Month: January 2025

When modifying sweaters…in consideration of slow fashion and timeless wardrobes.

/ Whitney / Leave a comment

I have been cleaning out my closet this month. Little by little over the last three years I have honed my “collection” down to pieces that I actually wear and have eliminated quite a bit by using up some of my fast fashion ( read Target) clothing that just was never intended to last for years and years. Other more functional and necessary pieces have been handed down to children, passed on to charity or donated to the local chapter of DAV or Goodwill. It’s nice to have room and also not to be compelled to fill it up with “stuff.”

The article of clothing that I do add to my closet regularly is sweaters. Hand Knit sweaters that I design either make it into my regular rotation after being published, they go out on a “museum loan” to shops so that knitters can see them in real life. Some pieces join the ranks of my designated Trunk Show Samples. These pieces are available to loan to knit shops or groups.

I was reflecting back on what makes some pieces the ones that I wear and some pieces for display. First line of deciding whether a piece will be worn or shown is how many have been knit. I always have to have a good example to share at events. Most of the time it is whether or not the pieces has some sort of additional modification made. Here are some of my favorite low risk, high return sweater modifications:

Contrast cast on and bind off: It is just too easy to use a contrast color either from your stash or from the design of the sweater to make a little change to your collar, cuffs and hem. Keep in mind that changing color on a round with purl stitches will give you a little different accent from the two colors blending when the head of the purl stitch from the previous row leans forward in your work.

Stripes: Wides stripes, skinny stripes, alternating stripes or the old two stripe athletic sock treatment can dress up your favorite shape and give you a completely different feel.

Ribbing: 1×1, 2×2, 1×2, 3×2 – adding a right twist every few rows or ever a few YO, K2tog to a 3×2 rib can give you an interesting detail. A little math check to see what combination of stitches your desired area is devisable by will make all the difference and lead you to a safe and fun change. Adding twist will decrease elasticity in your fabric.

Don’t forget you can easily make 1×1 a broken rib ( k1, p1 on round one, K all on round 2) This is usually as stretchy and 

Changing neck line: easily to raise a neckline.  Cast on a smaller size to bring the neckline up from wider and jewel neck to a more standard crew.  Some of my favorite colorwork sweaters end up with a neck line is too large purely based on the math needed to make the colorwork design develop cleanly.  One of my biggest cheats is to cast on a smaller size, work several additional rows ( and inch or so in depth)  and then increase.  Another method is to cast on with a smaller needled, using a firmer method: long tail or cable cast on fight the shoulder slump really well.  And one last tip is to work you neckline finishing last.  Cast on the same amount, just skip any ribbing or neck treatment.  Then once the garment is finished or before you add any button bands, go back and pick up the stitches and work your neck treatment or collar ribbing up.  This gives you two more stable rows: the picked up stitches are now more firm because there is extra yarn used to pick up the stitches from the cast on and your bind off is very likely more firm than your cast on. If you have trouble here with bind offs. Consider using a smaller needle to bind off with, or bind off knitwise as apposed to in pattern.

Last for this installment, but certainly not least is the sweater reverse… not Chris Cross style… but truly inside out. Why not consider your next favorite sweater in reverse stockinette?  It’s as easy as where you weave in those ends! In some cases a little planning ahead and some cool welts could give you a solid statement towards inside out garments.  This is absolutely a time to apply your neck bands last as picking them up will give you a seam you want to show, or perhaps a seam you want to hind.  Make those decisions carefully. It’s the difference between handmade/ bespoke and home-made.

Fisherman Style, a 2025 trend

/ Whitney / Leave a comment

Have you heard about the latest trend taking the Pinterest/ Instagram / TikTok crowd by storm? Fisherman Style… AKA Knitwear. More specifically classic knitwear, stripes, and traditional Aran and Faire Isle colorwork. HELLO LOVER… this is just my jam. And maybe it’s yours too.

Now these trends tend to make costume of these traditional pieces, but I am here to say we in the New England States are always and already living it in many ways. While you may not pull out a Gordon’s Fisherman Yellow Slicker on rainy days, you might already have a Breton stripe in your wardrobe along with a cable sweater. I know I do. To truly be “Fisherman” there is a lot of overalls, and dungarees as well as tweed and some hints of English Country style tweed. I could defiantly add some tweed to my wardrobe and be incredibly happy about it.

I will also be adding in a regular rotation of some of my favorite KIY (Knit It Yourself) pieces from Adventure Bound Designs. Here is my first stab at an inspiration board. I wear many of these pieces regularly already:

So now I just need to add a few new things from other places, or yet to be knit designs like a cable cardigan, and a new colorwork vest. Both are on my many year aged to be knit list. SO tell me, are you into the Fisherman or coastal style? Are you going to add anything in to your rotation this winter to meet this trend?

Where Women Create did not call me for an interview.

/ Whitney / Leave a comment

Are you familiar with the magazine “Where Women Create” ? It’s a gorgeous publication that features the Working studios of creative entrepreneurs. There is art and story and it’s absolutely stunning. The pages of each publication are substantial and inspiring. This is not that kind of post. Ha! This post is about carving out a little hamlet inside what you have and making it feed your creative practice.

I am always fascinated with where people work and what their creative space looks like. How does where we practice creativity inhance the process? There are yarn rooms, and offices, knitting nooks full of books and UFOs. I thought I would share some images of my creative space that a few of you might have gotten a glance of during a Twisted Stitches Episode with Paulette of KnittyGrittyYarnGirl.

Now this is not a grand room with a cozy chair and coordinated decorations. This is the laundry room in my house. Its also serves as a pass through to a lower level living room. I share it with my daughters, so it is not just for knitting and professional pursuits. It’s not glamorous, but there is a counter hight desk area where I can do zoom classes and guest appearances on shows. I also stand and sew on that desk space when I have time to get out my quilting supplies.

Sometimes the dog even ends up on the desk. Hi Poppi! There is paint on the counter that reminds me of my sweet Emaleigh who, like me, always has a project going. There are boxes of Friendly Loom Loops for making pot holders, buckets of pearler beads, baskets of ribbon and zippers. Shoe boxes of buttons and a rainbow of cotton thread. Dig even deeper in the cabinets and there is 100+ skeins of DMC floss and half stitched cross stitch projects. A collection of needlepoint and all of the stationary for every occasion with corresponding festive stamps.

The real fun is on the opposite wall. There are three Billy book cases from IKEA with the glass doors. I love these. They guard and display a rainbow variety of yarns for every type of knitting project, provided you want wool… there is one that is full of quilt cotton and apparel fabric that is woefully not given nearly enough attention.

Down at the end near the closet of doom, stands my croque sporting a favorite finished sweater near a photo copy of my diploma from Mary Baldwin College. Below which is an LLBean Boat-n-Tote of all my Juniper Moon Farms Patagonia leftovers. I use that tote quite a bit. The floors are hand painted and might be my favorite part of the whole room. The checkerboard pattern is playful and bright. It makes my day every time I see it.

I don’t do any actual knitting in this space. I work here. I plan here. I make phone calls and send emails, I grade patterns and check my math. It is a happy place that makes the harder parts of work a little bit easier. I finish projects here, steam block on the ironing board or soaking in the utility sink. I pack up trunk shows or ship sample skeins out from this spot.

What about you? Do you have a dedicated crafty space? I would love to hear all about it.