More from SpinExpo New York, Autumn 2015

As some of you know, the building where I live and work is undergoing a major renovation. This week begins the installation of new radiators directly through the area where my Passap kntting machine, yarn supply, computer, and work table are usually located. After several days of packing and moving, I've now relocated to another area in the loft, where I hope to catch up on some work.

Since my machine knitting/sewing time has been limited, this is the perfect time to post a few more pictures from my visit this past July to SpinExpo New York, the exposition of international yarn and knit manufacturers.

Though the fabrics and fashions exhibited at SpinExpo were mostly knit, there were a variety of other fabrics in the denim concept area. Below is a macramé poncho, created with denim yarns.

Besides meeting with a few manufacturers at the show, I was interested in seeing the trends in yarns and knits for Fall/Winter 2015. I saw fluffy yarns in greyscale and tapestry-like knits. Hmmm... I suppose this means my white and grey mohair and pseudo-damask jacquard are on trend.

It's always lovely seeing a whole display of swatches in my favorite orange/red/gold color group.

One trend I have not explored (and probably won't) is gold leaf on knits. The gold leaf hides much of the texture of the knit and the leaf eventually crumbles off. Ok.

If you missed it, please check out my previous post on SpinExpo. You can see another gold leaf knit and other pics of swatches and fashion from the show.

So what are your thoughts on gold leaf fashion knits? And are you ready for the return of macramé?

O!

McCall Patterns That Can Work for Sweater Knits

Though I'll often draft a sewing pattern for myself, I've also used commercial patterns with sweater knit fabrics. So as you might imagine, I was quite excited to be among a group of sewing enthusiasts invited to the open house and trunk show at McCall's Pattern Company's office in lower Manhattan. Perhaps you've already heard about this event on other blogs (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic, Clio & Phineas, Oona Baloona, The McCall Pattern Company blog) and social media?

The event was as fabulous as everyone who was there will tell you. If you weren't there, you can be put on the list for a future event by emailing blog @ mccallpattern.com. (And I hear there are plans to take the show on the road!)

So what did I personally come away with, besides a brief history of the company, a peek into how this major pattern company operates, a fun time with some NYC area sewers, and that generous goodie bag? (Thanks, McCall!) After chatting with a staff member during the nosh part of the event, I became interested in taking another look at some of the patterns with an eye toward what might work for... you guessed it... sweater knits, of course. As you're probably aware, the McCall Pattern Company not only includes McCall's, but also Butterick, Kwik Sew, and Vogue Patterns. So much to explore!

When choosing a sewing pattern for sweater knits, first check to see that the pattern is designed for knits. Though you don't often see "sweater knits" listed as a suggested fabric, Misses' and Men's cardigan pattern, M6803, does specifically list sweater knits. I don't own the pattern, so I don't know what specific instructions are given for the buttonholes. If you decide to make this classic cardigan, and you're having trouble, be sure to check out my post on Buttonholes and Sweater Knits.

Many patterns are quite workable even though they don't list sweater knits as a suggested fabric. You'd be surprised that once you've learned to stabilize knits in the important areas -- shoulders (definitely), neck/armholes/hem  (perhaps) -- you may be able to use that crazy awesome, super stretch, unstable fabric that you love after all. Check that the pattern's suggested stretch for the fabric matches the stretch of  the sweater knit you plan on using. (Please note that the following mods are my own ideas and not recommended by McCall Pattern Company. I don't work for them. This is just the approach I would take with each of the patterns.) Take V8950 (view B) as an example.

Click to view V8950 on Vogue Patterns site.

It would make a gorgeous sweater using two different colors, as in the knit top shown, but I might make my sweater with two different textures instead. If you look at the line art, you'll see there are no darts. That's the next thing to look for; best to choose a sewing pattern without darts. If the sweater knit fabric is on the bulky side, I'd choose to face the neck and sleeve hems with a lighter weight knit, instead of turning the sweater knit fabric under. Separate lightweight facings at the bottom of the sweater front and the sweater back would take care of the side slits nicely, too. Yoke seam seems too bulky? I'd topstitch the seam allowance down with a narrow zigzag. Remember topstitching usually doesn't show very much on the public side with a heavy knit, but it is handy for flattening seams and keeping them in their place.

Another excellent candidate is K4027 (view A).

Click to view K4027 on Kwik Sew site.

I do love basic lines for sweater knits! Using a sweater knit with this sewing pattern would allow the beauty of the jacquard or texture to be featured.

For a cardigan, here's the pattern I'd choose. I really love the look and drape of long sleeved K3916 (view B) for a sweater knit.

Click to view K3916 on Kwik Sew site.

I would use a stretchy Hong Kong finish on the seam that attaches the front and neck band to the rest of the cardigan. The side seams will show when the cardigan is removed, so I'd use the stretchy Hong Kong finish on those, too.

So now that I've figured out how I'd approach each of these, I guess I should choose one pattern to try. I wonder which one it'll be? Suggestions?

O!

The epilogue:  I ended up choosing Kwik Sew 3916. You can read more beginning with this post.
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Photos used with permission. Last edit 5Nov2014

The Last Minute Fancy Sweater Knit Dress, Version 1

I made a dress last week! Not the one I've been talking about, but it's a dress I'm really happy with. Just when I thought I'd finally make that Nakamichi inspired dress, something came up, and there was no longer any time for the experimentation and the mock-ups that the dress required. I'd received an invitation, and suddenly I was making a dress for an event and after party; I had a deadline. But I'm used to deadlines and conjured up a Plan B, deciding to sew a dress using my basic sloper. I hoped I'd like the dress enough to wear it. I did!

The idea was to combine two fabrics -- a lacy racked rib in wool that I could quickly machine knit for the occasion. (I had originally developed the stitch pattern in bamboo for another project, and I've been experimenting with summer wool for a little while now. The fabric is lighter than it appears in the photos and very comfortable to wear.) The second fabric would be a sheer nylon knit (store-bought) that I had on hand. The lacy wool would work for a simply shaped, knee-length, sleeveless sweater dress. The sheer would be for bottom panels with a handkerchief hem to mid-calf in the front, and a little lower in the back.

I doubled the nylon for a French binding around the armholes and neckline.

I have no modeled photos of the dress at the moment. Maybe I'll have a "Big Photo Session Day" and model all the things I've made lately. Maybe.

Photographing from this angle and squishing the dress up a bit gives a better idea of the flow than photographing it on the dress form straight on. As always, there are a few interesting techniques that I'm making note of for my future reference. I'll get into them on the blog soon. The next version of this dress will have a couple of modifications, which I'll talk about too.

Ever do last minute makes for personal wear? I had back up clothing so I was willing to take the risk. If you do it, do you think it's worth the pressure?

O!