DKNY AW13 Campaign

The DKNY autumn/winter campaign for the upcoming season features some beautiful knits. And Cara Delevingne. The pink leopard pattern looks fresh and is a nice alternative to all the somber knit colors that are evident during the season. The campaign images were shot by Mikael Jansson.

Cross My Heart Wrap by WATG

Wool and the Gang - Cross My Heart Wrap

and from the back

Wool and the Gang has launched a new item in their web shop, Cross My Heart Wrap. It's available both ready made and as a knit yourself kit. I think the wrap top would look fabulous with just a simple white tee for daytime chic or on its own - like in the photos above - for a night out. You could also wear it to work with a white shirt. The perfect morning to evening piece.

Holly knitting

Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)
Photo from imdb.com

Prabal Gurung AW13

Beautiful chunky knitwear from Prabal Gurung's AW13 collection. Simply stunning. Enough said. Photos from Style.com.

Navy perfection

Céline AW13 / photo from Style.com

I've always been the one who dresses in black - or at least in some shade of grey. But this autumn I seem to be venturing to uncharted territory when it comes to my wardrobe color palette. I seem to shift more and more towards (off-)white and navy. I was put off by that certain color for years after working in a store that required wearing a uniform in - you guessed it - navy. But now after eight years it seems that all has been forgotten and navy pieces seem to catch my eye anywhere I go. This Céline outfit from their AW13 show is just perfection. The slightly oversized sweater paired with a flared skirt, a clutch and some booties and all tone-on-tone. The combination strikes a perfect balance between feminine and tomboyish. Love it to bits.

The It knit of the season

The J.W.Anderson knit in yellow... 

...navy...

...and red.

The knit in his AW13 campaign / photo

J.W.Anderson who recently created a capsule collection for Versus has created one of the most recognizable knits of the season. The navy version was also featured in the July issue of Vogue (USA) on Sasha Pivovarova. What makes it interesting is the fact that under the avantgarde detail it's just a humble roll neck. Photos from j-w-anderson.co.uk, the campaign image from dazeddigital.com.

Spool knit jewelry

Etsy / Underbed

Etsy / Made in Heda

Etsy / Ylleanna

Etsy / percolatingdesign

Etsy / NaTochki

I frequently source Etsy for innovative and fresh knitting ideas. This time it was for stylish knitted jewelry which isn't so easy to find. But then I stumbled upon these beauties. They are simple yet innovative. And they all have one thing in common. They were created by spool knitting.

Chinti & Parker Meets Patternity

On my wish list right now: Chinti + Parker meets Patternity knitwear. Chinti & Parker has joined forces with cult pattern studio Patternity that resulted in this amazing collaboration. The knitwear feels fresh and current. Material vary from 100% cashmere to merino wool. My absolute favorite is the above one with black square design on white which reminds me of a squared notebook. You can get them from Chinti and Parker webstore and from Net-a-Porter.

Knitted messages

Well, bonjour to you too.
Love the clutch, by the way. / photo

Smile room or Smille room?
Columbine looking cool in her slogan knitwear.  / photo

Yes, it's yours, but I wouldn't mind having one myself
from Sonia Rykiel. / photo

A sweet farewell / photo

Knitted sweaters (as well as any other pieces of clothing) with slogans can be tricky. You really don't want to send the wrong message. With a few easy rules you cannot fail. 1. Keep it simple. One or two words is usually more than enough. 2. Anything in French sounds always chic. 3. Avoid logos. 4. Keep the rest of the outfit simple so that your message gets across - uninterrupted. 

Animal patterns

Blue leopard at Stockholm-streetstyle.com

Pink leopard at London Fashion Week / photo

Tiger stripes / photo

Alexa Chung in a leopard sweater / photo

Fuzzy yarns such as angora and mohair give these animal patterned sweaters an extra kick. Make the sweater the focal point by keeping accessories and jewelry minimal.

DIY: Fisherman's rib

Fisherman's rib

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post one of my favorite knitting patterns is fisherman's rib. I'm currently working on a DIY project for the blog which is done in this pattern. Here is a sneak peak of it.

There are two different ways to knit the pattern. Here is one: Cast on an uneven number of stitches. This makes the piece symmetrical. Knit the first two rows in a 1x1 ribbing (K1, P1). 3rd row: *K1, yarn over, slip stitch*. Knit the last stitch on the needle. 4th row: *P1, K2 together*. Purl the last stitch. Repeat rows 3 and 4.

Carin Wester AW13

Carin Wester is one of my favorite Swedish designers. She always has some really innovative knitwear in her collections. In her AW13 collection she had off-white, olive green and black knitwear with fisherman's ribbing and braided details. I especially loved the extra long sleeves and the combination of knitwear and leather. Photos from Style.com.

Today's mood

Ashley Olsen for Marie Claire 2009

Beach knits

photo

photo

photo

I'm so looking forward to autumn which is my favorite knitwear season that I almost forget that summer is also perfect for knits. One of the best places to wear knits in the summertime is the beach. They are the perfect, sexy cover up which warms you up once the sun starts to set.

My new Acne knit

Rue Mohair in Grey Melange from Acne

And from the back...

I just ordered this Acne sweater from their pre-fall collection! Can't wait to try it on when it comes early next week. I'll make sure to do an outfit post on it - maybe with the kimono belt.

Mohair at Alexander Wang

Alexander Wang presented some amazing mohair accessories in different shades of grey and black for FW 2013. Finally some really cool accessories to use in colder climates as well! The leg warmers / gaiters renew any pair of old pumps. I really need to knit a pair in black to wear on top of my black suede ones. The knitted mohair socks would look really nice with metallic high heeled sandals as well. Photos from Style.com.

Fisherman's rib

Holli Rogers from Net-A-Porter / photo

Beige version with cropped skinny jeans / photo

Oversized with a mini skirt / photo

Fisherman's rib is a true classic and one of my all time favorite patterns. It works especially well in an oversized version but then you should balance it out with skinny jeans or bare legs - unless you're tall and slender like Holli. 

DIY: Bracelet

You'll need two old bracelets (or some chain and
locks from a craft store), yarn, a tapestry needle
and a pair of knitting needles.

Cast on stitches by using a tapestry needle.
I cast here two stitches per loop.

Purl the first row. Remember to knit to the front
of the stitch. Continue with stocking stitch until
your bracelet is wide enough.

After 4 rows I'm done. 

Cast off by using a tapestry needle. Pass the needle
through each stitch and then through the chain
- in this case twice per each loop.

Finish off by brick stitching the edge. It will
make both edges look similar and make the bracelet
more sturdy. If you used old bracelets then you
already have the locks in place. If you used a chain
instead then you can choose the lock mechanism
of your choice from your local craft store.

Done!