ideas in motion

I'm slowly figuring out the best way to approach my handmade wardrobe idea. Last week I'd got as far as thinking that it would be good to make one whole outfit at a time, so I'd have some sort of focus. The idea of randomly firing out cardigans, skirts, hats and dresses, doesn't appeal to me right now. I really like putting outfits together. I tend to go with what feels right, rather than subscribing to any one style or following any prescribed rules about dressing. Are there any these days? I like to mix things up a little, but at the same time, balance out different textures, colours and shapes. LOL! I can see your eyes roll... what sort of mish mash is this lady going to create?! I promise, I'll try not to create too much of an eyesore ;)

Anyhow, my outfit idea has been refined and I'm thinking I'll try to do an outfit a month and I'll use an even mix of knitting and sewing. That might be totally crazy and may change depending on what else is going on in my life, but for now, that's my aim...

So, January. Outfit one. I'm going for the "I'm an artsy woman in touch with her feminine side, off to her evening photography course" vibe ;)

You've seen my caramel delicious Audrey cardigan already. I've fixed the front side and have picked up around the armhole and started working my way down one sleeve. Unusually, I'm using double pointed needles. I started magic looping with a long circular but this yarn is pretty special and I wasn't enjoying yanking it along the long cable or pulling it tight when changing halves. Working around four circulars feels just a little bit smoother and my tension is better. (If you are unfamiliar with the magic loop method of knitting in the round, you might enjoy this link. It's all interesting, but the bit about magic loop starts halfway down the page.)

The floral fabric is a Liberty print cotton that I bought on Ebay. I'm hoping there's enough for a Washi Dress, at the very least a tunic. I haven't decided what style top or sleeves it's going to have, but I'm tending towards the keyhole neck and cap sleeves... If I get a dress out of it, I'm thinking of teaming it with tights and boots.

The teal-blue yarn is gorgeous. It is a 50% Alpaca/50% New Wool blend; Highland Alpaca Fino by smc Select. I decided that the outfit had a breezy feel to it so needed a lightweight beret/cap to go with it. I wanted a lacy look without too many yarn overs, since the cardigan has very open lacework at the top and any more would be overkill. My hunt for the perfect hat revealed a Vogue pattern; No.13 Lace Beret by Kate Gagnon Osborn. It's just lovely. You can't buy it via Ravelry because it is included in a magazine, but a hunt on the Vogue website revealed it there for sale individually. So far I've knit the band and while there's a great chart for the body of the hat, with 50 something rounds of lace, I'm not anticipating it will be super quick.

The rest of the outfit is still in my head. I'm thinking that a slim, fun scarf incorporating faux fur might be on the cards and a big handbag that doubles as a camera bag. At the moment I am in love with this. As for jewellery? I'm still mulling over that one...but I'm tending towards a vintage look.

That's the general idea. With the big kids back to school this week, I just need to start sewing!