Posted on

Wearing White Knit Accessories after Labor Day. Make your own choice.

White Knit Accessories – Fall/Winter 2018

“He wanted just to stand close to her, touch her hair that was white as glacier milk.” – Oleander

 

It almost makes no sense: white in the winter. You can almost see why there was the rule not to wear it after Labor Day – if that was the reason instead of the snobby way it was meant. Wearing white, or not wearing it in this case, was a way for the old money snobby people to distinguish themselves from the new money snobby people. As if the new money snobs couldn’t pick up on the trend and just stop wearing white after Labor Day.

In any case, Memorial Day the white clothes came out; Labor Day they went back in. Labor Day no less. A way of old and new money snobby people to distinguish themselves from folk who do the 9-5 errday. 

But fashion rules were meant to be broken. Some laws are needed to keep us safe and to provide justice for all. But when it comes to clothing, sometimes fashion rules are just plain silly.

There’s no reason not to have some tactile, soft and cozy white knits to see us through the cooler days of fall and the frigid days of winter. Temperature notwithstanding, wearing white in winter can be hot. Pair it as an offset to a coat with a bold color, and cause your very own stormfront.

One great thing in have a color as the focal point, is that I get to play with design and texture. I can see a man knit beanie, an african inspired scarf that has bold color accents, a wearable embrace cowl, a thick and textured throw to cuddle under while watching the t and v.
So far, the white cowl has made it to the needles but it won’t take long for some other white knit accessories to come along and help smash the fashion rules. Look for them in the shop starting this fall.
Posted on

Africa Inspired Fashions and Decor

Africa Inspired Accessories and Decor

 

“I have loved no part of the world like this and I have loved no women as I love you. You’re my human Africa. I love your smell as I love these smells. I love your dark bush as I love the bush here, you change with the light as this place does, so that one all the time is loving something different and yet the same. I want to spill myself out into you as I want to die here.”
Graham Greene – The End of the Affair

I have always been a little obssessed with Africa. Though I have no desire to get on a plane for more than 3 hours at a time – and that’s pushing my limits – I might do it to see Africa.
Until that moment comes, I am making do with creating Africa inspired accessories for body and home. I did a little research on Kente cloth and pulled the colors from there and have kept them in mind as I began work.
The first item that will come out is an afghan. It’s a beautiful geometric with blocks of bold color.  I made one years ago and gave it as a wedding present. I don’t  have a photo of it but this version is new and improved because I am knitting it to be reversible!
The colors I’ve chosen for this one: black, gold, cranberry, olive green, medium blue and deep purple. Each color has a meaning in Kente cloth colors:
Blue: Big spaces
Gold: preciousness
Green: they symbol of life
Red: Sacrifice
Purple: Women
Black: spiritual energy
I am enjoying it immensely. It will take about 6 weeks to make as a custom piece but I believe it to be worth the wait for such a bold piece.

The africa inspired knits will be available at designbcbin the fall of 2018.