Needlecrafts - Knit, Crochet - Cold Shoulder trend

All images above | style.com and pinterest

Every woman young or old, at least all the ones I've ever encountered and spoken to has some part(s) of their body they are not comfortable exposing. My problem area or at least in my mind has always been my upper arms, right back to my younger days. Cap, elbow length or short sleeves are pretty much what I wear, although sleeveless under shrugs has been my uniform of late. Of course the runway fashion, can appear a little over the top, but really even those are watered down when sold to different boutiques and department stores. Trends are for inspiring and usually trickle down to wearable styles, but the sizzle of the runway is so much fun. This is why the "Cold Shoulder" trend makes so much sense. The upper arm is covered but the peek-a-boo opening in the seam can be sexy or at least feminine. Please be sure to see the free patterns after the jump, knit and crochet patterns, basic "T" shapes with shoulder seams. The lacy knit pattern takes care of two trends- open shoulders and lace effects. The crochet pattern is striped, another spring trend. These are basic shapes if you eliminate the patterning and decide to work with a solid color or color block. Also, think of this as a stash buster, the back worked in one color and the front divided into two or even three colorways. Have fun thinking up ways to design your own spring fashion....the basics are there for you to experiment with.

All images above | style.com and pinterest

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Needlecrafts - Knit, Cables in a Twist

Pitti Filati 2016-17 Trend Report | weconnectfashion.com

As you can see from the inspiration images, there's a new twist on working cables, literally.
The Pitti Filati is the main international event for the knitting yarn industry, a research lab and an observatory on global lifestyle trends. This industry trade show held in Florence, Italy occurs twice a year giving directional ideas for innovative yarn fabrics, stitches and yarns for knitwear.
Designers in both the hand knitting and machine knitting industry need to have a pulse on what innovations are being presented.
The forecast page illustrates how to give a modern twist to cables. Knitted i cords in contrast colors can be threaded through the holes created when working cables, knotting around cables creating a more dimensional, tactile fabric.
Several designers have used this idea creatively in designs for their Fall and Winter 2016/17 collections.
Simple cable designs can be given a whole new look by using some of these methods.
Practise with a good size swatch to see what works and perfect your cabling skills.

Images above | flicker.com

All designer images above | style.com and pinterest

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Happy Knitting!

Needlecrafts - Crochet, Wavy Ripple Stitch

Inspirational image | Pinterest

Colorful and stylish is the inspiration above. A basic garment with ripple yoke and hem edgings finish the garment with texture and color. Note the yoke has stripes of color and the hem in the same shade as the main body, bringing the attention to the face and not the hips. In my experience, whenever you thought of crochet ripple or chevron stitch patterns you envisioned afghan or baby blanket patterns. The wavy edge it created became an ideal finishing element for adding tassel fringes. Different stitch patterns such as lacy or granny stitch types were also great for using up different colors and textures of yarn. If it was a rectangle, it was easy but shaping into a garment was another story altogether. So many designs for wraps, ponchos and shrugs are made up of rectangles. It's a shame if you limit working this interesting pattern to blankets. Straightening out the wavy edge is easy (read further for a helpful video which shows you how). Spring into the new season with a colorful poncho. There are several styles from which to choose along with smaller accessories, ideal for a beginner. Read further for patterns, helpful tutorials, ideas and videos to get you started.

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Needlecrafts - Crochet, Poncho with Flare

Frills and long, loose peplums on garments seem to be a style everywhere in fashion from t shirts to jackets.
Looking at my previous posts, I decided to repost a pattern that has been a very popular, repinned image on Pinterest. My idea of comfort is an oversize garment and a design that can be adapted for different seasons and types of yarns.
Inspiration struck when looking at a blouse with a very loose flare or flounce and a loose body.
Since poncho styles seem to be popular, I decided to design a very easy garment with a flared band or skirting.
As I looked around for yarn, I came across an unfinished project which consisted of a few crocheted squares, probably intended for a shrug.
This was an excellent starting point where I didn't have to start from scratch.
You may also want to think of this pattern for the spring or summer crocheted with a lovely soft cotton.
This design is very easy to customize either in the squares and also in the skirting as this is your waist.

Read further for the pattern instructions, schematics and also a thank you to Erin, a colleague and a very patient model.

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Needlecrafts - Knit, Knits With Bells On

All designer images above | style.com

Fall/Winter 2016 is coming upon us, at least on the fashion runways. Every February and early March, designers prepare us for what's ahead. The shows start in New York, go onto London, Milan and finish up in Paris. It's always fascinating to see what silhouettes, prints and colors will be prominent and how the fashions are styled going down the runway. The knitwear featured in some of the collections had interesting design details that can be added to patterns you already have or thinking about for future projects. Sleeves silhouettes were important especially the bell sleeve highlighted in this post. What's easy on the knitter, it can be knit in a few ways. Most of the sleeves in the show are exaggerated in length but if you want make a statement, elongating the length definitely makes a dramatic statement. A tight sleeve with double increases produces a very full "frill" at the bottom. Sleeves can be made in two pieces or something as simple as working a middle panel in ribbing to take in the fullness from the bottom. Personally, I love three quarter sleeves so the bell in some of my garments can be slight or gathered! Have fun and think about ways you can update garments by taking apart a sweater or cutting (yikes!!) the sleeves on a machine knit sweater and adding new sleeves . Be sure to also read further down for several free patterns each with all the bells and whistles.

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