accessories for my home (as well as creating other artwork for my space); arranging and re-arranging to see things in a fresh light is very satisfying to me. There is nothing more welcoming and comforting than a space with one's own DIY touches throughout, mine included. So to acknowledge that garment design holds an equal appeal is a wee shock. I'm going with it, though!

There is one other thing that I wanted to mention that also sent a shiver through me - the quote I had inserted in my Vogue Knitbook, which I subtitled "Denise's Artful Knitting Project":

                      "Now, let us all take a deep breath and forge on into the future;

                        knitting [and crochet] at the ready."

                                                                                                            The Opinionated Knitter

Five years later, and that breath shows no signs of dissipating.

Rain Forest Inspired

It's another quick Wardrobe Wednesday post this week. 

It's also no secret I love green and blue, and this week I've found a great way to incorporate my Olympic National Forest-inspired Gradient Flower Cowl into an easy outfit. I've paired it with a simple navy tee and a green suede skirt (just like the burgundy one I used in this outfit back in October). Oddly enough, the colors in the cowl really pop on this navy background. I actually had tried it with a much lighter top, and it just didn't look as natural. Paired with a well-loved pair of heels, and this outfit is ready for prime time. 

I love how the blue tee highlights
 the blue in the buttons.

Alright, now back to our regularly scheduled gift making - I'm almost done gift #2. 

A Study in Neutrals

Hello, everyone – I thought a quick installment of Wardrobe Wednesday was in order.

This fairly easy-to-put-together outfit stars my Frosted Espresso Cardigan, a tan cami underneath, paired with a mushroom-colored suede skirt and some black suede booties. I must tell you I’ve already worn this ensemble and received some nice compliments. The cardi is so incredibly warm it’s actually more like an overcoat. I am amazed at the warmth of mohair + sock yarn! I made the sleeves rather long, and if I put my thumb in a lacy space a few inches from the end the sleeves almost act like fingerless mitts, which is great in colder outdoor weather. Inside, I just turn them up.

I must admit, I really love this outfit.

My Frosted Espresso Cardigan.

Wardrobe Wednesday: I Love a Versatile Cardigan

A lovely motif next to
good karma.

Happy Wednesday – and time (albeit late in the day) for another wardrobe installment. It’s been raining most of the day, so I couldn’t take the photos I needed until the end  of daylight. Oh well.

My focus centers around two designs from Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace – my Nichols Cardigan and WASPs Cowl..

I cannot tell you how much I love this cardi. I took a little extra time when making it to ensure I achieved a fit that was right for me (which included rethinking the neckline a bit), and it was so worth it. I’ve worn this with a short black skirt during the end of summer, but since we have a very temperate climate here in the PNW, I

should be able to wear this wool + cotton blend sweater through three seasons. 

So, with that in mind, after rejecting an all-brown foundation (fairly boring, actually), I pulled out some rather utilitarian gray slacks, opted for a well-worn teal cami, and added a simple necklace in the same color, my blue version of the WASPs cowl, added my favorite pair of Mary Janes, et viola! I am extremely pleased with how the teal looks underneath the cream cardi, and the white piping on the shoes echoes the sweater. I can see how some might view this palette as also a little boring, but the blue has a lot more life in real life.

And about those shoes: I have had them for several years, and I’ve worn them in the past a fair bit. They’ve been to the cobbler for work on the heels and the last time, I had the cobbler add those great ying/yang shank buttons I found (the straps are functional, so they are attached with elastic, but I usually don’t ever unbutton them). I call them my karma Mary Janes, and I absolutely love them with this outfit.

Good karma. Oh yeah!

Wardrobe Wednesday: Suede + Fur

Yes, that's a fur collar on that coat.

Happy Wednesday, everyone! In this edition of Wardrobe Wednesday, I’m focusing on the lightweight, yet warm, fur-trimmed Brix Coat I designed for my Romantique collection in autumn 2013 (you can go here to read my previous blog posts on the entire collection).

Late afternoon sun was making hay with the colors on my cowl. If
you see some similarities between the colors in the coat and cowl,
you'd be correct, since some of the yarn used in the cowl were
small bits left from what I used for the main body of the coat.

In case you weren’t aware, there were a lot of coats on the F/W 2015 runway – hey, it was cold last winter. While I’m not necessarily a coat gal (I’ve got two go-to coats, plus a third for really cold weather climes), I have had and continue to have a serious crush on fur embellishments. Fur can be difficult to design with, since a lot of the faux fur yarn out there is … well … less than optimal, shall we say. I haven’t worked with all of them, but one that I really like is Lion Brand Yarn’s Romantic (and my 2013 fall collection name is pure coincidence but it works, oui?).  The fur is silky, very soft, has great drape, and I think just a little bit sexy. For trim and other small elements, I recommend it highly. I’ve incorporated it into several designs, so I’m super thrilled to be able to build an outfit around this coat.

A more complete photo of
the suede skirt.

I’ve taken a long suede skirt I’ve had for several years, topped it with a simple long sleeved tee-shirt, added black suede booties and, with the coat, it’s a vision in purples and burgundies. I’ve also included one of my recently completed Gradient Flower Cowls that I’ll wear when I’m inside and not wearing the coat. I also show a simple necklace (the Sanyu Single Long Necklace that I purchased from a former design student) that not only looks great with the outfit, but is environmentally and socially conscious.

I’m pretty pleased with how this outfit came together, and I’m actually rather looking forward to wearing it, like, very soon.

New Occasional Series: Wardrobe Wednesday

My first new fall outfit using some of my own
designs + repurposed items already in my closet.

I have been preparing behind the scenes for a bit in an effort to start an occasional Wednesday series to highlight how I'm incorporating my own designs into my wardrobe. The fact that it coincides with #slowfashionoctober is a happy accident!

The desire for this series started with a look not only at my stash (which, as I've written many times in the past, I've been aiming at cutting down significantly and/or using up yarns I've had for a while to make way for further fiber exploration), but also what I had in my closet and how I might freshen up both it as well as my personal look. I've been in a serious clothes funk for a while, so this effort comes not a moment too soon. However, getting all of these moving parts to work together and fulfill my final objectives really has been a creative challenge. Nevertheless, I'm pretty darn pleased with my first new outfit, which is pictured at left.

The piece that I wound up building up from and around was my La Coeur Cowl published in the February edition of ILikeCrochet.com (and you'll be seeing more about this cowl in the next few months) (top right in the first photo). I had a few skeins left over from the sample cowl I worked up for the e-magazine and, combining it with some yarn I still had in stash from this pullover, I swatched, crunched the gauge numbers, and then whipped up a bulky weight version of my New Wave skirt. 

Let me tell you, this is a fairly quick skirt to make in the original sport weight yarn I chose, but in this heavier weight, it was even quicker! I love how these colors play with each other, and I am absolutely thrilled with how this skirt fits. You can't get any better than that, folks!

I've paired it with chunky leather booties and black tights (which means I can skip any additional slip or underlayer - the tights do all the heavy lifting), the perfect purple tank (can you see a color theme here?) and an oversized blouse that I've had for while and just didn't have anything that looked right to pair it with. I will most likely make a few quick jewelry pieces, and then I'll be all set.

I feel like I'm getting a new school year wardrobe. So much fun!