Tag Archives: knit the look

Knit the Look: An emerald scarf-shawl

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How to make a knitted version of this silk scarf-shawl

I remember once seeing a knitter tweeting about finishing a triangular shawl and wondering whether only knitters wear shawls. I think the answer is pretty much yes. But there’s so much potential there! I am completely in love with this girl with her giant silk paisley scarf folded into a triangle and worn as a shawl with faded jeans. I love the emerald — color of the year or not — and it sent me in search of something I never imagined wanting: a colorwork shawl, in the realm of a scarf print. Or better yet, a square lap blanket that can be worn folded like this, such as Kate Davies’ Tír Chonaill — ideally converted to fingering weight, and knitted with something like Valley Yarns BFL Hand Dyed in Hemlock for the varying yellow-greens, paired with a natural. To give it that classic scarf edge, knit a thin border in the natural, followed by a wide one in a matching solid green. (And hey, for the socks, have you seen the new Petit Fours pattern at Quince and Co? A near-perfect match.)

See Vanessa’s recommendations for the rest of the outfit.

Unrelated: This week’s ICYMI post is Blog Crush: Karen Barbé, who never ceases to wow me.

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission

Knit the Look: Here kitty kitty

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how to knit a kitty hat

Who says you have to stop wearing hats as the weather warms up? Whoever this girl is,* she is likely the only person on earth who can pull off this look — a playful, white, furry, kitty-shaped hat worn with a striking black-and-white skirt-and-top combo (and silver pumps, no less). It’s somewhat subtle, for a cat hat. I mean, the ears are understated. There aren’t any eyes or whiskers. (Although it looks like there might be a tail.) Still, let’s look at a slightly more subtle alternative, for those of us with chutzpah but maybe not quite so much as this girl. Here’s what you do: You knit The Purl Bee’s funny little Cozy Ear Flap Hat, minus the pompom — but instead of working the decreases for the crown, just knit a straight tube. Once it reaches the intended height (or the depth of your head), lay it flat and Kitchener across the top, so instead of being rounded off, it’s square on top. When you pull the hat on, the two corners will stick out a little like these ears. You could knit it in the Purl Soho Super Soft Merino the pattern was designed for, or go full kitsch and make it out of a fake-fur yarn like Lupo. If you want to add a tail, you’re on your own.

See Vanessa’s original post for more shots of the outfit.

*Update: She’s been identified as Olga Sorokina

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission

Knit the Look: Elin Kling’s little black turtleneck

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how to knit Elin Kling's little black turtleneck

Apart from being an irredeemable minimalist, I’m a great lover of sweaters paired with lighter-weight clothes and some bare skin. It’s one of my favorite things about living in the Bay Area: We get to do that all year. Elsewhere, of course, this is what’s known as transitional dressing. All of which means I’m obviously gonna love Elin Kling’s minimalist, trans-season ensemble of a little black turtleneck sweater with Audrey-style trousers and flats. Of course, a little black turtleneck (LBT, anyone?), being a timeless wardrobe staple, isn’t generally expensive or hard to come by in stores, but by knitting your own you can customize the fit and use whatever fiber you like. I’d suggest a pattern that has a tiny bit more interest (both in the knitting and the wearing) such as Julie Hoover’s Hudson, which you could knit in anything from the hardworking Brooklyn Tweed Shelter in Cast Iron to the luxe Jade Sapphire Mongolian Cashmere in La Nuit.

See Vanessa’s recommendations for the rest of the outfit.

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission

Knit the Look: Mary Kate Steinmiller’s lace-front jumper

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how to knit Mary Kate Steinmiller's lace-front jumper

You may remember Mary Kate Steinmiller from my aran sweater reveries, as the adorable genius in the Crewcuts’ sweater. Here she is again, in the same great shoes and another quirky pullover-with-skirt ensemble. This time, she’s sporting a white lace-front sweatshirt that, I have to confess, is a little ’80s-flashback-inducing for me. But it’s a great transitional item, and it brings to mind a sweater that’s been near the top of my to-knit list for awhile, Joji Locatelli’s Dragonflies Jumper pattern. To emulate Mary Kate’s sweater, knit it in Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk in White or Ecru. Or go with Debbie Bliss Cotton DK in White or Off-White, if you want it to be a spring/summer piece.

See Vanessa’s recommendations for the rest of the look.

(And see also Louhie’s recently finished Dragonflies — I love what she did with the back.)

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission

Knit the Look: Elisa Nalin’s pink-striped pullover

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how to knit Elisa Nalin's pink striped sweater

I swear I didn’t plan this, and don’t want to seem like I’m waging a campaign. This photo of Elisa Nalin in her striped pullover hit Vanessa Jackman’s blog a few days ago, and I’m going to point you to Jane Richmond’s super-reliable Ladies Classic Raglan Pullover pattern, from which you can easily knit yourself this sweater (just shorten up the body and sleeves a bit). But the fact is, here’s a perfect case of see a sweater, want the sweater, knit the sweater for yourself out of thin air, because you know how to improvise a raglan pullover from the top down. Right? I love this candy-pink and camel combo. To get the same look, I’d suggest knitting with The Fibre Company’s Canopy yarn in the colors Dragonfruit and Wild Ginger. It’s fingering weight, so hold it double to match Jane Richmond’s gauge.

As far as mapping out the color changes, measure from the knob at the back of your neck to where you want the bottom of the sweater to hit you, and subtract the height of the waist ribbing. For stripes placed like Elisa’s, divide what’s left by 6. (This sweater has six stripes, plus waist ribbing in the original color). So let’s say you want your sweater to be 20 inches long, top to bottom, minus 2 inches of ribbing, that’s 18 inches. 18 inches divided by 6 stripes is 3 inches per stripe. So after you’ve knitted the first 3 inches of your yoke (measured down the back), switch colors, then alternate every 3 inches after that. Switch back to the original color for the ribbing at both the waist and neck.

Check out Vanessa’s original post for the rest of the outfit.

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission

Knit the Look: Ilva Heitmann’s waffled toque

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how to knit Ilva Heitmann's rust-colored waffle beanie

Ilva Heitmann looks like she was born to wear this rust-colored waffle-stitch beanie, doesn’t she? Knitting your own requires only that you know how to knit and purl, knit in the round, and work the most basic decreases. In fact, this would be a great project for someone looking to advance their beginner knitting skills. All you need is the Breakfast Waffles Hat pattern (free download) from Rosencrantz Knits, and two skeins of Quince and Co’s Lark yarn in Nasturtium. To make it even more like Ilva’s, stop the ribbing a few rows sooner than the pattern specifies. Then switch to larger needles (US7s or even 8s) and add a few extra repeats of the waffle pattern before decreasing. That’ll give it a little more slouch. (Bonus: You might even have enough yarn left over to knit a pair of Hannah Fettig’s 70-yard mitts, which one can never have enough of.)

See Vanessa’s original post for recommendations on the coat to go with.

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission

Knit the Look: Elena Perminova’s dolman pullover

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how to knit Elena Perminova's boxy, dolman-sleeved sweater

This outfit of Elena Perminova’s is delightfully idiosyncratic, but the sweater itself is easy enough to come by. Boxy, dolman-sleeved sweaters like this have been trending for the past couple of years, so you have some options if you want to knit your own. I’d go with Ririko’s Relax pattern. For the closest approximation of Elena’s sweater, you’d want to knit it out of a yarn that’s classic and slightly crunchy, like Brooklyn Tweed Loft in Sweatshirt, and elongate both the body and sleeves. (Perhaps omitting the edge treatments in both places as well.) Another option is Joji Locatelli’s Boxy pattern.

To complete the look, see Vanessa’s recommendations here and here for stand-out trousers.

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Street style photo © Vanessa Jackman; used with permission