Knitting, Sewing & the Joys of Handcrafts: October 2011

Here in the Northeast, Autumn is in full force and as the mercury drops, staying warm and comfortable becomes a priority. So, I am very excited about two new styles of wrap-up warmth: a casual fleece and flannel wrap and a lovely over shoulders luxury wrap of alpaca and silky mohair!

The Fall Foliage Passes Quickly!

The County Wrap:

This idea came to me on a particularly damp and drafty day -- comfortable fleece on one side and flannel on the other, which is reversible. I have a wonderful fleece cape that I bought in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA and was very expensive. It is a reversible fleece and I love it for its flexibility and ease -- just throw it over what ever you are wearing and ready to go! But I find the knee length of it less than perfect for the car, adding bulk to wrap into the seat belt and to sit upon. So I designed this wrap to be a bit shorter in the front, yet will dip enough in the back to cover up and keep everything warm. The length is perfect for sitting or walking or wearing in the car, and it can be worn open or closed using the two oversized accent buttons.

Fleece and Flannel team up for lots of warmth without added weight and bulk

Black fleece with classic blue, green, red and yellow plaid flannel

Grey fleece with traditional green, cream and grey flannel plaid

The City Wrap:

This wonderful wrap is the design of the wonderful Yan Qian at Forever Yarn, and embodies warmth, style and luxury all is one great piece. My interpretation knits it in soft and warm alpaca combined with mohair-silk yarn. It can be gathered in a matching pin and worn asymmetrically or centered, or simply opened up. The beauty of this design is the ability to cross from casual (jeans and shirt) to dressy (over the shoulder with a party dress). It could even be worn over a leather jacket for extra warmth, without a lot of extra bulk.