I trashed a tunic and a T-shirt dress with my beloved fabric cutter. I forgot to photograph the white tunic at it’s untouched state, but the black one is this basic, almost sheer American Apparel dress. Note all the cat hair… :-S

I’ve used both dresses mainly as undergarments. The idea was to incorporate them to layering like before – but I wanted to give them a right to stand out as their own, as independently interesting pieces.

From the white tunic I cutted out triangles and occassional quadrangles. The outlook of the surface is bit mosaic like. Assistant was available all the time, ready to give a hand… …er… …paw.

This was more time consuming than I thought, I got tired after the front and left the back untouched.

To the black dress i made only simple slits, lightning fast DIY project:

Excuse my laziness, I tested both out with the same silk cotton knit dress. But you get the idea.

I guess that I’m actually going to use these!

The slower knitting pace has also forced me to think of my knits and myself as a knitter. Unfortunately many of my knits lie in my wardrobe untouched since the photoshoot for the blog. I’m not able to incorporate them to my outfits. I really do enjoy knitting as a process, but on the other hand I really would like to produce clothes that I actually want to wear. Now this is even more true, I don’t have too much extra money to spend on yarn.

I know that things have changed in my way to dress myself up, too. There is less pressure for formal wear, and I find myself playing with layers and volume more and more. Some – not all – of Wenlan Chia’s knits fit to this approach pretty well. I actually wore the Karate Sweater today when visiting grocery shop – oh yes, the morning was chilly, now the sun seems to peek out a bit…

My scarves I tend to use frequently (at least in wintertime), and when I wear ankle socks in my boots they certainly are a handknitted pair. I love the idea of Butterfly dress as a part of my layering experiments, although I hesitate to taking Her Fragility out of the garment cover. Selma cape has also found her way to regular use. But that’s about it, folks.

Now I need to figure out what to do to all of the unused garments. I see lots of giveaways happening in the near future, somehow frogging is really difficult for me.

So I let my brain go on process idle a while, and something just popped out. What if I made a ring scarf? I remember that those separate funnel hoodies were very fashionable… …well… …on the beginning of nineties? Ending of eighties? Dunno, but the idea of that kind of “separate funnel neck” just started to haunt me. I would only like to make a large, sculptural one, using some scrumptuous texture stitch.

Here it is. Some stockinette stitch in the beginning, simple lace rib body and then again couple of rows stockinette. Couldn’t be much simpler. I like to wear it like in the previous image, just thrown over a jumper or coat.

But it is large as a small poncho and I can easily slip it over my shoulders for some extra warmth.

My soggy bottom harem pants really enjoy its company.

Bonus task: find the cat from the picture!

There should be also an image of the thing as a hood, but none of those qualified to be published, sorry. This page could also include images of the thing as a skirt, top, coffeepan warmer, cat bed etc. What a multipurpose little thingie! I actually got so excited about the idea that probably some laceweight yarn from my stash will end up as a longer, larger, lacy version of this kind of ring scarf.

I’m so sorry about the image quality. The first thing I will invest in when I have more money is better optics for my camera. This light is simple not enough for my current one (and I stubbornly refuse to use the direct flashlight).

One closeup of the texture. It will probably soften out even more, I guess that the yarn has still some oil residue left in it.

But something is coming out soon, really! Ophicleide has been in test knitting, I want to thank my two lovely test knitters for the first time public right now! But will get back to that later… Ophicleide pattern will include two sleeve options, the short pouf sleeve of the original and gently gathered 3/4 length version. Then I have two sock patterns coming out, the first will be Harlequin socks, second one will be a pattern for these:

Another sock is still on progress. I quite like both of these patterns. They produce socks that are thin enough to use in fitting winter boots (my usual use for handknitted socks), but I’m quite sure that people who like to show off their handknitted socks will find the patterns interesting enough.

My bookmark scarf is finished – and I love it!

Some knits I do just for pure knitting fun. When my friend fell in love with the Butterfly Dress, it was enough encouragement for me to begin the second one. Luxurious material, that is pleasant to knit (hmm, I’m not saying a thing about frogging, though), playing with hundreds of lovely little glass beads, delightful lace border and well thought finishing works made this one of my favourite projects of all time – from the process knitter’s view. I got also a good reason to get to know Garnstudios kid mohair – silk blend.

I like vintage clothes and visit flea markets quite often. I tend to avoid those second hand boutiques – yes the selections ale usually great but the expertise for picking the clothes usually raises the prices. And one thrill on buying used clothes for me is to find excellent bargains, quality clothes in very low prices. Recently I found this lovely cotton velvet vintage skirt from the neighborhood charity shop. It looks like it has been used only couple of times – and the size is just right. I hesitated a bit of the length of the skirt and thought about shortening it a bit – but now when I have played around with it a bit I’m totally seduced by its vintage charm, and I’m afraid that that charm has lot to do with that conservative length.

If I had a lighter build on the top of my body, I would love this skirt with black fitted thin wool turtleneck, broad belt on waist and some simple black pumps.

I have always loved the flea markets, but don’t buy from them often. That is probably so, because I have some simple rules for myself for buying second hand. I seek for clothes and accessories that have really good materials and are well made. They should be in excellent shape and right size for me. I’m afraid that a cheap piece would not inspire me for large adjustment work – and probably I’m right. I wish so badly that I had this kind of discipline for all clothes and acessory shopping…

It is sort of sad to see that overall quality of secondhand clothes is getting gradually poor. Of course the best ones are always picked to vintage boutiques, but it is amazing to see piles and piles of 5-15 years old clothes that are made with uninviting materials (90′s viscose dresses and skirts, polyester stretch trousers, suits and skirts, nylon sportswear) and poor craftsmanship.

I guess that this skirt will be one of my favourite finds. I photographed two other second hand jewels with it, a small snakeskin bag I found from the lovely outside flea market of Hietalahdenranta (a must visit for Helsinki visitors in summer) and a short dyed rabbit fur – it cost me 10 euros… Side note: I really don’t want to encourage fur usage overall, fur farms are not good places for animals. But I would like to encourage second hand fur usage, the material lasts well for 2-3 generations and is 100% biodegradable.

At first I was eyeing on Laura Zukaite’s Essential Tank Top (at Ravelry) but then I thought again and decided to design something by myself… …can you see the theme, me, myself and I…

It will be a lacy ribbed T-shirt, very transparent, suitable for layering or for very brave souls (not meaning yours truly). The construction and the shape will be simple but I have some neat ideas for details.

Yarn is Colourmart chocolate mousse coloured cobweb cashmere silk, about 3000 yards in one cone! I can tell you that knitting three strands of cobweb together is not always fun…

My yarn diet is over, sort of. I have no intentions to extend my yarn stash to new proportions – but I don’t need to say “no” to every temptation from now on. I can give in delicacies like this:

Yarn is Ilu’s wool-bamboo-mohair handpainted sock yarn. I love the drapey feel of this stuff and those delicate yet earthy colours.

I decided to start a clothes shopping diet, but boy that will be hard this autumn.

Young finnish designer Hanna Saren will have her collection for local high street clothes shop
Seppälä – and I love it to the bits. Pay a visit if you are in Finland around 6th of October.

I really like those accessories, but there are some very sweet clothes, too.

And later this autumn there will be Comme des Garçons collection for H&M. I do have a soft spot for Rei Kawakubo designs – and I have been relatively satisfied to all H&M designer collaboration clothes I’ve bought so far.

The collection looks surprisingly daring and uncompromized (more images). If you can get over with that rather gloomy styling there are several great separates and some really great deconstructed or interestingly detailed jackets. How lovely would that cropped one look over a simple gray knit?

Well, my dressing inspiration has been quite different, lately: seventies rules! I have this great pair of pretty old Diesel bell bottom jeans (yes, you have seen them several times before) and lately they have felt just right. Well so right that they are starting to fall apart – why are the jeans at their best just before they come apart?

Oops, accidentally twisted my shirt – but you get the idea…

I don’t match my accessories often, instead I try to balance the overall impression with them and add some interest.

I really like the fit: loose, but not tentlike.

The top has a racerback, not very revealing, though. The neckhole and armholes are finished with I-cord. The top is textured with knit and purl stripes – actually this is kind of cheat, from side slits to armholes I just knitted – and turned the work every tenth row. A dream project for TV-addict…

Oh being still in pics seems to be too hard . I don’t have that bulky arms, really.

The top is so lightweight that it fits under many garments – and yes, it is warm!

Oh, this jacket transfers color, away, away…

Ouch, it does not fit here… …or to be honest I don’t fit this jacket. Perhaps later on this autumn… …I love the jacket, though…

Then to my other… …diet. I’m on very strict clothes shopping diet, no slips allowed especially for impulse purchases. If I’m buying something, I should really need it – and I have to plan my purchases. I can’t complain about lack of clothes – oh girls, I’ve certainly done my share of both well planned purchases and whimsy impulse shopping. Now I’m initializing an expedition to my wardrobe, just to get those clothes to healthy circulation – or to second hand shop if I don’t find use to them.

So I have to find some useful combinations for unused clothes – and why not combine the staples in new ways. Sometimes I’m able to visionarize the new combinations by lying on our living room couch – but the results are considerably better when trying the outfits on. Feels much more secure, when there is actually need to use that combination. I’ve found that the camera is a good assistant, too. Sometimes I tend to be so blind to what I really see in mirror – for photographs I always have the distance required.

About year ago I bought this cute tunic/dress from local (well, actually Swedish) high street shop sale. Yes, I really saw that it was short… …but then again I thought that the largish size would compensate, yeah right…

And then again… …that mirror is in a slightly dark corner, so the image quality is not good. But you get the point.

Three inches to the length – and this would probably be my favourite summer dress. But now I really need something to go with this, underneath, just for decency. On the other hand my sturdy legs are constantly on bruises and I don’t especially fancy to flash them out. And I won’t change my body inflicting hobbies to get bruise free legs, thanks for asking .

With trousers this looks somewhat like maternity wear. So I took a pair of leggings and slipped a short chemise underneath.

This garment was so cheap that I would put straight to my charity bag if I wouldn’t like the details of the dress so much. Look at those cute fabric covered buttons and raw edgings. The material is lovely, too, very soft cotton voilé. I have a soft spot for decent materials and well thought details.

Uhum, back to business. I’m not too into that leggings and tunic -look. At least not like this. My legs look so sturdy without heels. And heels with this… …nooooooo….

In spite of that chunky leg syndrome the overall impression is unbalanced, top heavy. So I’m using a bit twisted logic and add some volume to the bottom. Long gray ombre coloured socks and sturdy, slouchy low heeled boots. They make a nice contrast to that girly dress. I don’t want it look too coordinated – I have black boots, too, but these brown ones bring on much more interest.

Mmmhmm, I could use this. At least with a bit longer coat. The bag would definitely be black, matching to boots feels just wrong with this.

Still in love…

Another one, I’ve been planning this literally for years:

It is so me! And ooh, SATC the Movie in the theatres very soon! Those clothes *swoon*…