My usual reason for not posting in a while is that piano things have gotten very busy. This is partly true – I started college last week and my schedule still isn’t set in stone yet. But really, somewhere in my head I eloped with my knitting this week.
I blame it on the Malabrigo. I picked up this hot pink Malabrigo merino lace in Berlin. It didn’t look like much in the skein but knit up, it turns into an unbearably soft, light, pillowy fabric. The pattern I picked was perfect: not too hard but not too easy, either. After a few repeats I could watch tv with it and keep a stray eye on the chart. It was a match made in heaven. On and on I knit, not even heeding the purl rows. I knit myself up the aisle. I knit myself through our ‘I do’s. It got bigger and bigger, softer and softer until suddenly, halfway down the aisle…
…we ran out of yarn. I was stunned. You mean… this skein… had an end? An End? We looked at each other for a while until eventually I realised that there was nothing I could do to save the relationship. The best thing for both of us is to see other projects for a while.
So, really, when you think about it, the moon and earth were perfectly aligned for my reunification with the Minimalist Cardigan. It was meant to be. (I seem to be saying that a lot this week).
Look at that wee curl on the hem! The subtle texture of the moss! The grain of the chain-plied yarn! After my false start, it is nice to have something that is truly fool-proof. And of course, although the curl of the hem is cute for a photo, in reality I will be lining the edges of this with some pretty ribbon.
… Which reminds me to tell you that Rubanesque, that fabulous wee shop of inspiration on South William St, has relocated to the ground floor of the Powerscourt Centre. I popped in there last week and it’s so bright! And big! And full of ribbons, vintage fabrics, buttons, lace… I can’t wait to finish my cardigan so I can go back and pick out ribbon for it.
It hasn’t just been the knitting that’s been floating my boat recently. I have been really enjoying The Sartorialist as well as all of the latest catwalk stuff. I have been purusing Avoca – sort of the Irish equivalent of Rowan in a way – and thinking about clothes, knitting and their function in general. I think a lot of people consider ‘fashion’ to be whatever is trendy at the moment. I, however, am increasingly of the opinion that ‘fashion’ can be better interpreted as a sense of costume. To approach how one dresses, and consequently what one sews or knits, from that point of view makes the end result more convincing. What do you think?
I agree that fashion is better interpreted as a sense of costume. How we use fashion should be an understanding of what highlights both our personalities and our physical appearance. I like to think knitting (and sewing) allows me to express myself outside of what is on the rack this season and what I can find through thrifting.
Love both The Sartorialist and Garance Dore – every sort of dress from the woman in Chanel (I think) and plastic bracelets shown on The Sartorialist the other day to people who are truly dressed in a way I think of as performance art.
Thanks for a fun and informative blog.
Interesting take. Hm. I love clothes – love making them, wearing them, planning them. Hate clothes shopping, because what I can afford is usually so shoddy, and because I am insanely picky about fabric, colour, cut (the whole shebang, in other words). Moreover, “fashion” intimidates the hell out of me. I’ll try thinking of it as “costume” and see if that helps 🙂
Gorgeous knitting, as usual, by the way – and what a tragedy to run out of yarn! I look forward to seeing more of that cardigan.