NYFW Spring 2011 - Twinkle by Wenlan Resort 2011 (S2011)

Yay!!!  It's Fashion Week time!

 Twinkle by Wenlan Resort 2011 (From Running with Heels)

One week of looks for looking forward to Spring 2011!

Twinkle went yesterday (Monday, Sept. 13th) and this year, she did a "Presentation" rather than a runway show.

And it seems to be getting great reviews with regards to creativity and functionality of clothes!

So... speaking of...

Um, where's the knits!  (Where's the beef! - Am I totally dating myself there or what?)  

 

:)

I scrolled through EVERY single slide of the collection and there is nothing knit!

 

What's the deal?!  I hope she's not quittin' the knittin'...  (hee)

Oh well...

I do love this, though:

I'd absolutely wear that out for a date night at the beach... ;-)

Here's a nice write up on Twinkle's 'presentation' by Cheryl Shops and Running with Heels.

:)

NYFW Fall 2010 - Twinkle!

Here it is!!!

Twinkle's Fall 2010 Collection!!!

While not everyone was crazy about it, I found a TON of things I liked about this collection.

And I don't even like Fall!

According to WWD and in Wenlan's words: 

When asked by WWD on her source of inspiration for her fall '10 show, head designer of Twinkle, Wenlan Chia, replied, "A story of hunted romance with a twist of false play."

What does that mean, you say?

Well, I dunno either...  :)

But I like the play between fabrics (knit and non-knit) and even the play between the clothes and the jewelry (which I think are really stand-out! in this collection!)

Nice.  A gorgeous coat.  I love how that collar falls.  I bet when it's buttoned up, it's a fabulous cowl.

Love!  Love!  Love!  What is it?  and how can I make it?!  Is it a big chunky cowl?  A a big chunky scarf?  A wrap?

By far, one of my favorites!  Love the hood.  Love that it's chunky!

Nice.  You know I love that taupe-y color.

Fabulous!!!  I'd love to see it just a lil bit longer ('cause I like to keep my belly hidden).  Love that collar, tho!

Nice!  I like that braided back.

 

Fabulous!  It's funny how things come along or come together.  I've had "Circle Vest" on the brain since about December.  And here's one now!

 

And some non-knit things I love:

 

 

And here's a nice video:

NYFW Fall 2010 - Twinkle!

Eeeeeeeeee!  It's here!!!!!

YAY!!!

Eeeeeeeee!!!

(yes!  LOTS of coffee and like 6 browser tabs open!  I am ready!)

You know I love my Fashion Week and, while I'm not crazy about Fall... I am crazy about Twinkle!

Fashion Week started Thursday (1/11/10) but Twinkle goes on today!

6p NY time (3p CA time)!

I'll post pics as soon as I can!

Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Twinkle Broadway Top (Vogue Knitting Free Pattern)!

Yay!!!

The latest Twinkle pattern is up online at VogueKnitting.com!

This is super cute and looks like it should work fast!

True to Twinkle form, it's made on the big size 17 & 19 circulars

with the big Soft & Chunky yarn.

Seems easy enough with the 2x2 rib pattern and Stockinette Stitch with some fun & interesting stitches like the Eyelet St and 'Backwards Loop Cast on Method".

I had been getting worried that they weren't going to add anymore cute (and FREE!) Twinkle patterns, and then this third one came!

YAY!

Please, Vogue!  Keep 'em coming!

Vogue Knitting Winter 2009/2010

YAY!!!

The new issue of Vogue Knitting is out now!

(Sorry... this is the biggest pic I could get!)

Some new Twinkle patterns (Thank God!)...

That hooded sleeveless sweater is really cute.  I'll be making that!

These are all cute.  Grey is the new Black, you know...

;-)

Twinkle Nolita Shawl - Vogue Knitting

Twinkle's Nolita Shawl (Vogue Knitting online)

Do we look alike?

 :)

I really enjoyed this pattern so much.

It's very easy and it worked so fast!

I used the Lion Wool-Ease Thick & Quick (cause I have a ton of it) and it worked well.

I know the Twinkle Soft Chunky is thicker and stiffer but the Lion Wool-Ease will do for now.

I wouldn't mind making this again with the Magnum Cascade.

The other nice thing about this pattern is that it only calls for 2 skeins of yarn.

It calls for casting on with two strands held together and worked with the 2 strands but only for a lil bit.

Then the rest is worked with one strand.

The only thing I was confused about was...

The way it asks to cast on and work the beginning creates a seam.

Then, at the end, it calls for the seam to be sewn together.

And I'm not really sure why?!

Why not just cast on with circulars and join together so there's no seam?

I'm gonna make another one and try it this way, so I'll let you know!

:)

Twinkle Tribeca Scarf

Yay!!!

The next Twinkle-Vogue pattern is up!!!

Last month, Vogue Knitting introduced the Nolita pattern as the first of six new Twinkle designs, exclusive to Vogue Knitting!

Vogue is releasing them, once a month.

This month, it's the Tribeca Scarf.

(I'm sensing these are going to be named after areas in Manhattan?) :)

This pattern also calls for Twinkle's Soft Chunky and the big ol' 17 & 19 needles.

This is cute and I'd like to try and make this.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE the big cable around the neck,
I just dunno how I feel about the attached wrist-warmers.

Would they restrict hand/arm movement?

For someone who talks with her hands (I've knocked over plenty a glass of wine during many conversations), it might not be good!

:)

Twinkle Nolita Cowl Wrap

Now hear this!

A new Twinkle design, exclusive to Vogue Knitting!

According to the Vogue site:

Nolita is a brand new design by Twinkle's Wenlan Chia—available only on VogueKnitting.com. Twinkle has come up with 6 chic new designs. CEY and Vogue Knitting will be offering up one pattern each month until they are all available. Each pattern was specially designed to featureTwinkle's Soft Chunky yarn—super bulky, 100% wool. Get the pattern here, visit your local yarn store to pick up some Soft Chunky.

YAY!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait to see ALL of 'em!

You know I love my Twinkle!

NYFW Spring 2010 - Twinkle by Wenlan

Yay!!! Fashion Week is upon us once again!

I look forward to this time so much & always keep my eye out for Twinkle & Rodarte.

As usual, LOVE the Twinkle.

And I love this in particular cause you know I love my Orange/Coral lips!

CUUUUTE!!!

Cute, Cute, Cute!

Cute Dress!
Cute Hair!
Cute Lips!

Just beautiful.

Know it's not knit, but I love it!

Shop Review: Strands & Stitches - Laguna Beach

Mom and I have been in search of a good (and 'nice' as in "nice-people" nice) local knitting shop.

After our truly 'local' knitting shop has pissed us off so many times with their terrible rudeness and hoity-toity-ness, we said "Enough! Never again will we go there!"

Well... except for when we want to see what a particular yarn looks like... We go there to look at it and then we'll go buy it elsewhere! ;-)

Anyway, we'd both randomly seen this lovely little shop in one of our regular knitting mags (Vogue Knitting, Knit.1, KnitSimple... we can't remember) and had been wanting to go check it out... so we did!

First off, it is the cutest little shop ever!!! It's like a little home with a Dutch-Door! Totally sweet and adorable. It's down in Laguna and since the weather was gorgeous on Saturday, they had their dutch-door open. Very welcoming!

Second of all, there is quite a selection of yarn! It's not a big shop but they sure do make great use of their space and they have a lot of different types of yarn, organized by color (which I think is a great idea since so many times I have a project idea based on what color mood I'm in).

Also in 2nd of all... they have a sale basket! YAY! And these days, who doesn't love a sale? :)

Third, they were sooooo nice and sooooo helpful! I bombarded them with all of my questions about yarn weight and ounces vs grams (see next post) and they were so patient and so willing to answer and teach!

That, to me is key! I am always interested in learning more and it's nice to meet someone who's willing to teach!

Fourth and finally, the prices are not bad! They are definitely less expensive that the incredibly huffy and rude 'local' store, which is odd considering it's Laguna Beach!

I'd absolutely go back there again. My 2-part interest in going was not only to check out a new yarn shop but also to see if I could look at and hold a skein of Twinkle Soft Chunky and get a feel for what it's like.

Not only did she have it, but she said if I didn't like any of the colors, she could order it for me! Nice! :)

I asked Mom what she thought and if she'd go back (she's like "The Godfather" of crafts) and she said she absolutely would! She bought some yarn herself and some needles!

Yay! Another successful shopping trip! ;-)

Twinkle Big City Knits - Tuxedo Jacket

Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finished this Tuxedo Jacket and it came out great!!!!

I promise I will get hubby to take pics of me wearing it so you can see what it looks like on!

First off... sorry this took so long. It's not that this pattern is hard or that it takes forever to work...

It's that I am in school and school is kicking my butt!

But my time there is (hopefully) almost done and then I can get back to my knitting!

So, I used Lion's Wool-Ease Thick & Quick in Cranberry.

I was hoping it would be ok enough even though it's only 20% wool (80% acrylic) instead of the full 100% wool.

One skein of Lion T&Q is 6oz/170g... After doing some research, it seems the Twinkle yarn is 7oz/200g.

Not that I'm avoiding buying the Twinkle yarn... just that I'm an "instant gratification" girl...

I don't wanna order yarn to sit and wait for it to come...

I wanna just have it! :-P

Anyway, overall, it came out great and it fits well! YAY!

Again, thanks to the great folks on the KnittingHelp.com forum. I wasn't figuring out the whole yo, k1, yo mess til I went to them for help! :)

I sewed up those holes which really bum me out. If I do make this again (and I totally would) I'm not sure how I'd get around the holes. But sewing 'em up works just as well.

No more holes! Yay!

Looks better, right?

Always a cable with Twinkle! ;-)

Twinkle Big City Knits - Tuxedo Jacket

Third time's a charm?

Have you ever had a pattern just fall into place? Like, one day, it just makes sense and works out fine.

I've finally reached that day with this pattern. This is literally the third time I've re-worked this sweater.

I'm not sure if it's that my skill has improved or what, but all of a sudden I get it!

And thanks to my new friends over at KnittingHelp.com, I have gotten past that ridiculous (yo, k1, yo) into next st that was giving me such grief!

I still dunno why they included the words 'into next st' but feel free to ignore it!

It is just as simple as yo, k1, yo... twice! That's it!

Anyway, I can't even tell you how happy I am with this sweater. It's looking sooooo good!

Now my only beef with it is... how do I get rid of those holes created by the yo, k1, yo? Is there a different/better way to increase 2 sts without getting those holes?

See these holes... they really bum me out...

Rodarte - New York Fashion Week Fall 2009

Ok... One more from Fashion Week and then back to regular knitting...

So the other designer I usually track at Fashion Week (besides Twinkle, of course) is Rodarte.

I have been following their collections for about 3 seasons now and just love, love, love their everything they put out!

And not just cause they are liberal arts majors (Kate Mulleavy's an Art History Major, like me!!!), but I can definitely see the art influence in their work and I think that's what attracts me so much to it.

Anyway, the other thing I love is that they do usually incorporate some type if knitting or knit-wear into their lines.

Everyone went nuts for their cobweb tights from their Fall '08 collection and everyone includes me! :)

So here are some of my favs from Fall '09 NYFW.

Now... I'm usually not a 'cowl' girl, but I LOVE big & chunky, and I LOVE taupy-greys, so I LOVE this!

Love the juxtaposition of materials... yarn and leather. Soft and tough. It's perfect.
Um, and love those fabulous thigh-high bondage boots.
I'd wear those with everything... and all year round... ;-)
This reminded me so much of Duchamp's Nude Descending Stairs. This piece is all about movement and time & space. I wonder if the Mulleavy sisters had Duchamp's futurist/cubist work in mind when they put this together.

These models aren't wearing anything knit but I love these mini-dresses and they are so much like collage and mixed media art.

I thought the colors in the dresses went well with Rauschenberg's Untitled (1979). He also loved his mixed media.

These dresses are part leather, part chiffon, part lacy goodness. Again, soft fabrics set against tough textures.
And, of course, Picasso's Bottle of Vieux Marc, Glass, Guitar and Newspaper (1913).
Collage and mixed media... Good for them! I wonder what the Mulleavy sisters will do for Spring 2010... Can't wait to see! :)