Spring Fashion
Spring is nature’s way of saying, “Let’s party!” ~Robin Williams
Spring weather gives us a chance to wear several types of knitted garments – heavier more ‘cooler weather’ wear at the beginning of the season and then move on to the lighter garments nearing summer. Spring is a time of renewal and for many a time to ‘sort out cupboards, spring clean’ – indeed out with the old and in with the new! So let’s party with the new colours and designs on offer!
This spring the styles are inspired by grace and timeless beauty; reminiscent of the draping Greek styles to the elegant and romantic ‘Roaring Twenties’. It is certainly a ‘European’ influenced style.
The good thing about this style is that these colours and designs are timeless - so you can invest in a good quality yarn and create a garment that will span several years. The look to achieve is texture, contrast, colour, drape and shimmer.
Lightweight knits for cooler times are in elegant rich cream and toffee shades whilst the style is simple and elegant. Think classic European and then spice it up with colourful knits. Try knitting up a lightweight jacket in a linen and alpaca blend for a more ‘classic’ look that will weather economic changes and changes in fashions.
The world of textiles is moving through a cataclysmic change, which
has been brought on by the recent economic changes worldwide. The large increase in the cost of raw materials is resulting in a more solid relationship between retailers and spinners - this is then cascaded down to us – the consumers.
As a knitter the yarns we buy need to be good quality, a nice finish and are a joy to handle. Whilst colours - although very much influenced by the seasons fashions of a balance of bright colours, whitened and muted pastels, feature alongside monochromic and dramatic colours. Even yellow is in the mix as a reminder of the 60’s.
Petrol blue, fiery red, pinks, greens and vibrant orange are toned down with the whitened, cream spring colours. Wraps, shawls and belted cardigans knitted in lightweight yarn make for an elegant look. Layering in different finishes, albeit in one tone creates the image.
The monochrome look always creates an ‘in command’ image and by using blacks, greys, soft blues or white you can create a strong and business like effect. By introducing a metallic yarn it creates an understated shine.
Whichever style or colour range you choose – long cardigans, knitted jewellery and crochet belts are the go - especially if you use linen blends, metallic or textured yarns. Lacy patterns, crochet work and ‘cut out’ are a feature with the re-emergence of ‘tape’ yarns, which are ideal for lacy and open work.
This season even sees a ‘fashion’ in stitches. Reverse textures, exaggerated stitches such as ‘mistake rib’, open work, delicate crochet stitches, tricot and although not a knitting stitch – macramé. Crochet and knitted dresses are still in the fashion mix for spring.
Crocheted garments always have that ‘romantic’ appeal and work best in white, beige, champagne, ecru, light brown, black and blue. The lacy and delicate look of crochet is timeless.
Try to use natural fibres when possible and although more expensive, hand dyed yarns are a joy to behold with a depth and dimension of colour. Avoid ‘itchy yarns’. Madelinetosh yarns are made from natural fibres and are hand dyed. They boast over one hundred different shades and hues and it is well worth checking out their website at: http://www.madelinetosh.com
Other gorgeous yarns on the scene are:
‘Gedifra Rosas’ from Rowan. This is a bobbled yarn that is lightweight and is available in an interesting colour range. It is made from fibre-filled mesh with bobbles that are positioned about every 20 – 30cm. This gives the impression of textile pearls.
‘Gedifra Violena’ has a wonderful colour range and is a very soft yarn made from cotton and modal. This combination produces a nice soft drape that imitates the ‘roaring twenties’ look.
Gedifra Licati – a cotton blend ‘tape’ yarn which is available in ten toned shades
Savannah – another cotton blend, this time with silk that gives a tape appearance. Colours are natural. Recommended knitting needle size to use is 5mm with tension of 18 stitches to 26 rows.
Panama – a blend of viscose, cotton and linen, which again have great draping qualities to represent the ‘Greek’ influence.
Check out Dreamweaver Yarns at www.dreamweaveryarns.com for some inspiration and some wonderful products. According to its owner, ‘Dream Weaver Yarns is a boutique yarn shop featuring luxury products with a goal of offering knitters and crocheters the finest needle arts supplies available’ …
If knitting garments for the spring is not for you, then you will be delighted to know that knitted and crocheted bags are again a feature of this seasons fashions. Bags that are large; knitted in a lace pattern and decorated with tassels, leather, chains and beads are in favour. Even the fringe (exaggerated) and fluffy poms poms are still around the catwalks producing a high impact boho look. Take a look at Chanel’s accessories for inspiration.
Mentioned earlier was the return of macramé - not the 60’s and 70’s hanging baskets, pot holders and wall hangings type, (own up here if you still have one!) – it is the method of knotting used in the seasons accessories that inject the macramé influence.
As we all know macramé is generally an open weave – it can be used for clothing and accessories and is particularly good for beachwear. Other examples of using macramé can be seen in day and eveningwear, jewellery and even in shoes and sandals. For some fabulous examples of crocheted and macramé designs, take a look at http://www.highots.com/womensclothing/2011-fashion-clothes-crochetmacrame.htm
Keeping the ‘European’ theme – often, vintage patterns - especially
crochet patterns can provide a wealth of ideas. Your local ‘op’ shop is a good starting place or old back issues of magazines! For an up to date ‘European’ website take a look at http://www.ecoknits.co.uk/index.html
Back to Australia to finish up our spring party – spotted on the internet and written by Adam Bub was a great idea for a place to go to get inspiration for your spring collection. According to Adam Bub …..
‘Weaving a bit of magic on the south end of King Street,(sydney) A Coffee & A Yarn is a concept cafe devoted to coffee, pastries and above all, knitting. That’s right, the ‘yarn’ in question refers to the colourful shelves of luxury knitting fabrics, as well as the social ‘yarn’ had by all at the communal tables (beginners and oldtimers are equally welcome).
The concept is threaded throughout the store, from the myriad Fair Trade, organic and local yarns available to buy, to the art installations on the walls and atop the shelves. Like most of the materials, A Coffee & A Yarn’s food and beverages are sourced from boutique local producers, including coffee from Coffee Alchemy in Marrickville, pastries from Black Star Pastry in Newtown, and cakes from Manna From Heaven in Marrickville. Order your favourite coffee and pair it with a cupcake, pie or quiche, and crochet away! …
Finally, to finish the spring ‘party’ everyone needs to feed their knitting addiction so take a look at this website for some great information for knitters http://www.squidoo.com/thriftyknitter
loops through other loops, but additionally incorporates wrapping the working material around the hook one or more times. Crochet differs from knitting in that only one stitch is active at one time (exceptions being Tunisian crochet and Broomstick lace), stitches made with the same diameter of yarn are comparably taller, and a single crochet hook is used instead of two knitting needles. Additionally, crochet has its own system of symbols to represent stitch types
(ref: Wikipedia)