Your Creative Sweater Knit Projects

Arlene Holzman in New Hudson

I'm in love with the palazzo pants sewn by Arlene Holzman for a special family event. They are elegant, have a gorgeous drape, with just the right amount of fancy. And I'm only a little prejudiced since Arlene chose O! Jolly! New Hudson natural white sweater knit to make them. But really... just look at those palazzo pants!

From time to time I've posted pictures of people modeling their O! Jolly! sweater knits. I'm happily posting a few more today. Yes, I do get excited when I see what others make with these fabrics! I develop the knits, have them produced, then send them out into the world wondering what they'll become. I'm so very grateful to those sewists who've shared pictures of their finished garments with me and who've allowed me to post their pictures. I really enjoy seeing just how creative sewists are and how differently they use the knits. Arlene, after all, used the very same fabric, that Sonja of GingerMakes used to make a Grainline Studio Linden Sweatshirt.

Deepika of PatternReview used the New Hudson more traditionally and made a sweater. She's fulfilling part of her #sewprecious2017 pledge. You may have read that Deepika is challenging herself and others to cut and sew the "precious" fabrics they may be saving in their stashes. (Thanks for considering the fabric special, Deepika. I'm glad you finally sewed it. And I know it looks better on you than on the shelf, in the drawer or other designated hiding place!) Here's Deepika's Burda 7595. You can read her pattern review is here.

Deepika in New Hudson

New Hudson is a rather stable sweater knit, so it can work with a variety of projects. Georgia (I Believe I Can Sew) combined it with natural white 2x2 cotton rib to make a suit with flair and flare.

Georgia in New Hudson

I've been carrying New Hudson in the shop, for almost two years now, ever since I started contracting local mills to knit fabrics to my specifications. Natural White Cotton Jersey is another fabric that I've carried from the beginning and try to always have in stock. Though I don't have many pictures of finished garments with this fabric, the cotton jersey has been the shop's best seller. Dorcas (@lonestarcouture on Instagram) made a very lovely and cozy Vogue 9057 tunic in the fabric.

Dorcas in sweater weight Natural White Cotton Jersey

Technically the fabric is a jersey, but as you can see, it's sweater weight -- considerably heavier and plusher than the jersey used for a t-shirt.  Annie, another sewist, has used this incredibly soft fabric to sew a couple of tunics. Her color-grown light green version is below.

Annie's sweater weight Color-Grown Cotton Jersey tunic

This, of course, doesn't mean that the sweater knit jersey can't be used for a t-shirt-style sweater. I absolutely love the cut of this cropped, short sleeve sweater from Olaf Designs in Brisbane in the natural white jersey.

I've personally had plans to make a cardigan with dark chocolate Washington Square wool since before it was knitted into yardage. I haven't sewn the cardi yet, but I was thrilled to see the deep raspberry Washington Square cardigan that Jeffifer Shoemaker made. Jeffifer used both sides of the fabric in a single garment. Speaking as a designer, using both sides of the fabric as a public side is an approach that warms my heart. (I made use of both sides of a different fabric just last month.)

Jeffifer in Washington Square

A pullover with basic lines will always work for a prominently textured sweater knit. Sonja (Ginger Makes) chose the Mandy Boat Tee pattern for this sweater for her mother-in-law.

Tee by Sonja in Washington Square

Marcy Harriel (Oonaballoona) took the same Washington Square on a whole different journey. Though she admits the fabric may not be perfectly suited for the body conscious skirt she had in mind, I happen to think that Marcy in her matching skirt and hat ensemble is a treat. And by the way, Marcy used both sides of the Washington Square fabric for her hat. Yes!

Marcy in Washington Square

The next project could be a wonderful centerpiece for one of my "Scraps Not More" posts. Debbie Iles of Lily Sage and Co pieced together leftover Saratoga Rib fabric from her Megan Longline Cardigan and combined it with plain white ponte to make this uniquely beautiful, raglan top that looks more like a clever design than a combo of cutaways. But then, Debbie is a clever designer with her own line of sewing patterns. "There’s never any fabric waste in my house," says Debbie. I do like the way she thinks.

Debbie in Saratoga Rib

Two more traditional sweaters I'd like to share. Both are cable sweaters sewn by two different bloggers with two different cable knits. Each blogger writes about her process. Neither fabric is available in the shop at this time, but if you haven't read the posts already, you may find them interesting and helpful for cutting and sewing sweater knits in general. Kyle Burkhardt of Vacuuming the Lawn "...Sewed a Sweater From a Blanket". And I'm happy to have just discovered Carolanne (Sweet Carolanne), who "...Made A Cable Knit Sweater... Without Knitting!"

I do hope you've enjoyed seeing these makes. Some pics and referenced posts are over a year old (oops). I usually don't get to see what's made with the fabric. Most of the people who purchase O! Jolly! fabric don't blog and are not on Instagram, at least not for sewing. If you're reading this and you've got a photo of your finished garment made with O! Jolly! sweater knit, please let me know. I'd truly love to see it! And I'll only post with your permission.

O!
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Disclosure:  Dorcas and Georgia in above post were Pattern Review contest winners and received gift certificates toward the purchase of their fabrics. Marcy and Debbie received fabric in exchange for photos/blog mentions.

For news and discounts on O! Jolly! fabrics and sweater knit sewing tips, I invite you to join the email list.

It's New York Textile Month (and NY Fashion Week)

Portions of this post were originally published on Crafting Fashion on February 23, 2015.

September 10, 2016

A funny thing happened on my walk to the supermarket today. The block north of mine was full of police barriers, multiple cameras, cherry pickers with big lights, and a crowd. Ah... New York Fashion Week. Rebecca Minkoff was about to have a runway show right there on Greene Street.

Yes, New York Fashion Week has begun, but did you know that September 2016 is the first ever New York Textile Month (#NYTM)? (It's always New York textile month as far as I'm concerned. ;)) Nonetheless I've fully embraced this month's designation and will be doing my best to participate in both official and unofficial capacities.

According to NYFM's initiator Lidewij Edelkoort, Dean of Hybrid Studies at The New School, NYTM is a a month to "investigate and celebrate the survival of different textile components and expressions... helping the general public to better comprehend and embrace the textiles of life."  Yeah, I can really get behind that. If you'd like to know why a special month would need to exist, please read Edelkoort's complete mission statement. And this page will direct you to the lists of  New York Textile Month events, if you happen to be in the city.

My first visit to an official event was to the conveniently located Goodman Lobby of the Museum of the Fashion Institute of Technology. This exhibit was presented by F.I.T's Textile/Surface Design and Fabric Styling Departments. I was only slightly disappointed that there was not a single knit stitch on display. My favorite textiles were the laser-cut leather by Janisha Biyanwila (pictured above) and the monofilament and cotton by Rebekah Bassen (detail, below). It was impossible to capture in a photo the shimmery, diaphanous quality of Bassen's fabric, hanging as it was behind glass. I'd love to have seen this textile draped somehow in the exhibit. Both of these pieces are implicitly contemporary textiles, produced with methods (Biyanwila) or materials (Bassen) that weren't available a century ago.

Many of you know it took a little while before I found a place where I could get my knit textiles produced. One hundred years ago, things might have been easier. Believe me, I have no interest in going back a century. I'd have major social justice issues, civil rights issues, and fashion issues. But one hundred years ago, my current SoHo neighborhood was a real hot bed of wool, sweater showrooms, and the knitting related businesses. These enterprises spilled out way beyond my immediate neighborhood. In fact, knitting mills were scattered all over the U.S. northeast and midwest at the time. Many of these businesses are documented in Sweater News: The Journal of the Sweater and Fancy Knit Goods Trade vol. 5 (12 issues from 1918), a publication, digitized on Google Books, that I've been "thumbing" through. Earlier and later volumes are also available, but I happened upon this amazing volume first. I'm not sure when the journal ceased to be published. The most recent one I found was 1920.

A beach cover-up? Click to enlarge.

Sweater News was a trade publication for the wholesale sweater industry. I was already reading the articles and enjoying display ads, when I realized that it was published at 320 Broadway in Manhattan, just a few blocks from where I live and work now. Please click to enlarge Sweater New pages below.

I love the ad for the Dubied machine, pictured above left. The Fashion Institute of Technology still has several Dubied machines, not too different from the one pictured. I knitted on a Dubied when I studied "Weft Knitting Technology" in the late 1980s. I got to use one again in 2011 when I enrolled in "Knit Design Principles and Technology" as a refresher.

Ninety-eight years ago, wholesale buyers could browse the ads for the knit fashion of the day. "Climax Quality" bathing suits, anyone?

The pages below got my attention.

As I was reading "New Bill to Protect Designs Before Congress" on the right, I glanced at the opposite page and noticed that the American Spinning Company's branch office and warehouse was located across the street from me. You may have seen 66 Greene Street caught at a distance in my #outmywindow series of pics on Instagram. It's the graffiti doorway seen here and here. And below from two angles.

The building was more pristine in February 2015 but photographed not nearly as often.

The building on the left (68 Greene) most recently housed an Oak & Fort pop-up shop on street level, but it's still the home of the Landau Wool Company, a remnant jobber, on the second floor. According to info gleaned online, Landau Wool was established in 1960, but I'd say it's a real throwback to the SoHo (before it was called "SoHo) neighborhood from 100 years ago.

There are a number of very interesting New York Textile Month events I hope to attend. I'll be sure to post to Instagram, when I can. 

O!

Pattern Review's 2015 Sweater Knits Contest

I'm pleased to announce that O! Jolly! is the sponsor of this month's Pattern Review contest. It's the 2015 Sweater Knits Contest, and I'm very happy to be a part of an event that gets more home sewers excited about sewing sweater knit fabric!

The contest officially begins tomorrow, October 1st. Links to the contest discussion, rules, gallery, contest badge are on this page. 

I got to meet Deepika, PatternReview's owner and founder, when she visited New York City recently. We had brunch in SoHo and chatted about sewing and fabrics, including sweater knits, of course. How interesting to learn how Deepika started PatternReview fifteen years ago and how the site has evolved. Deepika said that people were once wary of posting photos of themselves online. Imagine that! ;-) After brunch we went shopping at Purl SoHo and later ogled the all the luxurious fabrics in the clothing at the Chanel store. What a delightful afternoon!

Here's an Instgram pic of Deepika at Purl SoHo in front of the Liberty of London display, wearing a pretty True Bias Southport Dress that she made.

At @purlsoho with @ojolly

A photo posted by Deepika Prakash (@deepika_patternreview) on Sep 29, 2015 at 1:03pm PDT

Pictures of the Pattern Review Sweater Knits Contest entries will begin to be posted on PatternReview over the next couple of weeks. To help get the things started, I've contributed a few suggestions and tips on working with my favorite type of fabric. Please check them out on the Pattern Review Blog. In case you'd like to join the fun, all the official rules and prizes are here.

I can't wait to see what the participants create!

O!

Sweater Fabric, Cut and Sewn

Annie's light green jersey tunic

What a wonderful surprise I had recently when I received pictures from a happy customer!  Annie had been interested in my color grown cotton fabrics and purchased the jersey in both tan and light green, as well as matching ribbing. Pictured above is one of Annie's finished garments, a light green tunic. I just love the graceful drape of Annie's creation. Thank you, Annie, for sharing these pictures with me and thanks for allowing me to share them with others. I know that many of my customers don't blog and don't post their makes on social media, so it's such a treat when I see what they've made. Below is Annie's tan tunic, a slightly different style, and just as lovely.

Annie's tan jersey tunic

Perhaps you've already seen the wonderful natural white jersey Shrug from Leila of Three Dresses Project?

Leila's natural white jersey shrug

Quite some time ago Leila tweeted to the world how she was unable to find sweater knit fabric. It was spring and there simply weren't any sweater knits available where she shopped. "Ah, someone who wants to sew sweater knits!" I said to myself. "I'll send you some, Leila," I emailed her. 

Over a year later, I finally sent her some fabric! But I had an excuse for the long delay. It was around that time that I started seriously exploring the possibility of having my fabric designs knit in a mill. And it only(!) took me more than a year to source the materials, find a mill that would work with me, and get the fabric knitted! True that I was involved in many other projects as I worked on this new venture. True that I was also packing up my workspace, moving it, unpacking it, and packing it up again, as needed, as the building where I live and work received a big upgrade. (Renovations are still not complete in what what must be the slowest condo conversion in history, but they're in the home stretch now. :-/ )

Returning to our topic... the yardage finally arrived at Leila's door, and she made the beautiful shrug cardigan. You can see in the pictures that although it's a jersey, it's heavier than standard jersey. It really is a true sweater knit. You can see more pics and read all about Leila's pretty wrap dress on her blog.

Last I leave you with Grainline Studio's Linden by Sonya of GingerMakes. Sonja completed it way back at the beginning of summer, but I realized that though newsletter subscribers have certainly seen it and readers of GingerMakes have seen it, I don't think I ever posted a picture on Crafting Fashion! More about the sewing and the fabric are on the GingerMakes blog, in case you haven't read it already. 

Sonja's Linden sweater in New Hudson

I must admit that I love everything about this sweater. I think it's great that Sonya chose what's technically a sweatshirt pattern for the New Hudson fabric. It was a very good combo!

I'm so excited about the 100% wool knits that will be arriving at the shop throughout October. There's a scrumptious wool, as soft and fine as Australian merino but from a wonderful sheep breed developed in the the US over a hundred years ago, the Columbia sheep. And there's a bulky textured fabric, knit with a medium grade American wool. This fabric will be perfect for wraps and ponchos and cardigans. Can hardly wait. They're coming soon!

O!

Open House at Of Hand, Spirit & Earth Studio

Tomorrow is Open House at the studio and you're invited! Keep reading to the end for my special offer to you.

Of Hand, Spirit & Earth Studio
Saturday, November 29, 2014
12 Noon to 6 PM

O! Jolly! scarf

Come join us at the Of Hand, Spirit & Earth - Open House, featuring the unique jewelry designs by Jacquie Bird of SilkWire Jewelry and my limited edition O! Jolly! scarves and wraps. You'll also be able to see, touch, and order sweater knit fabrics, not yet seen in the online shop.

O! Jolly! sample fabric

As many of you know, with the ongoing construction and renovation in my building, making and showing has been extremely difficult at times. I was thrilled to be able to join forces with the multi-talented Jacquie Bird of SilkWire Jewelry to officially open the studio/showroom Of Hand, Spirit & Earth last month. The studio is open by appointment only, except for special events, like this!

Neck piece by SilkWire Jewelry

Bracelet by SilkWire Jewelry

Our invitation goes out to all friends, followers, and supporters in the New York City and northern New Jersey area. The studio is located on a beautiful tree-lined street in downtown Jersey City, just a couple of blocks from City Hall. (It's the Grove Street stop, if you're taking the PATH train from Manhattan.)
We hope you'll stop by for a glass of wine, good vibes, and relaxed shopping. We'll be here all afternoon.  RSVP on Eventbrite.

Of Hand, Spirit & Earth Studio [interactive map]
115 Mercer Street Suite 1
Jersey City NJ 07302

Saturday, November 29, 2014
12 Noon to 6 PM

Shop handmade on Small Business Saturday! Say "shop handmade" at our Open House to receive 15% off all O! Jolly! purchases and special orders placed at the studio on the November 29.

Hope to see you there!

O!

Blog Hop - Four Questions and Answers

In the comments of a recent blog post, I received a "nomination" to participate in a blog hop! It's the four questions interview hop, which you may have seen on other blogs. I'm sorry I have no idea who started it. Lori B of Frivolous at Last nominated me and that was kinda fun, since we'd never communicated before this.

How it works is easy. I'll just dive right in and answer the questions. At the end I'll nominate two more bloggers to participate. Originally, there was some sort of time frame on when the questions were to be answered, but we'll ignore that part. So here goes!

1.  Why do I write?
I started writing this blog mostly to keep a record of the steps I take to produce a particular sewing technique. I'm a professional knit textile designer and as most textile designers do, I've kept meticulous notes and graphs so that the fabrics can be reproduced. When I decided I wanted to experiment with cutting and sewing my fabrics, I decided, of course, to keep more notes. This time I'd publish what I wrote in the form of a blog, and perhaps I'd find a community of others doing the same.

Keeping notes ;-)

This is actually my fourth blog. The first was a digital animation vlog in support of the electronic music group Silicon Soul. (I was a founding member, songwriter, and singer for the group. We had a European hit "Who Need Sleep Tonight" with a bunch of remixes and collaborations.) The second blog was about electronic (classical contemporary and dance) music and electronic art in general. I wrote to share interesting performances I'd attended, exhibits I'd viewed, or items I'd found online. My third blog is Knitting in the Fastlane, a machine knitting blog, where I still post on an irregular basis. Though Crafting Fashion started out as just a web log, it's moved beyond that now. I try to make what I write helpful to anyone who's interested in cutting and sewing sweater knits. On occasion I'll write about the sweater knit fabrics that I design, develop and/or knit, some of which are available through my online shop.

2.  What am I working on?
I'm smack in the middle of a shawl collar cardigan, Kwik Sew 3916. Though I usually prefer drafting my own patterns, it's fun to sew a commercial pattern every now and then. Also, a couple of readers asked if I would write up a project in detail showing how to adapt a commercial pattern for use with sweater knits. Though I originally started out using a serger with sweater knits (a quick and easy way of working with knits), I eventually realized that I wanted the inside of my garments to have a more finished look. The shawl cardi will be my first garment where I finish all inside edges with a stretchy Hong Kong finish. So far, I love the way this is working out! For anyone who thinks of cut and sew sweaters as a poor substitute for the fully fashioned, check it out. Yes, it's an odd mash-up of commercial manufacturing processes and couture techniques, but I'm going to be able to wear this thing inside out if I want! (Exaggeration -- it's not really reversible but will look very neat on the inside.)

One stretchy Hong Kong finished seam in progress

A big project that recently got underway is the Of Hand, Spirtit & Earth Studio. Jacquie Bird of SilkWire Jewelry and I have combined forces to open this studio/showroom in downtown Jersey City NJ. I'm very excited to have a place to regularly show my fabric samples, scarves, and wraps. Of Hand, Spirit & Earth is open to visitors by appointment only. Click if you'd like to know more.

My very Big project (vBp) is my quest to produce a reasonably priced line of quality sweater knit fabrics. This will eventually involve getting some of my fabrics produced commercially. For those who don't knit their own, quality sweater knit fabric can be nearly impossible to find. And if you do find the fabrics, finding matching fabric, suitable for binding and bands, just doesn't happen. This quest has been a project-in-progress for a little while now, and I'm doing this because I am passionate about sweater knits. All my current custom-knit fabrics are, if not luxury, then definitely on the high end. Their widths are also limited by the width of my knitting machines. This may be fine for fashion designers who need swatches or fabric for a sample garment. It's also good for the home sewer who makes the occasional luxury item and appreciates the ease of working with the narrower fabric. I admit I'm biased, but I think more people need quality sweater knits in their lives. Ok, maybe not this much, but definitely more. The vBp will be a way to bring comfortable, quality knit fabrics to a larger audience. Once you've worked with and worn the fine grade wools, you won't be happy with the polyester and acrylic blends. If you're excited by sweater knits and my vBp and want to invest your time or money, let's talk.

3.  How does my blog differ from others in its genre?
Do you remember how I said "perhaps I'd find a community of others who were doing the same"? Well, that never happened. No other bloggers specialize in cutting and sewing sweater knits. At least there aren't any sewers that I've come across who do. There may be machine knitters who blog on this.... If you're out there, please let me know! 

Anyway, I hope that people who are interested in cutting and sewing sweater knits have found my experiments and posts helpful. Working with this type of knit is quite different from working with lighter weight and finer gauged knits. This blog doesn't have lots of subscribers, but according to Google Analytics, some of my posts (the tutorials and tips) have lifetime pageviews hundreds of times my average?! Most readers, who get here via Google, search "how to cut and sew a sweater" or similar query.

4.  How does my writing process work?
My writing process is project-driven. I write about the personal projects that I'm working on or about what I've recently completed, trying to document at least the broader strokes. I don't write about projects I do for private clients, unless the fabric I'm knitting is commercially available in my shop. For this blog, my topics have to do with cutting and sewing the fabrics; usually Crafting Fashion is not about making the fabrics. The pictures, which aren't always as great as I'd like, can come before I start the writing, while I'm writing, or after I've finished the writing. I don't really enjoy taking my own picture modeling a finished garment, but I force myself to do it. I love taking project-in-progress pictures, because they often serve as a writing prompt. I find pics helpful when I'm trying to recreate something I've done previously. I'm glad that others have told me the pics are helpful, too. I've learned to enjoy taking pictures of provocatively draped knit fabrics and then describing them, but I've decided that long winded, detailed descriptions of sweater knits are beyond the scope of this blog! I'd really love to have an editor.

O! Jolly! double knit black and white rippled jacquard, fine grade wool 

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Now is my turn to nominate two bloggers to answer the four questions. My first nomination is Esther Melander of The Design Loft. I've never met Esther and not sure I've ever left a comment on her blog, but I enjoy reading what she writes because it's often technical and meaty. She has worked in the fashion industry and has written a book called The Organized Fashion Designer. Though I'm doing much more textile designing than fashion designing these days, I'm thinking that her book of guides and forms might be helpful as I proceed with my vBp. It would be interesting to learn about her writing process. I also nominate Chuleenan Svetvilas of C Sews. I follow Chuleenan on the various social media and we've commented on each other's blogs, though we've never met in person. I love the dresses she makes and the hats she wears. I admire her sense of style and I'd love to hear about her creative process. I hope Esther and Chuleenan accept the nominations.

O!

Last edit 29Oct2014

Of Hand, Spirit & Earth - Artisans' Studio

Baby alpaca and merino scarf by O! Jolly!

Were you expecting Shawl Cardi - Part 3? The next part of the series is coming soon, but first, this important announcement:

I'm happy to be a participating designer in the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour (JCAST) on October 18th and 19th. Invited by the lovely and talented Jacquie Bird of SilkWire Jewelry, my goods and I will be making the quick trip across the Hudson River to be a part of a new artisans' studio/showroom. It's called Of Hand, Spirit & Earth. We'll be previewing during the Jersey City Art & Studio Tour.

Of Hand, Spirit & Earth is located in downtown Jersey City on a pretty street a couple of blocks from City Hall. It's a quick trip on the PATH train, if you're coming from Manhattan. I'll be showing finished goods -- scarves and wraps. There'll be no sweater knit yardage for sale this time, though I'll have some special sample fabrics displayed and will be able to take orders. 

Merino wool and bamboo scarf by O! Jolly!

Limited edition scarves and wraps -- artwear to gloriously wrap around your neck and shoulders -- they're every textile designer's dream accessory to make. Scarves are the chance to show off both exuberant design and craftsmanship in one single complete accessory. Baby alpaca, fine merino wool, bamboo -- these are the yarns I use to create a knitted scarf or wrap that's luxuriously soft and sophisticated. If you follow me on social media (Instagram, Twitter, Facebook) you may have caught glimpses of a few scarf details last week.

If you're unfamiliar with the jewelry art that is SilkWire Jewelry by Jacquie Bird, you're in for a treat! Jacquie's pieces are handmade creations of beauty, bold and powerful, for women and men. Better than words, here's a peek at a couple of my favorites.

Amber, silk, copper bracelet by SilkWire Jewelry

Rose quartz, copper ring by Silk Wire Jewelry

Much handmade goodness to see on the JCAST... we'll be delighted to have you stop by!

October 18th and 19th, 2014, 12 - 6PM 
Jersey City Art & Studio Tour

Of Hand, Spirit & Earth [Google Map]

115 Mercer St. #1

Jersey City NJ 07302

O!

Textiles, Industry, Craft

This post is not about my knitted textiles.

I spent ages 11 through 18 in the town of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, birthplace of both Wendy Carlos and David Hartman. In the language of the Narragansett, Pawtucket's original residents, Pawtucket means "place by the waterfall".

Oh, waterfall, I hear you saying. That must have been beautiful! Well, no, not really. At one time the series of small waterfalls along the Blackstone River had been a great magnet for textile mills, and later, other industry. The Industrial Revolution that started in England had spread to New England. In fact Pawtucket's Old Slater Mill, built in 1793, is known as the Birthplace of the American Industrial Revolution. Much of the textile industry left Rhode Island in the early to mid twentieth century. Other industry came in to take its place. That waterfall was polluted for much of my time in Rhode Island. By the time I left, many factories along the river were gone. Pawtucket was beginning a beautification and renewal program. Not having any family remaining there, I kind of lost track of what happened after that.

I found this pic on Wikipedia. That's Slater Mill across the river on the left. It looks like a big yellow/white house with a cupola. The mill was red, when I was a kid. Photo credit: Marc N Belanger

Textiles (as industry) spread, flourish, move, die, and are revived. The industry that left New England moved to the Midwest and South. Much of the industry then moved to Asia. Some of this industry has returned to the US in various forms. But there are places, like North Carolina, where it never completely left. The video below is 34 minutes. It's great; do watch when you've got the time.

In Cleveland, the Ohio Knitting Mill has been reborn as a knitwear line, run by an "industrial craftsman". This video is less than three and a half minutes. Get a peek into their workspace and catch them making cut and sew sweaters in the video below.

The video is a pitch for Ohio Knitting Mill's Indiegogo fundraising campaign, which ended about 2 weeks before I discovered it. I'm very, very interested in seeing how this venture develops. I wish them the best.

Meanwhile back in England, I don't know if the women of the independent sewing pattern company By Hand London would call themselves industrial crafters. They do, however, design and create products that crafters (sewists) love. And they've got a great project planned. By Hand London is expanding to produce print-on-demand fabrics. Their campaign has 11 days to go, and they're more than halfway there as I write! You can read about and fund By Hand London's Kickstarter project here. The video is under 4 minutes.

I haven't used any of their patterns (yet), and I've done very limited surface design for printed fabrics, but I like where they're going and have happily made a small pledge. I hope they reach their goal.

O!

A Different Kind of Flatlock

The "ladder" side

I think the best thing about writing a blog and having an online presence is all the interesting people I get to meet. Sometimes I eventually get to meet them for real, in person. Other times we continue our online friendships via Skype or Google Hangout to craft together or chat. Sometimes the meeting is only the exchange of email.

Recently, I received an email from Olha, who does wonderful work with Halifax Charity Knitters. Olha was researching ways of  "speeding up the process of turning [hand knit] squares into blankets". Currently squares are sewn into blankets by hand. The 3-thread flatlock as a solution is what first came to my mind, and Olha's research brought her to the same conclusion before I had the chance to mention it.

The 3-thread flatlock is a good choice, when you want to connect fabric edge to fabric edge. It's not an invisible stitch; the flatlock stitches become a design element. I'm sure you've seen flatlock on certain athletic wear, where it's not just used for the design, but also for comfort -- no pesky, thick seam allowances pressing into the skin. For sweater knits, flatlock can be used to lengthen or widen a too short or too narrow piece of fabric. Just remember the stitches will show.

I wouldn't recommend the flatlock for the raw edges of sweater knits. The look wouldn't be tidy. It's possible to turn under the raw edges as I did for my Crazy Crushed Can Cowl/Hat, but honestly, I wasn't too happy with that seam. I wanted to reduce bulk with a flatlock, but I ended up putting it back in with the turned down edges!

Now this is where I was to post pics of my sample of the 3-thread flatlock stitch at the serger, with notes on settings, and things to watch out for.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

I spent 2 hours trying to make it all work with fabric I thought was similar in feel to hand knit. I must have had beginner's luck the last time I did this. I simply was not happy with my results this time. I wasn't neat enough or my  looper tension was too loose or needle tension too tight. When I got it right, I tried putting yarn in the upper looper, which threw my tension off yet again.

And I then remembered an easier way. Ohla, I think this easy method might work. It can be done on a regular sewing machine. In fact, that picture at the top of this post is an example. Here's the reverse side.

The sewing machine mock flatlock is sturdy and has suitable elasticity. I used a polyester thread and set my sewing machine for a wide zigzag, 6.5 mm, the widest on my machine. The stitch length was 2 mm. I allowed the needle's swing to the right to go just over the edge of the fabric. My overedge foot (Janome foot C) made it easy to guide the fabric, although I know it can be done with any general presser foot that can handle zigzag. Once I was finished sewing the seam, I opened the fabric, gently pulled the stitches flat. I'll continue to experiment with Woolly Nylon in the bobbin, which has more of a yarn quality, and I'll also play with tensions a little more.

I first saw this method used in this fleece socks YouTube video from Jalie.

I think this stitch has possibilities for the blankets of squares, Olha. I wish you all the best with the work you do.

I can picture this type of seam in a couple of home fashion projects (with sweater knit fabrics) that I have in mind. Or maybe even some socks!

O!
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Click here for more information on Halifax Charity Knitters.

Green Sparkly Yarn and Post-Sandy Relief

This is the last day of the Thanksgiving weekend here is the US.  If you're a person who celebrates the day, I hope you had a beautiful one!

Before I begin to go back to my semi-regular schedule of cutting, sewing and blogging, I'd like to point you toward yesterday's post on my other blog. When I returned to blogging post-Sandy, I mentioned the minor discomforts my DH and I endured during our few days without electricity or heat. Though it's been about a month since Sandy hit, there are so many who are still struggling in the aftermath. I'd like to help, and I'm asking for your help too.

Though Crafting Fashion's focus is on sewing, I know that some of you have an interest in other crafts. For those of you who haven't clicked on that link yet, here's a brief appeal: If you happen to have need of green sparkly yarn, (It is the holiday season after all.) I know just where you can get your hands on some. From me! I'll be donating 100% of proceeds from the sale of my green sparkly yarn to a wonderful organization that mobilizes volunteers and supplies support services to those in need. The organization is called New York Cares. Please read my blog post to see how you can purchase this yarn or learn how to make a direct donation. You could even win a prize!

Here's the Christmas tree I knitted last year with the green sparkly yarn.

Tomorrow I get back to get back to cutting and sewing and all the fun stuff that goes with it.

Thanks for listening.

O!