Tuesday 30 May 2017

My morning coffee

I've been sitting in my sunny chair most mornings, and I pull out books and look through them.  It is a lovely way to start the day.  

This morning I pulled out Arans and Celtics.  I have always liked this book.  It has sweaters in it I dream of making...BUT

Like every book published in 2003, based on patterns and design from the 90s or any previous time in fashion history, things have changed somewhat.  


The width of the shoulders is much narrower in sweaters designed today.

Even this vest, which is really a lovely piece,  suffers from the excess width that was so fashionable longer ago.





Narrow it up and it works.  Well, narrow the entire thing up and it still works. It is a rather wide garment by today's standards on the model.  But otherwise a great design that still deserves knitting and wear.





The width of the sleeve, much narrower and the depth of the armscyce much shallower.    I also think necklines are not quite so thick but I can't point out exactly why I think this.

And overall, a narrower more fitted silhouette than this otherwise lovely thing, even though there seems to be movement towards less fitted things.  







This sweater looks like the model is a little girl wearing her mommies sweater.  a smaller size would work much better to have a look that works today.

These are obviously from earlier in Knitter's Magazine's history, because there are also some garments that are perfectly right for today.



Like this shawl collared sweater,



And this one. Less edgy in overall design, more a traditional fit. These surely withstand the test of time.

And then this really lovely garment.  



Perfectly today. Well OK.  Maybe a little wide in the shoulders, but lovely enough that I might forgive it this fault. I would knit this in a heartbeat if I was tall enough to carry off a midriff design.  My hips and waist are perilously close.  But I can dream.  Perhaps on sleeves some day.

Books like this are lovely and have much to recommend them. 

And that what was going on with my coffee this morning.



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