Style Your Knits: Lakota Tank

My Lakota Tank is by far and away one of my favorite summer knits. It's comfy, it can be casual or dressy, and it has a sort of effortless sex appeal due to the lacy one shoulder design. When I originally took this out to photograph, I styled it with rolled-up skinny jeans, an updo, and strappy yellow slingbacks. You can see those pics here, but today I wanted to show an option with a little bit more glamour.

This is now one of my favorite ways to wear this top! The knit maxi skirt is crazy comfortable (and I love the tiny train in back!) and I think choosing a skinny belt in a bright color is a great way to add some flair. Leopard print flats, a feathered headband, and simple jewelry and makeup keep the whole look low-key, and if you're careful to choose season-neutral colors, you can easily extend the wear of this ensemble into fall!

Shown here:

Pattern: Lakota Tank by me!
Yarn: Tahki Yarns Lily (this yarn is discontinued; I recommend Valley Yarns Goshen as a substitute)
Feather Headband: Made by me (similar) 
Knitting Bag: Marc Jacobs (similar)
Skirt: BCBG Sydnee Maxi (similar)
Belt: Old Navy (similar)
Ram Skull Ring: Thrifted (similar)Shoes: Rocketdog (similar)

Get the knitting pattern here, or click any of the photos.

Flashback Friday: Chi-Chi Cowl

Doc and I have recently been getting in shape for our upcoming 10th wedding anniversary (we're going to Maui - whoohoo)! Since the Dr. is far more heart healthy than I am, he runs and I bike beside him. Because we live on a lake, our evening run/bike can get a little breezy. Those of you who know me know I don't do cold, so I've taken to wearing my Chi-Chi Cowl during these excursions.

 

This is the perfect thing for me to throw on over my shoulders during the beginning of the ride, because it keeps the wind from making me want to turn around and go home while I'm just starting out and I can easily remove it with one hand and toss it in my basket after I'm warmed up. I don't even have to break my pace!

I love my bike! It's an Electra Cruiser 7D.

This pattern is just $3.00 and you can purchase it by clicking here or add it to your Ravelry queue here.

How do you like to stay in shape?

Style Your Knits: Cadence Pullover

Our weather here in KC has been NUTSO lately. While most decent people are enjoying near-summer temperatures by now, our thermometers have been swinging wildly from mid-80s to high-30s. At least it isn't still snowing...don't even get me started on that story. You don't want to know. Anyway, while this post is hopefully out of season for many of you, it's never too early to start thinking about making (and styling!) winter knits! I loved this one:

I've had my eye on Cadence since it very first appeared on Knitty.com over 3 years ago. A little over a year ago, a friend of mine decided that she likes quilting better than knitting, and gifted me the better part of her stash (ain't knitter friends great?). It just so happened that she had a sweater's worth of the very yarn this pattern calls for, in a color I happen to love. Kismet!

 

I did some modifications to this sweater. Firstly, I made full-length sleeves with a generous portion of 2x2 rib. Secondly, I made it much longer than the original, added side vents, and made sure that the back fully covers my bum in the back. I knew I'd be wearing this mainly with leggings, and we all know that leggings are not pants. We all know that, right? Because leggings are not pants, you should make sure that when you're wearing leggings, you have your entire backside fully covered. It's a good idea if your crotch area gets covered, too. Just sayin'.

Shown here:

Pattern: Cadence Pullover by Jordana Paige
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Silky Flamme
Leggings: Betsey Johnson (similar)
Handbag: Deux Lux's "Beribboned Bag" for Anthropologie (this bag has had many incarnations; some are available here, here or here, but probably not for long - I'd recommend checking eBay for more)
Booties: Boutique 9 available here
Necklace: Handmade by me!
Cheetah Ring: Thrifted (similar)
Earrings: BCBG (similar)

While the original Cadence is certainly still modern enough to wear as-is, modifying a knitting pattern for length can be a great way to update a pattern that might be starting to seem a bit out of date. Have you ever modified a sweater pattern to suit your tastes better? I'd love to hear about it in the comments!

Get Jordana's knitting pattern from knitty.com for FREE here. Click any of the photos above to see my project on Ravelry.

Style Your Knits: Fisherman Twist

It's been awhile since I did one of these, but I've been stockpiling photos for weeks. These kinds of posts are going to start happening more regularly around here, as I intend to start sneaking my blog ever-closer towards being a knitwear-themed style blog. But more on that later! For now, let's just get to the eye candy, shall we?

I picked up Carol Feller's pattern, Fisherman Twist, at a print-pattern sale at my LYS. I happened to have a bag of Adagio, a wonderful llama/silk blend from Skacel that's sadly been discontinued, that I thought would be just perfect for this pattern. Turns out, I was right!

I'm very happy with how this sweater turned out. After a full wet blocking, the thing grew into a giant mess, so I lightly felted it in a very hot dryer and it turned into just the perfect size for me. (And bonus, when you lightly felt llama & silk it turns into an amazingly scrumptious fabric!) I styled it up by pairing it with a one-shoulder chiffon maxi dress, tights, wedge cowboy boots, a long necklace, and a large envelope clutch. It would be wonderful with jeans, too, but y'all know that's not how I roll. ;)

So here's the rundown, style-blog style:

Pattern: Fisherman Twist by Carol Feller
Yarn: Skacel Collection, Inc. Adagio (discontinued)
Dress: Eric Daman for Charlotte Russe, thrifted (similar)
Boots: Old Navy, thrifted (similar)
Snake Ring: Vintage, thrifted (similar)
Necklace: Handmade by me (similar)
Envelope Clutch: eBay (available here in multiple colors)
Nails: Sienna from Julep (here; also, read my blog post on how to get Julep for FREE!)

This sweater-over-a-maxi style is great for an environment where you don't know what the weather will be like...because even without the sweater, you still look perfectly put together! Would you ever wear a sweater over a dress? Let me know in the comments!

Get the knitting pattern from Carol Feller for $5.95 on Ravelry here. Click any of the photos above to see my project on Ravelry.

Style Your Knits: Winona

Today on the Twist Collective blog, the question was asked: "How would you style Winona?" Since it's been awhile since I presented a Style Your Knits, I thought I'd take them up on the challenge.

Twist decided to style this cardigan, designed for them by Laura Chau, by offering 4 variations on the same theme, similar to how the piece was styled for the original photoshoot:

sweet and girly options
While I do think that this cardigan looks perfectly nice over a floral dress, my style tends to lean more towards the glamorous-chic than the office-ready, so I opted for something a little different:

glamorous and punk option  

Once you venture into skull, studs, and fringe territory, it's easy to go too far into full-on rock star. To me, though, this look stays firmly on the glamorous side by pairing the bold, funky accessories with crisp seersucker shorts, fresh, clean makeup and a sleek top knot. Finishing it off with Laura's swingy stockinette cardigan gives it a modern, timeless appeal.

Overall, I think this cardigan has a great shape and endless styling options. If I were going to knit one for myself, I'd add rhinestone buttons, or leave off the button placket altogether since I can't remember the last time I buttoned on a cardigan.

Interested in knitting one for yourself? Grab the pattern over at Twist Collective for $7.00. Want to see more runway-ready knitwear? View my entire collection of styled knits, here.

Style Your Knits: Knight Service

It's been a little while since I posted a Style Your Knits, so when Teresa Gregorio asked me if I'd be interested in styling her shrug for spring, I jumped at the chance!

Now me personally, I don't wear shrugs all that often, but many of you love these little accessories, and this one is especially cute. A peek at the original pattern reveals that the sleeve caps have wonderful beading, which means this is something you could really glam up for evening if you wanted! I love a pattern with options.

I decided to style this little shrug with a loose tunic, wide-leg jeans, and some colorful accents. Easy and casual for spring!

You can find my entire collection of styled handknits here. Know of a pattern you think I should style? Leave a comment and let me know!

Pont des Arts Skirt

Hoo boy. You know, I don't self-publish often, and when I do it's a fairly anxiety-producing, nailbiting experience. You never know if your pattern is going to be a big hit or a massive flop, and today's pattern is no exception. I give you: The Pont des Arts Skirt!

Pont des Arts Skirt|

I happen to really love this skirt; I love the versatility of high-waisted pencil skirts, and this one is knit in a particularly luxurious yarn from Artyarns. Ensemble Light is a 2-ply (I'm gonna call it fingering weight) yarn composed of 50% cashmere and 50% silk. And if that isn't enough to sell you on it, I can personally attest to the amazing yumminess of both the yarn and the resulting fabric.

Top-down construction with an elastic waistband

The construction here is top-down seamless, naturally. There's an elastic waistband and a neat folded hem at the bottom. The fabric contains tiny purl stripes to keep the look a little bit funky, but don't worry - the stripes are small enough not to be unflattering to your figure! This fabric is actually meant to be reminscent of the wildly popular bandage skirts. I gotta keep my girls sexy! ;)

 

Show off those curves!

 

I could see this skirt being worn a multitude of ways. Dress it up for a sexy night out on the town as pictured above, or dress it down with an untucked tshirt and some cute flats. You could even wear it to the office! I'm in the midst of designing a companion piece to wear with this too, in case you want to go all-knitwear. (It's going to be a lovely, floaty, high-low tank, in case you're dying to know.) In the meantime, here are a couple of inspirations for you:

 
Wear it casually!

Wear it to the office!

The Pont des Arts Skirt is now on sale for $6.00, and you can buy it here even if you don't have a Ravelry account!

_________________________________________________

Picks of the Day:

Get 10% off your order when you enter the code "SexySentMe"  during checkout!

Want your Etsy Mini in this spot? Click here!

Style Your Knits: Limeade Fizz Shawlette

This weekend, I'll be attending The National Needlearts Association trade show in Phoenix, AZ. I hadn't planned to attend this show, but I received some super-generous sponsorship from Anzula Luxury Fibers that made my trip possible, and I'm excited to be attending again after a great first visit last year!

TNNA is one of those events where you need to look your best, and designers are no exception. Since the temperatures are supposed to be in the 70's while I'm there, I thought I could get away with wearing a pair of shorts. For this look, I've styled my Limeade Fizz Shawl & Shawlette (mine is the shawlette size) with a jersey tee with a print that reminds me of garter stitch, some glitzy gladiator sandals, oversized bronze earrings, and a brightly printed Fossil clutch. The whole look is meant to be comfy and bright, with the point of the shawlette in the front, kerchief-style.

I'll be wearing this around the show floor on Friday while I help some folks set up, so if you see me, please do come up and say hello!

Limeade Fizz Shawlette by TheSexyKnitter

Oh, and I'll also be sporting this new diamond ring the Dr. bought for me tonight, just because he felt like buying me some jewelry. I have to tell you, I love this ring, and I don't mind one bit that it came from Walmart! It looks like a little bow on my finger. How cute is that?

By the way, I haven't announced a winner for my latest giveaway yet, so go read all about it and leave a comment so you can be entered, okay? I'll announce a winner and a new giveaway on Tuesday when I get back from TNNA.

********************

Want your Etsy Mini in this spot? Click here!

SexyKnitter readers get 20% off 579Jewelry with coupon code "sexyfans"!

Style Your Knits: Ribbed Vest

I did something outrageous last week: I knitted for myself...from a pattern...using stash yarn! I almost never get to do this any more, as I'm seemingly always knitting for work. Not that I'm complaining about that, mind you; this job is the best I've ever had. However, it does take a toll after awhile, looking at all the latest patterns and my friends' beautiful "I knit this for myself" projects, and knowing I don't have the time to indulge. This year, though, I decided to take off the week between Christmas and the new year, and treat myself to a little selfish knitting. I selected the Ribbed Vest pattern from Sarah Punderson, which is all the rage at my LYS right now. There is this lovely grey sample hanging up in the shop, and it's been all I could do not to shove it in one of my giant handbags and take it home with me. Instead, I bought the pattern and chose some mossy green Mirasol Qina from my stash (I held the yarn doubled) to make my version. I started it on December 30th and finished it last night, and I just couldn't wait to wear it today! Here's how I styled mine:

Ribbed Vest by TheSexyKnitter featuring a project by salwaldo

Pairing a chunky vest on top with skinny jeans on bottom helps to even out the proportions of the overall look. The flowy, high-low button down shirt with a bit of lace also complements the heaviness of the knitwear, and adds a touch of femininity. I finished my look off today with a braid-wrapped side ponytail, a handmade sea turtle brooch purchased from a fair trade shop in Wyoming, a huge silk rose ring from The Petal Collection, and some small brass earrings with a lovely green patina (similar). Hopefully, I'll be able to snag some photos of my outfit soon to post on Ravelry! In the meantime, I give this pattern two thumbs up and highly recommend it as a stylish stash buster!

Style Your Knits: Eustice

Many of you will know I've been using Polyvore to style knits for quite some time. I've decided this is going to be a fairly regular thing on the blog, so I've officially named the feature "Style Your Knits" (I know, original, right?). You can see the first few I've done by clicking here.

Today's set features Eustice, which is a free pattern from Berrocco using their gorgeous Ultra Alpaca Light. I absolutely love the cabling on this sweater, as well as the comfy, oversized cowl. For this set, I've paired it with skinny jeans, suede heels, a delicate leather lace handbag from Valentino and some shiny details. Looking at this set makes me really want to knit this sweater! I've already got most of these items, except for that amazing Valentino, which was sadly priced a bit out of my budget at a mere $2500. Ahhhh, Valentino, how I love thee. Someday, you will be mine! Perhaps, in the meantime, I can substitute with this more reasonably priced lace beauty?

I have a winner for the lovely notions bag giveaway from Kusala Knitworks! It's commenter #14, InJuneau! I'll be in touch! Remember, you still have another 2 weeks to finish a Muffalette and win the grand prize!

_________________________________

Picks of the Day:

Want your Etsy Mini in this spot? Click here!

Getting to Know You #1: Julie Crawford

Hi everybody! You may have noticed a few changes to the blog...it got a little facelift this week! I thought it was looking a bit plain/cluttered, so I brightened it up a smidge and (hopefully) made it a little more streamlined. Let me know what you think of the new look in the comments area, won't you?

Okay, on to the fun stuff! I thought it would be super fun to do a little series of interviews with other knitwear designers I admire. So hopefully you're going to get to know some new faces and be inspired by their work, too!

First up is Julie Crawford. I first got to know Julie through the Designer's Group on Ravelry, which I help moderate. When her fabulous lace tank, Make Up Your Mind, came out in Knitty Summer 2011, I knew this was a girl who was going places. Sure enough, her design was one of the most popular from the issue, with over 250 projects in just five short months since its release. This design is definitely on my must-knit short list, and luckily for me I just happen to have a few skeins of the exact yarn the pattern calls for!

I think that this fabulous racerback is a really versatile piece. Even though it's a lace tank, I think it could easily be worn right into the cooler months of fall with a few simple layering tricks, so I decided to style it up using my trusty friend, Polyvore! Here's my take:

Make Up Your Mind by Julie Crawford of knittedbliss.com

Styled for fall by The Sexy Knitter

Julie was gracious enough to give me a little mini-interview, so read on for a glimpse into her mind:

TSK: So, Julie. What got you started designing?

JC: I was really reluctant, actually. There already seemed to be so many amazing new designs coming out all the time, and so many great designers; I didn't feel that there was anything really missing from the offerings. My Ravelry queue was often over 100 items, so there were certainly lots of existing patterns I was interested in knitting. But then Tanis (of Tanis Fiber Arts) had contacted me about doing a design in her yarn, even though I had never designed anything. She liked my style, and was confident that it would translate into good designs.  I'm not sure when I would have gotten around to designing if it hadn't been for that push in the right direction - Sometimes all it takes is someone else to believe that you can do it.

TSK: I love your style, too! I for one am super glad that Tanis stepped up to the plate and encouraged you. You are clearly gifted at this, so I'm excited you've entered (or should I say, been unceremoniously shoved into?) the world of knitwear design. Hopefully we're going to be seeing a lot more from you in the near future. What's up next for you, design-wise?

JC: I'm working on lots of things!! Once I started designing, it was like I'd wake up almost every day with a new pattern idea. I can't knit fast enough to keep up with the ideas that are swimming around in my head. I'm trying to work as fast as I can, but I have a day job as well, so that really cuts into my knitting and designing time. I'm aiming to put out about one new design a month, which is kind of a lot considering that a year ago, I had no design ambitions at all. Now, it's all I want to do! I try to knit seasonally appropriate things, but that can be challenging since I'd also like to publish more, and the lead times for submissions are often months out of season from the garments themselves.

Not only is Julie super talented, she's also a knockout! Here she is modeling some of her own designs.

TSK: I totally understand that! It always feels kind of strange to be knitting a worsted-weight, woolen sweater in the middle of summer. Don't forget about self-publishing, though! With the huge success of your first Knitty pattern, I think you would do well in that arena. Side note: Julie let me know that next month she's going to be releasing a fabulous new, FREE pattern. You can get a sneak-peek at her design, here. Okay, last question. Who would you say was the one knitter who has been most inspirational to you?

JC: I'm extremely hard pressed to pick just one, but I think that it would have to be Eunny Jang. Way back in pre-ravelry days, long before she was the editor of Interweave Knits, she had a blog and I read every single post. It was such a totally inspirational blog for me, for both my knitting and blogging of course, but also about what it meant to see the world as a knitter. She made modifications. She made up patterns, and her FOs were things I could see myself wearing. That's what I want from my knitting, and my own designs- not just something to knit, but something that I love to wear when I'm finished knitting it.

TSK: Yes! You and I share the same design motto. :) Also, Eunny is a serious badass, so that qualifies as an awesome answer in my book. She's also super nice! I got to chat with her at TNNA this year and she is a total sweetheart.

That wraps up our inaugural interview! If you want to follow up on Julie's design career, you can check out her blog at www.knittedbliss.com (definitely worth stopping by on a Monday), or find her on Ravelry and Twitter as knittedblissjc.

Style Your Knits: Bijou

Casual Bijou by TheSexyKnitter

Today I took a much needed break from designing to create this set on Polyvore. The set styles Marnie MacLean's gorgeous Bijou (available from Twist Collective) for a more casual, daytime look. This sweater strikes me as a more dressy item, with its delicate stitch patterning and dainty finishing details, and from what I've seen is usually styled that way. Well, doesn't that just present a challenge! I've pulled out what my brother refers to as "mad layering skills" to put together a sweet little outfit that is young, edgy and comfy! I could see myself hanging out at the coffee shop in this, window shopping some fabulous boutiques, or even going on a date with the Dr.! Movies, anyone?

If you're not familiar with how to use Polyvore, Marnie has put together a great tutorial for it over on the Twist Collective blog. Why not get addicted today?