Color at Fashion Week & Rhinebeck

So in my excitement & blathering on about fashion week & warm weather I forgot to mention something I wanted to let you know about! Why does the first warm weather of the season melt even the most organized of brains? No worries though, it is supposed to snow tonight so my Spring daydreaming has been cut short...

I wanted to remind you that I'll be teaching one of my favorite classes next Sunday and for the two following Sundays (2/27, 3/6 &3/13 from 11-2) at Wing & Clover in Rhinebeck, Knitting in Color

This class is meant for those who have knit lots of projects but are afraid to "go off the map" adding a second color to your knitting projects is a fun & easy way to make that hat you've knit 150 times exciting again! Also, it's a great way to personalize projects.  You could add a band of fair isle at the cuff of a sweater, a monogram to a simple pillow pattern, a slip stitch edge to a basic watch cap.  the possibilities are literally endless!

Which brings me to my next fashion week trend spotting, pop art & trompe l'oeil.  I have always been a huge fan of trompe l'oeil, I have owned & proudly worn both "skeleton" & "tuxedo" t-shirts in my life.  

 

 

(photo courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art: Gift of Vera White, 1952) 

 

 Probably the most famous trompe l'oeil in knitwear is the extraordinary "Bowknot" sweater designed by Elsa Schiaparelli for her 1927 collection (which if you're interested in re-creating, the instructions can be found here - thank you Schoolhouse Press!) and while I'm rambling on about fashion & designers I mention that if you are not familiar with Elsa Schiaparelli's work - get thee to the library! Or at least use google to see some of her amazing, prescient, funny and brilliant surrealist designs.

Sorry, back to this season...

 Jeremy Scott showed a reworking of the classic skeleton tee in sweater form for both men & women. 

Betsey Johnson showed a softer side of gun ownership - that is IF you count a gun print sweater as gun ownership

a new take on her wink collection

 and a short sweater with what looks like a an old ruler with a ruler pun on it, remember those rulers you would get at the county fair?

Maybe visual gags aren't your thing, or maybe the wink is a bit much but just a Cheshire cat grin would suit you?

What better time than now to learn how to not only knit intarsia but in Knitting in Color I also show you how to design your own intarsia patterns and give you knitting graph paper to explore with.  I can't wait to see what you dream up!