InStyle Magazine to Ravlery MatchMaker Vol. 1

I was browsing the September issue of Instyle Magazine, and for the first time contemplated trying to create something I saw on the pages. I thought it might be a fun challenge to try to find patterns in Ravelry’s mammoth database that could mimic Instyle’s editorials and ads.  For some reason I thought, “It has to exist already.”  I love some of the inspiration, and I am tempted by some of the designs and possibilities, but the challenge was mostly about trying to find it, out there, in Ravelry.

Some of the items I think I nailed. Some I didn’t even know how to search for. Sometimes the story really is about the yarn, but a more experienced knitter would be required to tell that story, and make those matches.

There are many pictures of sweaters in any fall fashion magazine, so I’ll release these in a few posts. This one is the ads I found in my iPad version of Instyle’s September issue. The next volume will include their “Sweater Girls” article and spread.

This was the first sweater I saw in the magazine that I wanted to actually own. I really love the colours, and the print.  (The black, red, and tan Navajo print sweater that is, and not the man’s sweater with the Chaps logo).

I couldn’t find an exact match but I found a couple with similar elements. I actually like all three of these, and could see myself knitting all of them:

Nested

Navajo Cardigan

Snood Bicolore Navajo

The next find was also something that caught my eye – probably because I actually shop there.

The Shapely Boyfriend sweater is made of a thicker yarn, but the style is a perfect match.

Shapely Boyfriend by Stefanie Japel

Tommy Hilfiger had several pages of ads to browse. Lots of knits in those spreads, but these caps and the dress below looked appealing to me. You basically could knit anything in navy blue and be stylish.  The Brimmed Cap by Lionbrand is crocheted, and matches the braided strands of the Tommy Hilfiger cap more closely. The others are newsboy caps that would need some shaping adjustments, but doable I think.  The houndstooth newsboy is more hip than Tommy’s (imo) but the colour work could be omitted.

© Lion Brand Yarn, © KnotAHooker, © shegeman, © NirAntae Brimmed Cap #80777 by Lion Brand Yarn

Newsboy Cap by Mai Wyn Schantz

Hound’s-Tooth Cap by Lipp Holmfeld

Tommy Hilfiger navy cabled dress:

I may be missing the finer points of what makes this version of a cabled dress more fashionable than the ones posted below, but I think you could knit them in navy for the same look.

Cable Dress by Patons

Cabled Tunic by Simona Merchant-Dest

I love the Allegheny! (below)

Allegheny by Thea Colman

A cabled dress seems pretty classic. This one is from the 60’s:

The Tralee Aran Dress by Sears Roebuck and Co.

This Nic+Zoe ad is obviously a machine knit, but I was determined to try anyway. I’m going to guess and say this might be a linen blend.

I actually found a match! Although, not every sweater is modelled by a model, especially one that looks like Kate Moss (or, is that Kate Moss? I’m a bit out of touch).  If you imagine this linen sweater below on some one squeezing their shoulders forward I think you will agree that it’s a darn close match!

Sally’s Favorite Summer Sweater by Sally Melville

The sweater below is worn by someone who is modelling jeans, but it still counts. The shape and texture are modern, and the boxed and cropped shape is something I’ve seen in so many places. Some of the patterns I list below are clearly not exact matches, but I think in the same vein. I was hoping to find something to match the construction, but what came closest in construction missed the modern mark, but I included it at the end.

Jeanne D’Arc by Maria Olsson

Boxed Pullover by Norah Gaughan

Boxy by Joji Locatelli

This sweater has similar construction, and perhaps yarn, without the ruffles:

Gypsy Dolman by Laura Gebhardt

The Jessica Simpson sweater has elements I found in separate patterns, but not all together. This oversize, garter stitch sweater has dropped sleeves that could be dolman shaped, and what I think is cable detail on the front. The real draw is the yarn and colour mix. I wasn’t able to come close to a match which I found odd considering the vast selection of gartered, raglan, and cabled sweaters.  The sweaters listed below would need to be morphed.

The garter stitch and sizing of the oversized sweater below:

Mammas hjemmestrikkede genser! “Skappelgenseren” by Dorthe Skappel, photo © raptwithfiber

With the sleeve construction of this boatneck raglan pullover:

Boatneck Raglan Pullover by Joann Rogers

I really searched for this beautiful sweater. It’s another example of beautiful yarn, paired with beautiful stitching. The colour pallette looks like a bulky weight Noro to me.  It’s less a sweater, and more a wrap jacket, or long coat. My constant searching and perusing wrap jackets has left me coveting this sweater a little. The construction is minimal: no collar, no pockets, and no hood. It’s edged in ribbing, and the stitch looks like it could be eyelet, or possibly cabled, but due to the pile of the yarn it fades the lines. I love the colours too. It also reminds me of a Tiny Owl Knits design. I could see this in Stephanie Dosen’s design sphere.

I thought perhaps the stitch pattern was close to this coat:

06 Long Jacket with Eyelet Pattern by Rebecca Design Team

But in a size close to this, without the hood.

2153 Hooded Coat by Schachenmayr

The next posts matches Ravelry patterns to a “Sweater Girls” article. I’ll have those up by tomorrow.

If you find a better match please list those in the comments!

Workin’ on a Sweater

I like sharing the works-in-progress, but I’ve noticed a pattern.  It goes like this:

Post A:  Hey, look at this neat-o project I am in the midst of! It’s really pretty and fun, and I’m so excited to see how it turns out. Life is grand. Sing it with me!

Immediately henceforth:

Post B:  $#@! Evil mad scientists have created knitting as a special sort of torture for those who like sweaters and mittens.  Tying hundreds of knots with sticks is masochistic and weird. My shoulders hurt, and I have a headache. I need to be alone in my bedroom for awhile.  Hold my calls.

After some good coffee, and possibly some chocolate:

Post C:  Well shucks, it all turned out okay in the end.  I learned about myself.  I’m stronger for the struggle.  This little item doesn’t look so hard to tame now that it’s all over with. In fact, I’m a little proud of myself.  Huh, well, what do you know?

I’d really like to spare everyone the craft failure temper tantrum post, but it looks like until I become a better knitter, or perhaps a better knitting commentator,  the cycle may continue. Or maybe I could become less prone to temper tantrums. I promise to work on that too. In the hopes of both, I’m posting my WIP (for you non-knitters WIP = Work In Progress. Knitters were the original abbreviators long before texting evolved).

I am working on Summer Days – a kid’s bolero style cardigan. It’s super cute. I hope you can see it here if you’re not signed up at ravelry.  I am knitting it with Malabrigio’s Arroyo yarn.

I love the yarn. Nice to knit with, soft in the hands, and the colours remind me of water.

 
I like watching the puffy sleeves take shape. One of the things I enjoy about knitting is the sculptural quality. I feel like a 3D printer 😛 

Have a great day!

Betty would wear this if she was a newborn

I now understand the origins of sequins. This is my first time knitting the cloverleaf eyelet, as well as eyelet ribbing. Once you start knitting a lace pattern, more lace seems to follow. By the time I had finished the ribbing I was thinking about a pichot edge and perhaps weaving ribbon through the eyelets. I was wondering if I had any pearl domed buttons when I realized things had gotten out of hand. This is how the bedazzler started. Someone knitted some lace then decided it needed something else, and before they had themselves under control they had reached for a vial of glitter and a glue gun. The Mardi Gras Indian costumes are a good example of this (“I think it needs more peacock plume.”), or anyone on the Toddlers & Tiaras show. But thankfully, things didn’t go that far. I am happy with where I left off, and I think it turned out great. I’m really happy with the modifications I used, and the cotton yarn worked out well too.

In addition to the new stitch patterns I tried, I also used the smallest needles I own. I did the math, and there are over 14,000 stitches in this garment. If you count the parts I pulled out to re-do, it’s more like 18,000. I tried to do a per-stitch time estimate to come up with the total time, but it seemed off. I know I listened to an old bbc radio show, watched “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” drank several cups of coffee and baked southern bene wafers while also knitting this, and that was only part of it. It may seem small for the time spent, but I like the look of the finer stitch pattern. I’m also less intimidated to attempt a larger garment in this gauge, and would definitely knit this pattern again.

I hope Katherine likes the gift. I still have some labeling I want to create that will include wash instructions, but the Mad Men inspired knitting trio is now complete.

On to the next month’s project for Mrs. S. I don’t know if her new bundle of joy will be a boy or a girl, so I had to think of something that might work for either. I decided on a mini-peacoat jacket in a grey tweed, and I’ll also include a matching baby bear hat. I’ll be knitting in a size that should fit for fall. I already have the shiny buttons picked out.

This cute jacket may be the last of my knitting projects for awhile. When spring hits I plan on doing some major exploring. I’ll be posting pictures of my adventures in my new home, or other cities, and all the great places in between.
Ah, who am I kidding? I’ll probably drag the knitting to all those places as well.

Mad Men fever invades baby shower gift

I have a large stockpile of yarn. I bought it all with projects in mind that I have yet to attempt. I swore that this year I would actually use the yarn I have, rather than purchase more, but it took one themed present idea to throw that resolution from the rails.

My good friend Katherine is expecting a baby girl in May. She is a connoisseur of all things stylishly vintage. I wanted to knit her something vintage inspired, and had the yarn I would use from my stash already picked out: a variegated green that ranges from mint to forrest. I decided to look through the free patterns in Ravelry to see if I could find something appropriate. Browsing through Ravelry is an indulgent joy, and sometime during the imagining of my next project, and contemplating the vintage appreciation of my friend, I also started thinking about the upcoming season of Mad Men. When the dust had settled I had a plan to make three baby sweaters inspired by Joan, Betty and Peggy. I’m not sure how appropriate the theme is for an infant, but the idea spurred me on, and I am most of the way through the “Joanie.”

Of course, I didn’t have the yarn I needed/wanted for the additional two sweaters, so my boyfriend accompanied me across town to Mouliné Fils De Qualité. This was my first yarn outing in Montreal, but I only needed a chaperone so I didn’t decide to stockpile anymore than I had to. I think at one point he had to stand between me and the yarn wall, but I made it out with only a little more than I needed.

For the Joan inspired baby cardigan I am making the Seamless Yoked Baby Sweater with a cotton acrylic blend that is both soft and tactile. Joan looks amazing in green, and the yoked design mimics the squared or structured neck lines she prefers.

The Betty inspired sweater will be made with the Red Rosie pattern, and completed with fine pink cotton. The finer cotton gauge will be better for the spring and summer months, and the slightly shiny yarn will dress up the pattern. I love how the two strand pattern with buttons gives this basic sweater a vintage vibe. Betty may not have been hip enough to venture from a twinset, but the girly colour and boatneck look are my homage.

The sweater inspired by Peggy is actually a baby vest. I will be making the Owl Baby Vest for size 9 – 12 months in a rusty red. Peggy likes to dress more conservatively, and wears alot of pattern in earth tones. I think the owl vest is adorable, and I purchased another colour in case I want to make more than one.

I’ll post more pictures as I progress. I have some art work planned to bring the theme together. I hope it works out like I imagined it to.

Let me know what you think!