Fashionknitsta Thursday: 1/14/10

Happy Thursday, everyone! I hope your week is going wonderfully. I'm very excited to share with all of you some wonderful things I found this week.

The first find I have is the work of a really wonderful Dutch designer, Christien Meindertsma. I have seen her work from time to time, but until recently had never really looked deeper into her design philosophy. The thing I found most interesting was the ongoing Flocks project. Taking a "slow design" approach, the focus of her work is the connection between the farmer and the final consumer. In projects like the One Sheep Cardigans and she worked with one farmer to create pieces from a single sheep. The finished garments include biographies of the animal, their eartags, and any prizes the animal has won.

She has also made these beautiful mittens from the fur of one rabbit.

My favorite of the projects is the Aran Rug, knit from the wool of 18 merino sheep, it is an interesting exploration of scale. A traditional Aran motif is magnified and repurposed into a cozy rug.




Absolutely beautiful work. More information about the designer is available at her website and more info about the Flocks project specifically is available here.

The thing that first brought Christien back into mind was my friend Amanda sent me a link to her Urchin Pouf's. These beautiful home accessories are available for $1,600 for the larger size at Design within Reach, but I knew I had seen a free pattern for them somewhere.

A quick Google search brought me to Pickle's blog, run byAnna and Heidi Pickles, for this wonderful version (also available on Ravelry):


I would love to have a couple of these for my living room. You hold a super bulky weight yarn triple stranded and then stuff them with an old duvet. I cannot stop day dreaming about doing these in Shibui Highland Wool Alpaca in Seaweed, ooohhh, and Mulberry.

I couldn't help but keep browsing the Pickles blog for a bit, and I came across this really cute vest:


The pattern for the XS-M size Wild Vest is available for purchase from their website, or the large size is available for free. It looks like its done with about a DK weight yarn held double. I'd love to see it in Rowan Wool Cotton or Felted Tweed. Ooohh, or the texture might be absolutely lovely in Shibui Merino Kid.

Anna and Heidi's blog is definitely worth checking out, its full of fun (and lots of free!) patterns and great ideas. Their Ravelry is also a good place to hunt. I'm finding I could do an entire months worth of blogs just with their stuff. I mean, just look at this beautiful crocheted lampshade (also a free pattern!):


And this gorgeous and simple wedding bolero!

I really suggest taking a peak at their stuff, it's really, really lovely.

Finally, just for funsies, I have found a really cute Etsy store with adorable patterns for the critter or science lover in your life. The Crafty Hedgehog is a really fun little shop with a range of things from patterns for these little guys...:

...to ready made hand knit lab rat disections:

(they also come in a frog version)

Shipping calls, so I must leave you with that for today. Have a great weekend, here's to hoping it won't be too dreary. As always, check back next week for another edition of Fashionknitsta. Until then, stay chic, blogfans!

-Lindsay

Fashionknitsta Thursday: 9/24/09

It's Thursday, which means this is the first post in what will be a weekly column focusing on discovering some great fashion-forward knit designs and finding realistic ways to make them yourself. I'm not exactly sure yet what shape this blog will ultimately take, but I can promise it will be fun.

So to begin, the leaves are changing and the temperatures are cooling, which means fall is upon us and, I don't know about you, but this season I'm seriously obsessed with knee socks.

All summer I have been noticing them on some of my favorite style blogs and, with the Portland climate, these socks are so practical. Under boots, with flats, all the time. I think dresses are coming back in a big big way and this trend works out so perfectly with my new favorite accessory. Ever since the first time I laid eyes on Cookie A's Milicent Sock pattern I have been in love with it and I think now is the perfect time to take it on.

I'm definitely going to do them in Shibui Sock, (although wouldn't they be amazing in Isager Alpaca 2?) but now the problem is color. Mulberry? Midnight? Keep it classic with Ivory? Oh, how to choose?! I suppose it's good that Cookie A's Rhiannon Pattern is also pretty irresistible.

Another piece I'm loving for fall is the peplum sweater. I've seen some really cute ones out there like this one from Marc by Marc Jacobs:

And now for the DIY version. I love this pattern Beatrix from Kim Hargreaves book Thrown Together, done in Rowan Felted Tweed (a yarn I just so happen to have been itching to work with):

We just got this book back in stock, though unfortunately I don't think it's made it to the website yet.

Another version I love is The Ballerina Wrap Jacket by Mari Lynn Patrick in the Fall 09 issue of Vogue Knitting. It's a little trendier, a little less equestrian, but I really love the length. This one is done with Koigu Merino Kersti, but I would absolutely love to see it in ShibuiKnits Baby Alpaca DK.

I could spend all day doing this, but there are orders to attend to, so one last piece. I saw this necklace by Muntedkowhai on a blog, and I think it is such a great idea and it would be so easy to make your own. It is very reminiscent of the jewelry in Knot (which we are currently out of, but I wish would finally arrive from Japan). I think, well, any Habu yarn really would be wonderful for these but I'm itching to try it in the Cotton Gima or the Konyaku Root Sizing Silk:

and detail shot:

I found this pattern for a bookmark by Crochetroo (free on Ravelry), which I think would be amazing adapted into a necklace:

... there are more on her blog here.

I wish everyone a good weekend, and check in next Thursday for more fashion inspiration. Until then, stay chic blogfans!

-Lindsay