“I figure if I’m not freezing cold, who cares.” – The Self-Made Wardrobe Week 19
The Self-Made Wardrobe is a project where I only wear garments I’ve made.
It’s sort of a year long experiment in getting dressed without clothing labels.
DAY 127 – DECEMBER 5th
Boring Black Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Khaki Scarf
Pirate Skirt
Various Rings
I’ve found, with this self-made wardrobe project, that I sort of have a wardrobe love/hate cycle. First I love my wardrobe, then I get sick of my wardrobe, I’m highly motivated to make more clothing, I finish something new, and I love my wardrobe again.
What I love about finishing & adding a new piece of clothing to my wardrobe is how much it expands the potential of my whole wardrobe and how one piece can help me see all of my clothing in a new way.
DAY 128 – DECEMBER 6th
Deconstructed Sweater
Boring Black Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Black Heels
Various Rings
Déjà vu? Me too. Last week I went to see my family for Thanksgiving, and this week I went to see them for a family birthday dinner.
I wore basically the same thing as I did last week, my big cushy deconstructed sweater, and graphic silk circle skirt – but I added my boring black sweater as an extra layer, and I’m really glad I did.
DAY 129 – DECEMBER 7th
Deconstructed Sweater
Boring Black Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Black Heels
Various Rings
Same clothes. Worse lighting.
Thankfully the winter solstice is coming soon – so the days will start getting longer, and eventually I’ll be able to take photos at five or six in the evening without it being pitch dark outside.
DAY 130 – DECEMBER 8th
Moonstruck Cardigan
Cascading Flowers Skirt
Brown Boots
Princess Necklace
Various Rings
I keep saying I’m going to make another skirt like this, because I love it so much, but the trickiest part is finding the right fabric. This skirt works mostly because of the fabric, it’s a crinkle rayon that I got from my great aunt. It has a fantastic print and an amazing drape.
DAY 131 – DECEMBER 9th
Basic Black Tank Top
Deconstructed Sweater
Pirate Skirt
Pocket Watch Necklace
Various Rings
One of the things I adore most about this sweater is I have lots of options with it. I hardly ever wear it off my shoulders like this, but I like knowing I have that option.
DAY 132 – DECEMBER 10th
Versio Sweater
Grey Cowl
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Various Rings
I’m basically living in these boots this winter – at least until I get my other boots resoled, which I’ve been meaning to do for weeks, but just haven’t gotten around to doing yet.
DAY 133 – DECEMBER 11th
Moonstruck Cardigan
Black Scarf
Black Maxi Skirt with a Slit
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Back in head to toe black (with a bit of brown thrown in.) It feels strange wearing a skirt with a slit in it during December, and I’m sure it looks strange, but I figure if I’m not freezing cold, who cares.
this week, I’m knitting a sweater completely out of order
Each Wednesday, I post little snippets about what’s happening, and what I’m working on.
This week I focused my knitting time on my super simple raglan pullover. And what should have been a straightforward sweater, turned into a not-so-straightforward project.
Because, I’m knitting this thing completely out of order.
I started at the neck, planning a basic top down raglan sweater.
I knit the neckline, the yoke, the waist decreases and got to the waist.
Then I tried it on, and hated how the neckline looked.
So I put the sweater on hold until I decided what to do.
Eventually, I decided to cut the entire yoke off.
So I cut off the yoke, and wound that yarn back into a ball.
I put those stitches on waste yarn, and worked through the hip increases.
The body was done. (Maybe. I might decide it’s not actually done.)
Then I put the body of the sweater, (without it’s yoke), aside.
Using a provisional cast on, I cast on for the bicep circumference of the first sleeve, and knit three inches. Then I did the same for the second sleeve.
I put the lives stitches for both sleeve stumps on extra circular needles,
then picked out both provisional cast ons and put those on 2 more needles.
I picked the torso of the sweater back up,
removed the waste yarn that I inserted after cutting off the yoke,
slipped the underarm stitches onto (yet more) waste yarn,
and knit the sleeves to the sweater body.
Now I’m knitting the yoke. Again.
Then the plan is to knit the rest of the sleeves, and maybe add length to the body.
Because why should a straightforward sweater be straightforward.
The Deconstructed Sweater – a cozy and easy winter sweater
Giant. Cushy. Cozy. Sweater.
What’s not to love?
This is currently the only sewn sweater in my self-made wardrobe, and I really hope to change that soon. As much as I love knitting, there is something to be said for a sweater you can make in a morning.
I wanted a sweater that was cozy and easy – both while I was making it and when I wear it. So the fabric is a thick, cushy sweater knit, that I turning into a pullover with a giant cowl, and exposed seams.
The “pattern” is just 8 rectangles, strategically sewn together. 1 rectangle for the front, 1 for the back, 2 for the sleeves, and 4 rectangles for the yoke/cowl.
And the sweater turned out to be exactly what I wanted it to be.
Giant. Cushy. Cozy. Easy. The perfect winter sweater.
