Tuesday, December 02, 2008

memory yarn

Mooncalf recently posted asking which of our handknits actually end up getting worn. It's a good question, and makes for a nice reminiscent post, so I thought I'd go for a trundle down memory yarn. I rarely get compliments on my handknits, and I take that as the biggest compliment of all: few people would ever guess...
Langora bolero

Brown langora bolero, from Rebecca. It wasn't as big a hit at first, but since I started wearing a series of dresses in autumnal colours to work, this gets worn all the time. ALL the time. It's cuddly and at the same time not too cardiganish, and I love it.

Rusted Root 2

Rusted Root. Looking slightly pill-y now: I suspect that's cashmerino for you. But still, a wardrobe staple, again hitting that boundary between cuddly and cosy on the one hand, and sharp and cool on the other. As time goes on I think it, like all handknits perhaps?, will become more cosy and less sharp, but I am still in love with the curves and the versatility of this one.

Bulky cables, redux

Bulky Cabled Cardigan. For those days when you just want to wrap yourself in warm tweed armoury and say pah! to the world. But in a stylish fitted way. The fashion mags keep claiming 'chunky knits are in!', and I look at those draped, sculpted piles of cables they have on high-end fashion shoots and think, I could make one of those! If I thought about it hard enough! And then I don't think, so this will have to do as my high-impact, high-texture Vogue Knit. It's not all that voguey, really.

Thermal and the Henley Imperfect have started to look like wardrobe classics, too. They have travelled to London and Dublin and been stroked and admired, and their slimness makes them perfect professional garments. Hooray.

Of course, knitting is always like this. I never have disasters. No no no.

Wickeljacke in Zyklam

I certainly didn't just bundle this one in a bag and send it straight to Oxfam without even trying to fix it, did I? Perish the thought!

Of course, the real classics are the socks. Which get worn day in, day out between September and March. Socks, solid wool socks: only one pair has died on me, the most of them are stalwart as ever. I'm not sure what I ever did without them.

Short Attention Span Knitting



So I finished the Noro yarn scarf, almost in my sleep, so simple and seductive was the lace:

It's short and has pretty colours and tucks nicely under a high-necked coat. But it still feels like paper to the touch.



And thus I was seduced into starting the balloon-sleeve top. This is going to be yet another of those kidsilk frivolities that gets started and never worn. I know it. But shh! I'm enjoying knitting with air and dreamy softness, and hopefully I can hang the resulting frivolity on the wall as art, even if I never end up wearing it. Judging from most Rowan publications, that's the most suitable fate for their garments...

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ah, you're taking me back myself! I'm reaching for my own woolies more and more :) ... not to mention the socks. How did we ever live without hand knit socks?!

RenterGirl said...

I wish I had the patience to knit. Those jumpers etc are beautiful.

la glitz said...

RenterGirl - thanks so much! I actually took up knitting as a way to create some kind of material permanence in my life in a time of so much transience, if that makes sense. I move flat about once every eight months, and throw out far too many memorabilia and beloved possessions in the process. Knitting means that I put so much love into objects that I can't throw them out, and gives me continuity. That, and it helps cure the fidgets!

Tina said...

the brown bolero looks really good on you, and it’s just what I would need, had I more time to knit... and not os many wip's...
the pink top is interesting, too, kind of differnt, and fits you very well. The cardigan looks great, and seems to be comforting, like “wear it and feel good”.
The shawl is beautiful - must get my hands on Noro one day - and the top does cry out “wear me”, I can definitely hear it.

la glitz said...

Tina - thanks for the lovely comments, and for your faith in the kidsilk! I have never actually seen someone wearing a kidsilk garment, but that doesn't mean it never happens, right?

anna said...

christ, you knit so much! i'm trying to get into it..i do crochet, it's so much easier! but i'd love to be able to knit well. currently i have a project which is lasting far too long. that blue jumper looks amazing! do you do this for work or just leisure? do you live in manchester? i am from sheffield! wheey.
xx

i heart spinning said...

pretty

Worsted Knitt said...

Gorgeous work, the Rusted Root especially looks fantastic!