Category Archives: Finds

New Favorites: Amirisu 19 (all of it!)

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New Favorites: Amirisu 19 (all of it!)

The Fall/Winter 2019 issue of Amirisu landed on my desk last week and I had a bit of a swoon. It is stunningly beautiful from front to back, and there’s not a single thing in there I wouldn’t want to have. (Including the house where it was shot!) I’m not sure the last time I said that about a magazine or book, but while I’m thumbs-up on the entire dozen patterns that comprise the issue, of course there are those that stand out as my very favorites of the bunch:

TOP: Streaks by Keiko Kikuno would make me want to learn how to knit if I didn’t already know how

LOWER LEFT: Fleur by Megumi Sawada is a pretty little lace-and-bobbles hat (which apparently is a thing that appeals to me! who knew)

LOWER RIGHT: Lierne Cowl by Bristol Ivy is a fascinating little loop of pleated coziness

BELOW, UPPER: Escala by Alice Caetano features a mesmerizing fade in texture from smocking to diamonds — I’m obsessed with this

BELOW, LOWER: Wetherell by Kiyomi Burgin is a super charming yoke sweater with additional colorwork accents at the cuffs

New Favorites: Amirisu 19 (all of it!)

PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Holiday hat knitting cheat sheet

Elsewhere: Big-screen sweaters, Japanese denim and knitted pie

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Elsewhere — links for knitters, sewers, slow fashion advocates

Happy Friday! I know it’s been awhile since my last links list, but this one’s got something for just about everyone—

— How to knit a pie crust

— “‘The Lighthouse’ Is a Film About Men Arguing In Moldy, Beautiful Sweaters” (thx, Deepa!) (lower photo)

— Tender Buttons, RIP

— A must watch: This gorgeous 6-minute documentary on denim in Japan (upper photo)

— Vogue Knitting has announced Launch Pad: A Small Business Development Program with an emphasis on providing resources for entrepreneurs from marginalized groups to help increase diversity in our industry

— The “Invisible Jumpers” photo project is now a book! (thx, Alyssa)

— “There are no regulations” (via Clara)

— Great interview with Quince’s Leila Raven about her career path and design process

— What if all fashion schools took field trips to landfills?

— and this mini-Stonecrop cardigan is too darling

IN SHOP NEWS: We’ve got the new MDK Field Guide, No. 13: Master Class with patterns by Kaffe Fassett, as well as a limited-edition set of drawstring bags we’re calling Stash Bags sewn from collected miscuts, in a variety of sizes and colors. They’re sturdy canvas, endlessly useful and priced to sell! (At least one size is actually already sold out …)

Have a happy weekend, everyone—

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

Holiday hat knitting cheat sheet: 10 skill-stretching patterns

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Holiday hat knitting cheat sheet: 10 skill-stretching patterns

Hats are the best. A great way to learn to knit (or crochet!), pick up new skills, add variety to your queue, get that “I made it!” feeling fast. And of course, they don’t require a lot of yarn and they’re the perfect handmade gifts: The receiver is wowed with something you made yourself — without your spending a month or more making it! For this round of the holiday hat knitting cheat sheet, as I did with our Fringe Hatalong Series a few years ago (6 free patterns), I’ve organized it by the skills involved, from what I think of as the simplest to most challenging. You may dispute the order, and of course there’s no requirement that you knit them all or in this sequence, but if you’re looking for some fun patterns for charity or holiday gift knitting, and the chance to maybe pick up some new skills in the process, check out these gems that have caught my eye this year—

1: Crochet!
The Dawn Hat by Brandi Harper

2: A little bit of slip-stitch (plus folded brim)
Understory by Alyssa Coffey

3: Slip-stitch faux cables
September Hat by Caroline Dick (free pattern, and there’s more where that came from)

4: Mosaic x 3 (aka 2-color slip-stitch)
Incise by Hunter Hammersen

5: A spot of cabling
Northern Peak by Jill Zielinski

6: 2-color stranded knitting
Eye Catcher Hat by Jennifer Berg

7: Brioche rib
Hester’s Hat by Lori Versaci

8: Brioche basketry
Baskets of Brioche Hat by Lavanya Patricella

9: Lace
Penny Hat by Tin Can Knits

10: Lace + bobbles!
York by Courtney Kelley (see also)

And for lots more gift knitting ideas and pattern roundups, give this page a scroll!

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PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Serious sock temptations

New Favorites: Serious sock temptations

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New Favorites: Serious sock temptations

Right on the heels (har!) of that conversation about how socks are the perfect travel project but I’m not a sock knitter, I’m feeling tempted by socks. No doubt fueled by your comments as well as the extremely cute pair of Harper socks that my friend Jen just finished. Sock temptation happens to me once in awhile but somehow the socks never do. Will any of these make it from my favorites list to my needles?

TOP: Open Heart by Ainur Berkimbayeva are some darling slipper socks

MIDDLE LEFT: Block Party Socks by Dawn Henderson are simple-cute footies

MIDDLE RIGHT: Thaba also by Dawn Henderson are the full sock-knitting commitment, but oh so cute!

BOTTOM: Willard Socks by Alicia Plummer are basically the dense house socks of my dreams

p.s. I’m still working on my India tale for you! I’m a bit swamped, having been gone and then come back right at my very busiest work moment of the year, and I also underestimated the challenge of boiling it down into words! But soon, soon.

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PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Bulky beauties

New Favorites: Bulky beauties

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New Favorites: Bulky beauties

Like any human heart, mine often wants what it can’t have. Or shouldn’t have, anyway. In this case: any more bulky sweaters! Ohhhh the joy of a quickly knit sweater, the profound coziness of pulling one on when the weather is right. It’s soooo goooood. I know I’m supposed to be focusing on lighter, less warm sweaters to bring my closet in line with my climate, but I’m gazing longingly at these —

TOP: ふっくらケーブル模様のセーター by Yokota/Daruma features a simple cable at dramatic scale (Japanese only)

BOTTOM LEFT: Ramsay by Whitney Hayward is fisherman-level cables in light-as-air yarn

BOTTOM RIGHT: Cleburne Cardigan also by Whitney Hayward is a simple cardigan made special with striking colorwork

I mean, it’s not like they’re superbulky …

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PREVIOUSLY in New Favorites: Textured yokes

Elsewhere

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Happy Friday, friends. I’ve got a nice varied stack of Elsewhere links for you below, but one tangential one first — from Grace Bonney as she closed Design Sponge after 15 years, a bit of advice I can simultaneously nod along with and continue to learn from, and I hope others will too: How to handle (and learn from) being called out. Please read and pass it along!

• Well said, Denise, and obviously about knitting as well: “Sewing has taught me that I’m in charge of the image I present to the world.”

• Does anyone have a spare copy of this to sell me?

• I love this crochet swimsuit

• The fashion industry’s diversity problem

• Three new-to-me, WOC-owned, slow-fashion brands I’m loving: Emme (totally brilliant upcycling and more), Chelsea Bravo (hand-painted casual wear) and Proclaim (“inclusive nude” bras and bodysuits)

• Maybe this is the one to get me going: Quilted hexagon potholders (perhaps at coaster size?)

• This sleeve swatch [heart eyes!] — and it takes me back to this ol’ gem

• “Systematic overproduction just isn’t sustainable, no matter how you spin it.”

• This doll outfit in my size, please (Which takes me back to these beauties!)

• Next-level yoke (click the little right arrow on the first image)

• Stunning shibori

• And wowwwwww

IN SHOP NEWS: We’ve got the brand-new MDK Field Guide No. 12: Big Joy! And so much more …

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PREVIOUSLY: Elsewhere

New Favorites: Textured yokes

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New Favorites: Textured yokes

I’m still hosting an internal debate about my fall sweater. Now, in addition to the allover texture options, I’m weighing textured yoke possibilities. These are just a few of the contenders, along with previously mentioned Anker’s Sweater and Eldingar—

TOP: Tarn by Claire Walls

MIDDLE LEFT: Astragal by Ainur Berkimbayeva

MIDDLE RIGHT: Ocean by Christina Danaee

BOTTOM: Mio by Paula Pereira

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