Smart and Modern "Pasandra": Free Berroco Pattern

This Berroco pattern, called Pasandra, is very interesting. I love the shaping and geometric details. The yarn used for this sweater is a Berroco product called Pure Merino Heather, and is made of 100% extra fine Merino Wool. I would knit this in either the "Tyrolean Alps" or "Dusk" colors.

Chicintuition's Scarf Poll

Is it OK to wear a knitted scarf? Is it still fashionable this season? Well this poll could enlighten you. Check out the beautiful blog Chicintuition for more details. Oh, and don't forget to contribute and take the poll.


Scarves will always be in style because they are classic staples of cold weather fashion. However, the length does matter, so make sure your scarf is long enough for your body. If the ends of the scarf hit your hips, then you should be safe.

Gaultier's Crocheted Dress

Isn't this dress interesting? It reminds me of Mexican crochet. Wild colors and extreme attention to detail are Gaultier staples.

Think Pink Cupcake

I thought this cupcake was really cute so I had to mention it! It is crocheted and made with six different yarn colors. Register on Lion Brand's website to get the free pattern here.

Designer Profile: Giuliana Testino

Giuliana Testino is deeply inspired by Huancavelica, one of the poorest cities in Peru. See a great article on the designer, with fantastic photos, here. View her Trunkt portfolio and a beautiful page with one of her crocheted designs on Net-a-porter.com (you can even purchase it here). Read a fabulous article about her on Vis-A-Vis. This cardigan by Testino would be really cute over a white dress.

French Embroidery: Annabelle d'Huart for Noel

Annabelle d'Huart was born in 1952 in Paris. After studying drawing at the École Camondo in Paris, art history in Florence, and photography in New York, she spent 10 years at the Taller de Arquitectura in Barcelona. Her productions involve a wide range of materials: jewels, bronzes, roller-pressings, and paintings, in which the artist offers the spectator “unending navigation” through the variation of modular elements.source In her works she tries to give shape to objects that are in our individual and collective memories.sourceShe also helped design these stunning and very modern jewelry pieces, in collaboration with Yohji Yamamoto and Mikimoto, which I personally love.

"Constellation", a tablecloth embroidered with two thousand stars, which was designed by Annabelle d'Huart in celebration of the new millennium, is a beautiful example of exquisite french embroidery. Hand embroidery is used in Haute Couture for high fashion designs. You can get more information on how to purchase patterns like this, among many other beautiful works, as well as information on how to get a hand made table cloth like this, at Noel.

Fashionable Knitting Bags and Clutches

Storing your works in progress can be a huge hassle. Tired of your old plastic bag with stabbed knitting needle holes in it? Well, try this ultra chic bag out for size. Zelda Grand knitting bags are offered in various beautiful selections of fabrics, but you can even have one custom made, with that special fabric you had in mind.

This is one of my favorite designs, but they are all beautiful. Click here to see how the bags will look when you carry them next to your body! You can also get matching knitting needle clutches, among other cute craft bags at Stitch Diva Studios.

Embroidered Bustier

This chic embroidered bustier, with beautiful white stitching, would go great with white pipe leg dark denim jeans, or cuffed bottom trousers. Find this fabulous top at White House|Black Market.

letsknit2gether interview

LetsKnit2Gether's Eric and CAT are interviewed on Steve Garfield's Video Blog, Vlog Soup. Head over and check out the short but sweet video.

Don't forget to check out the letsknit2gether podcast as well. Check the iTunes listings for the FREE podcast!

UPDATE: New contributor

Access Fashion is bringing you a new contributor, Ms. Jeani Steal. She will be focusing on beauty and various topics in today's fashion industry, keeping it related to textiles as much as possible. Fashion is design, design consists of textiles, and textiles are beauty, thus, fashion is beauty.

Olivia Ong's "nanofabrics"

Potent new 'nanofabrics' repel germs


Cornell student Olivia Ong designs garments with nanoparticles


The particles repel germs and pollution


The particles are so small the clothing feels and drapes like a cotton T-shirt


Making the fabric swatches for Ong's dress and jacket cost about $10,000


Read the interesting article here.

Japanese Knitting

This history of knitting in Japan is minimally documented. KnitJapan has a great article on the interesting history, with wonderful images and dates.

To get a bit of a better understanding of Japanese knitting patterns, tata-tatao has a explanation to your confusion.

Here are some tips on Japanese knitting techniques. Japanese short rows are explained here.

Fulfill your Japanese knitting fantasies, and add to your knitting library with these Japanese Knitting Books

Dying to see photos of the "knitting prince"? Feast your little eyes on this!

Oh, you must visit this blog. It takes you into Japan like no other, with a sincere couple as your guides. (I'm sure there are other great blogs out there, but I enjoy this one.)

Last, but certianly not least, see some cute little otamas, here and here.

Book Review: Non-functional Knitting

we make money not art posted a great review of KnitKnit: Profiles + Projects from Knitting's New Wave, a fun a quirky book about knitting, art and extreme creativity.

Fashion Word of the Day - The "Zemire"

Christian Dior's Zemire (1905-57)


Paris


1954-5 autumn/winter


Cellulose acetate, with the skirt lined with layers of silk and net

image source


This design is one of the most beautiful designs in the world, and in fashion altogether. It is extremely sleek and elegant. I loved when Christian Dior said this: “I designed clothes,” he said, “for flower-like women, with rounded shoulders, full, feminine busts, and hand-span waists above enormous spreading skirts.”

A charming “detective story” is that of Zemire, one of Dior’s most distinctive designs from 1954, thought to have survived only in archive records and photographs. The original design had been presented to Princess Margaret at Blenheim Place in 1954 but, last year, the V&A purchased a dramatic red version in a Paris auction. Now lovingly restored, its interior labels reveal the House, client, workshop and alterations.source

The Quilted Texture

Quilted designs will always be in style. It is a classic staple of fashion and expert craftsmanship. In this sense, it is not a "trend" because it will live on forever in design. This season, designers such as Jun Takahashi, take this element to an extreme. However, it is not necessarily over the top.

Interesting quilting at Prada, Fall 2007 RTW

Quilted gloves at Burberry Prorsum, Fall 2007 RTW
Stylish quilted bag at Dries Van Noten, Fall 2007 RTW

Wintery White

Beautiful knitted designs to warm you up this winter. How elegant!source

Knit Tube Gloves

Make a chic fashion statement this autumn, and through the chills of winter, with these fantastically designed tube gloves. I love the to-the-elbow length as apposed to the wrist length fingerless gloves. It covers more, and is more of a "feast" for the eyes, especially a knitters' eye.

The Knitting Circle Shows Its Chic

Needlework hobbyists have become more savvy, said Joelle Hoverson, an owner of Purl and Purl Patchwork, neighboring yarn and fabric boutiques in SoHo. “A lot of that is driven by fashion,” she said. Ms. Hoverson has noticed that designers like Mr. Jacobs inspire her customers. “But they’re also looking at clothes from the ’40s, ’50s and ’60s,” she said. “And they’re looking at each other. It’s very cool.”

read more | digg story

Knitting and Tattoos: The Latest Microtrends

Over the past two generations, the number of left-handed Americans has nearly doubled. Between 2004 and 2005, the purchase of fashion yarn increased 56 percent. The fastest growing group of knitters are teens and twentysomethings. The fastest growing group of videogamers? Moms over the age of 45.What do these tidbits say about American society?

read more | digg story

Extremely creative cupcakes

This lady knitted sweaters and scarves out of marzipan for the tops of these cupcakes. How could anyone eat these?

read more | digg story