When First We Knit to Deceive

Recently I've been stumbling upon some trompe-l'œil knitwear, and because I wanted an excuse to spend several hours drooling over researching trompe-l'œil patterns, I decided to do a post on trompe-l'œil patterns. Trompe-l'œil (French for "deceive the eye"), is an artistic technique that employs realistic imagery to create an optical illusion. The Wikipedia entry on trompe-l'œil is interesting, but doesn't even mention knitwear design. The very first trompe-l'œil knitwear design appears above, and most of you will probably recognize it as an iconic Elsa Schiaparelli design from 1927. It was a startling innovation and became an immediate success after Schiaparelli wore it to a luncheon. The bowknot sweater pattern is available for free.

Less recognizable but as well-designed are these later trompe-l'œil designs from Elsa Schiaparelli. I was disappointed to find that Ravelry had only a handful of trompe-l'œil patterns and that of those there was only one I cared to share, though I suspect that there are quite a few more in Ravelry database that just aren't tagged by any term that would allow me to find them. I resorted to a general internet search and to using images of trompe-l'œil knitwear for which there are no patterns, as well as sewn trompe-l'œil designs to fill out my post, but then this is a simple and easily replicated technique. In a case like this an inspirational photo is nearly as valuable as a pattern.

Other designers were to take up the trompe-l'œil torch. This is a Hermès trompe-l'œil dress from 1952. It is not knitted, but sewn fabric with the scarf and collar design painted on to it, and it's possibly my favourite of any design in this post. I'd love to see this one translated into knitwear.

This is a 1966 design from U.K. knitwear designer John Carr Doughty.

Trompe l'oeil sweater and dress from 1975, as they appeared in an issue of American Home Crafts magazine. I can't say I like either of these items exactly, but they are interesting examples of what can be done with trompe-l'œil. And the hot pants are optional.

This is a 1970s trompe-l'œil "coat" dress that was listed on Etsy and has sold. It's another example that's more useful as a starting point than as a design to copy.

To get to some contemporary versions of trompe-l'œil, here's one from Vogue's May 2008 issue.

This cute little number is the Trompe L'oeil design, by Gyorgyi Suta. It's available on Ravelry for $7(USD).

A t-shirt designed by Paule Ka. I'd love to see a knitted trompe-l'œil "trench coat" coat design.

A Moschino Cheap & Chic crepe jersey dress. Incorporating jewelry into trompe-l'œil is another possible direction for designers.

A Paule Ka machine knit mini-dress. The great thing about trompe-l'œil is that one gets to add dimension and visual interest without adding bulk.

Spectator socks, source unknown. The one draw back to these is that the effect would be spoiled by putting shoes over them, and it would be a shame to only be able to wear them around home.

Let it Snow Men

For today's post I've selected a number of snowman-themed knitting patterns. I do this partly in honour of my sister, who is Christmas crazy and especially likes snowman stuff. One of the items I bought for her for Christmas this year was a snowman clock, which plays a few measures of a Christmas carol every time it strikes the hour. (One does have the option of turning the carols off, and the clock automatically turns off the carols between midnight and 5 a.m.) I expect she'll either love it or hate it, which is a win either way. Anyway, let's have a look at the knitted snowman goodness I've picked out.

The above photo is of the Snowman Pillow, by Brenda K. B. Anderson. It's a free pattern.

This is the Snowman Tammy, designed by Sandra Jäger. It's well shaped and well charted. The pattern is available for €2.99(EUR). There is also a beanie version of this design.

This is the SnoBuddy Family, by Chris de Longpré. This little Snow family is weighted with beans so as to sit reliably upright, and they're guaranteed to get through the holiday season without a single brawl or spiked egg nog hangover. This pattern is available for $8.00(USD).

Update: I've made this little snow family myself, as a present for my sister. I used glass marbles to weight them instead of beans.

This is the Snowman Stocking, by Bernat Design Studio. It's guaranteed to stretch out so as to hold more Christmas goodies. It's a free pattern.

If you like the thought of snow that magically disappears without having to be shovelled, the Snowman Illusion Mittens, designed by Margit Sage, might be for you. This pattern is available for $1.99(USD).

These are the Snowmen Pot Holders, by Marilyn Wallace. It's a free pattern, and the outline design works so well it almost seems a shame to use it on mere pot holders. I'd be inclined to use the design to make pillows or a child's sweater.

The Snowman Hat for an Ice Princess, by Ewenique Yarns, is so cute it makes me smile. It would be perfect for a child. This pattern is available for $5.00(USD).

This snowman comes with his own little ice cave. The Snowman Diorama Ornament pattern, designed by Katie Startzman, is available for $4.50(USD).

I absolutely love this Mr. Abominable pattern, by Katie Boyette. You can hug him and love him and squeeze him and love him and he will be your very own and you can call him George! This pattern is available for $6.00(USD).

Outlandish Knits

So I finally got around to watching the time travel adventure/romance Starz series Outlander. I'd been reluctant to watch it because I've read the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon (though only as far as a Breath of Snow and Ashes, as I found every book less compelling than the last and the whole "Jamie and Claire are both irresistibly attractive to every other character in the book and are having mind-blowing sex for the 3,348nd time on the nearest reasonably flat surface" thing was getting really old). I also don't usually care for filmed versions of books I've read. I'd rather watch something new than a simplified rehash of something I've already read. But then I ended up deciding I should watch the series in order to write about it for this blog because I saw so many online references to the knitwear.

I must say I enjoyed the show on the whole. It's been a long time since I read the books so the discrepancies didn't bother me too much. (A friend of mine who is an obsessive fan of the books says she can't watch the series at all though she has tried numerous times.) The show is beautifully produced and quite well cast and well acted on the whole. And then there is oh-so-much knitwear, which was fun to see, if not period accurate. In the show, time-travelling Claire Beauchamp Randall Fraser, played by Catriona Balfe, sports a series of elegant dresses topped with knitted cowls, shrugs, shawls, and armwarmers, all in wools of natural hues and mostly knitted out of bulky weight yarn on large gauge needles. I know practically nothing of eighteenth century textiles and fashions but I had my suspicions about the authenticity of the costume design and especially of its knitted elements. I thought it quite astonishing that Castle Leoch should have a (for that time) very extensive and perfectly fitted wardrobe on hand for their unusually tall guest, and I thought it unlikely that big needle knit cowls and shrugs were a style seen at all at the time. It turns out that I was correct in this, and there were many more inaccuracies that I hadn't the knowledge to pick up on.

There is much internet conversation on this topic (such as this Ravelry thread), in which fashion history buffs are getting their replica stays in a twist over all the anachronisms in the Outlander costumes. Eighteenth-century knitting was usually done to a very fine gauge, unless it was an item that was to be felted. And not only are cowls and shrugs quite a recent style innovation, it's possible that even the knitted shawl, as we know it, did not exist at the time. Also, it seems not all yarn was undyed in the eighteenth century as natural dyes were commonly used to achieve such colours as glaring yellows, vivid reds, and denim-like blues, so not all of Claire's knitted accessories would have been dun-coloured. However, the costume designer for Outlander, Terry Dresbach, is not a fashion historian and, according to Buzzfeed writer Alanna Okun, she had approximately seven weeks to prepare all the costumes for the show. Given those limitations it's to her credit that she met her deadline with attractive costumes that are even as accurate as they are. I've heard it said that in the movie business (as in many arenas) when it comes to having things done fast, inexpensively, and well, you'll have to pick two attributes, as you cannot have all three.

At any rate, to get down to discussing possible Outlander-themed knitting that knitting watchers of the show can do, there are always two directions for a knitter to take when making items inspired by a TV show or movie: one can replicate the specific patterns worn by the onscreen characters, or one can draw inspiration from the show in a more abstract sense and design something completely new. I'm not seeing much of the latter kind of Outlander-inspired design, at least not yet, though I am in hopes that we'll get a magazine or book of Outlander-inspired patterns at some point. Meanwhile, it's entirely possible to knit oneself replicas of the knitwear worn in the series. The upside of dressing Claire Randall Fraser in twenty-first century knits is that her accessories are quite wearable for today. Despite the historical inaccuracies there has been a lot of online clamour about the Outlander knits, with knitters demanding patterns for the items Claire and the other Outlander characters wore. And since most of the knits worn in the shoes are simple, big gauge patterns, some knitters have obligingly providing unofficial replica patterns for those who want them.





You can make a simple striped garter shawl like the one Claire is wearing in the top photo with the When In Scotland pattern depicted below,
designed by Rilana Riley-Munson. It's a free pattern.






The Outlander Pattern for Claire's Cowl, written by Shelli Westcott, is a very close match to the one worn by Claire, and will actually look much better worn with contemporary clothing because it won't be jarringly anachronistic as it is onscreen. It's a free pattern.

I don't personally find the Outlander knits to be inspiring, as those dead easy chunky knits are very much not my preferred style of knitting, either to make or wear, but Geillis Duncan's cape, as seen above, came closest to arousing my interest. Unfortunately the show never gave us a better look at it than this.





If you fancy the little capelet Claire wears in the photo above, this Outlander inspired Rose Coloured Capelet, designed by Ravelry user Furlaine, is a very good replica of it. This pattern is available for C$4.00(CAD).

The cabled armwarmers Claire is wearing in the top photo are a close match to the Outlander Cabled Wristers, designed by Jenifer Spock-Rank. This pattern is available for $1.99(USD).

The cowl Claire is wearing is especially hilariously out of synch in terms of the kind of spun yarn that would have been available in 1743. At this distance, it looks almost like a fur neckpiece, but it is indeed knitted from yarn, which I've seen identified online as Louisa Harding's Luzia. But then perhaps Castle Leoch housekeeper Mrs. Fitzgibbons has a stash of Luzia put away in the garret. As Claire said herself, Mrs. Fitz is a wonder.

ETA: It appears this cowl was actually knitted out mink yarn. I'm trying to do a little research on this because it seems there weren't minks in Scotland in the eighteenth century. There was fur trade, but what I am trying to find out is how likely was it that anyone was spinning yarn from what would have been very expensive imported minks at that time? Wouldn't they have been used as skins? And again... cowls didn't exist back then.

I had to include this even though I don't like knitted dishcloths. This Outlander Je Suis Prest Thistle Cloth pattern, designed by Alli Barrett, and available for $2.00(USD), features the Fraser clan motto "Je Suis Prest" (in English, "I am ready"). As an aside, it's interesting how many Scottish clan mottos declare readiness or preparedness. My own surname, Rae, is Scottish, and the Rae family motto is "In Omnia Promptus", or "Ready for Everything". It's probably understandable given that these mottos were originally war cries. These days, at least for those of us fortunate enough to be living in area that isn't war-torn, they can be a way to motivate yourself to do the dishes.

Looking Through the Wardrobe for Knitwear Design

Today is C.S. Lewis's 116th birthday, so I thought I'd do a post of Narnia-related projects. There weren't too many Narnia-themed knitting patterns out there. For that matter there aren't too many commercially made Narnia products out there, period. When a former co-worker of mine hosted a birthday party for her Narnia-obsessed nephew some years back, she ended up creating all the decorations and games herself. And she did an amazing job of it. She wheeled a garment rack full of coats in front of the entrance to her living room, so that the birthday boy and his guests had to walk "through the wardrobe" to get to the party. She made cute invitations, party favours, and decorations using images downloaded off the net. She had the children decorate their own crowns. She dressed up as Jadis the White Witch and played a game with them in which they had to dance to music and "turn to stone" every time the music stopped, and each time the Witch paused the CD, the last child to stop moving was eliminated from the game. When I remember seeing the pictures of all this and the obviously thrilled birthday boy, I think perhaps after all it's better that there isn't much mass produced Narnia paraphernalia. Some things are so much better for being homemade. That party was much more memorable and charming (not to mention less expensive) than any party with overpriced Aladdin stuff from the Disney Store could ever have been. I will say though that a book or magazine of Narnia-themed knitting patterns would be a nice-to-have. Maybe Interweave Press will do one sometime...?

But to get to the Narnia patterns I did find. Some knitters have replicated Lucy's 1940s-style sweater from The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, as shown above, as well as other knitwear from the Narnia movies, but I was looking for patterns that more directly referenced the original text.

These are the Lantern Waste Mittens, designed by Kjerstin Gjengedal, and it's exactly the kind of Narnia-themed design I'd like to see more of. This pattern is available for €4.00(EUR).

If you like picture knits and Narnia, the Dégel à Narnia (or "Thawing Narnia") vest, designed by Isabelle Allard, may be right up your alley. This pattern is available for C$3.00(CAD).

I always picture Mr. Tumnus as being a more elegant, graceful creature than this Mr. Tumnus doll, designed by Neil James, but the doll is certainly adorable and cuddly and probably much more appealing to a child, which is much more to the point. This pattern is available for £1.99(GBP).

This is the Edmund Crown/Hat, designed by Nikol Lohr, and it will be a nice way to keep your little pretender to the Narnian throne warm and happy this winter. The pattern was published in Literary Knits: 30 Patterns Inspired by Favorite Books, which I've written about previously.

I found this photo of Narnia Chronicles stitch markers on Pinterest. They were listed on Etsy and have been sold, and I wasn't even able to figure out which Etsy vendor made them. However, I just had to include them because they're such a perfect fetish notions for the Narnia-loving knitter, and some of you may have the skills to make use of the idea.

Slipping One Over on Your Furniture

If you have any shabby or inexpensive furniture sitting about that could do with a refresh or an upgrade, you might want to consider knitting them some sweaters. Making knitted slipcovers for furniture can be quite a lot easier and cheaper than reupholstering. I speak from experience, having reupholstered several pieces of furniture myself. In the case of one particular piece, a buttoned tub chair bought from Value Village for $15, it took me about $160 and about 30 hours of work to get the job done, and then I must have spent another 30 hours lying on the floor with my legs up on the couch in an effort to "recover" from the number I'd done on my back. Tailored slipcovers can look just as good as upholstery, and besides being easier and cheaper to make, they have the added advantage of being easily removed for laundering or replacement.

In today's post, we're going to look at some ideas and patterns for slipcovering and reupholstering furniture in knitting. The above photo is of the Sweet and Lowdown Chair, designed by Veronik Avery. The pattern is available for download for $5.50(USD). The knitting completely covers the original fabric seat and back and makes an fantastic looking piece that will look good as indoor or outdoor furniture. Knitted slipcovers for plastic patio furniture could be an idea to consider as well.

This Chair Cover pattern, designed by Amy Butler, was published in Farmhouse Knits, published by Rowan. It's a great way to turn a simple chair into something special. I bet there's a plain wooden chair under this slipcover.

This is the Aran Armchair Cover, designed by Erika Knight and published in Simple Knits with a Twist: Unique Projects for Creative Knitters. The main body of the chair is slipcovered (the ribbing at the bottom is a good way to keep the edge taut), while the seat cushion would have a zippered or buttoned knitted case on it. As you can see, this cat approves of the job, more or less.

This is an ottoman cover designed by Vogue Knitting. There's no pattern available, but VK does offer a helpful article on how to customize the project for your ottoman. There aren't that many slipcover patterns available, which is just as well because you will need to custom fit your slipcover knitting project to whatever piece of furniture you're working on.

This Union Jack piece is upholstered rather than slipcovered, but is so fantastic I just had to include it. It's a bespoke piece from Melanie Porter, a studio that does handmade furniture restoration and upholstering. Their gallery is well worth a look if you'd like some ideas and inspiration for fixing up your own furniture. There's no reason why a slipcover has to be neutral monochrome cables or moss stitch. I can easily imagine some fantastic fair isle or gradient designs, or cute picture knits for a child's room.

Using knitting as upholstery rather than as a slipcover is another do-able option if you feel like tackling a bigger and more involved project. Upholstering isn't that hard though it is a lot of work. I won't go into a lot of detail about how to do it here because there are sure to be excellent tutorials elsewhere on the web, but essentially, what you do is strip off the old upholstery, take it apart, use it as a pattern to cut (or knit) your new upholstery, and then put the item back together in much the same way as you found it when you took it apart. You will need some machine sewing skills, a sewing machine, and a few basic tools such as a screwdriver, grips, scissors, a hammer, and a heavy duty stapler. To get matching buttons such as those you see here, take some of your upholstery material to a upholstery shop and have them cover a set of buttons for you.

Coated in Knitting

I had planned to do a post of selected knitted coats and jackets for the first day of autumn last week, but last week found me having to focus on writing reviews of all the new knitting magazine issues that had been published the week before. Knitting magazine publishing is seasonal, which means that there'll be no new issues for awhile and then there's five or six published all at once, and I like to give the magazine review posts first priority as they're the main reason people read this blog. Anyway, October 1st also seems like a good day to post about knitted coats, so here's the post. I've selected ten jacket designs for women, five for men, and five for children. Let's start with the women's patterns. The photo above is of the 705 - Coat pattern by Bergère de France. It's been published in several magazines and pamphlets. I find this pattern so inimitably chic and French.

This is the Milkweed pattern, designed by Carol Sunday, and available for $8(USD). I posted this really lovely pattern to this blog's Facebook page recently and the page's followers got nearly as excited about it as they did when I posted a picture of Daniel Craig in a cardigan, which is saying something.

This is the Moscow Coat, designed by Vladimira Ilkovicova. It's available for $9(USD). I love the smart, modern vibe of this piece. The cowl collar is actually a separate piece and can be arranged in a few different ways.

This is the Shell Game Coat, designed by Patty Nance and published in Bargello Knits. I'm revelling in imagining this coat in a variety of other colourways, though you'll need to be very good at working with colour to plan a colourway as beautifully integrated as this one.

The Urte pattern, designed by Louisa Harding. This pattern was published in Eventyr Pamphlet #140 in 2014. As I researched jacket patterns for this post, I told myself I definitely had to include one pattern with a lush faux fur collar and cuffs as I love that look, and this stylish number was the one I chose. The collar can be worn buttoned shut or opened up and folded back and looks equally good either way. I would tweak this pattern by decreasing the depth of the faux fur around the hem to something like six inches. This design is a little too hip-emphasizing as is.

The Houndstooth Car Coat, designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald, and it was published in the November 2007 issue of Cast-On. If it proves too difficult or impossible to get that issue of Cast-On, the pattern looks not too difficult to copy. Love this one for its retro feel. I'm imagining it in neutral colourways (gray and black; ivory and brown) for maximum wearability. I don't think I'd knit this one in mint green unless I owned the roadster behind the model. Then I would feel I must.

Of course not everyone who would like to knit a jacket wants to knit a long one, so let's look at some short jackets. This is the Graphic Jacket, designed by Jacqueline van Dillen, originally published in the Holiday 2013 issue of Vogue Knitting. It's a polished, "go nearly everywhere" piece. And if you find yourself standing the way this model is while wearing it, do make it a priority to see your chiropractor and/or take some Ex-Lax.

This is the Edgewick jacket, designed by Cheryl Chow. It's an immensely wearable item that should look good on almost any woman, and is available for $6.50(USD).

The Cranston Coat, designed by Cecily Glowik MacDonald and published in New England Knits: Timeless Knitwear with a Modern Twist. It's so simple yet so distinctive.

The Harlow Suit Jacket, designed by Evelyn Hase. This pattern is available for $4.95(USD). Love the detail on this one.

Let's look at the jacket patterns for men next. This is the Nottingham Sweater, by Marlaina Bird. It's available for $5.99(USD). The zipper and the contrast trim give it quite a sharp and modern air, yet it's a classic look that almost any man of any age could wear.

This is the Cable and Rib Zipper Jacket, by Patons Australia, originally published in the Patons pamphlet #1232, Inca for Men. Very classic and wearable, but with a little style.

The Peavey Jacket, designed by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark. This pattern is available for $5.50(USD). Love the plaid pattern, though there are definitely better colourways for this one.

The Man's Plaid Jacket, by Mari Lynn Patrick. This pattern is available for $5(USD). This is a bolder, younger version of the plaid jacket just above, but one does have to look past the styling of this photo, and imagine the sweater in another colourway.

The Men's Short Jacket, by Martin Storey, published in Sarah Hatton & Martin Storey Designer Knits: 22 Handknit Designs for Him & Her Using Rowan Yarns. Some unusual and interesting texture here, with lattice work laid over stripes.

Now that we've seen the women's and men's jackets, let's move on to the children's jacket patterns. The Super Stripes Jacket, by Patons, published in Patons pamphlet #500882, Cool for School. This is a smart zippered sweater that will suit either a boy or a girl.

How adorable is this Rosebud coat, designed by Ann Kingstone? This pattern was published in Stranded Knits.

The Pevensie coat, designed by Emma Galati. This pattern is available for $4.50(USD). This isn't styled very well — this jacket would look much better in any number of other colourways or with other buttons, but the design has good lines and is very eye-catching.

The Hansel jacket, by Alison Stewart-Guinee, was published in Fairy Tale Knits: 32 Projects to Knit Happily Ever After. If I was making this sweater for a boy, I'd tweak it a little to make it more masculine by going with wooden buttons, or perhaps leather buckles, and perhaps a different colourway.

The Child's Mosaic Jacket, by Suzanne Bryan. This pattern was originally published in the November 2011 issue of Cast-On. This is really quite a strikingly original piece of work and an interesting rendering of the mosaic effect in yarn.