2.13.2016

Raspberry Bereft

oonaballoona | a sewing blog | ojolly sweater knit

Well. Let me introduce the latest oddity off the sewing machine: a sweater knit skirt and matching hat. A SOLID sweater knit skirt and matching hat. A solid sweater knit skirt and matching hat that was supposed to be a CARDIGAN.

When Olgalyn asked if I might like to play with some yardage of a decidedly Kalkatroonaan hue from her shop, O! Jolly!, I leapt at the chance. I love her bespoke sweaters. Olgalyn can make sweater knit cascade like it's spun silk. And what's more, her blog is filled with advice on creating your own sweatery make. Would that I had followed some of it. I planned on making this lovely, deep raspberry wool into a cropped cardigan, the better to pair with all my maxi skirts, and I announced this plan at one of the gazillion Prets in the city, she in a bespoke sweater, looking like a model, me in audition gear, drooling rabidly over wool and cappuccino.

Unfortunately, the best way to guarantee that I will go off the rails is to make a plan. Announcing the plan pretty much seals the deal. Although I know this about myself, I have not truly learned it. Am I really that stubborn, that obstinate, that I even balk against MYSELF when I perceive that I am being Told What To Do??? I SET THE DAMN PLAN MYSELF! FOLLOW YOUR OWN ORDERS, WOMAN!


Because, look. This yardage should not be a bodycon skirt. Sure, it has the stretch factor to accommodate such a shape, as you can see in the super awesome blurry shot above, but I guess the side seams will bunch with movement by virtue of the sweatery ribby goodness. Although both seams are true and all that good stuff, you can see what happens to them when I move. 


See? Lots of ribs and glorious waves in this stuff. After my brain broke on copying my vintage cropped fitted cardigan, I moved to a giant free cut boxy sweater, and then the crazy train just kept going.

But that color! Maybe I got drunk on color and all hell broke loose. I mean, it's gorgeous. As you can tell from the photoshopped background, this knit had me singing Prince on repeat. Which is why I tried to make a beret to salvage the ensemble.


THAT'S NOT A BERET. THAT'S A MINI PILLSBURY DOUGH BOY.

Beret or not, I have worn this little cap out in the recent furious winter chill, and it is toasty. In fact, I think I'll have another go at reincarnation...I think I want a ...wait lemme ask Ruggy what I'm thinking of...a USHANKA! OOOOO! And I just happen to have some faux fur lying around! The ear flaps could extend down and wrap around the neck if needed! THE TIES COULD HAVE POM POMS! POM POMS, Y'ALL!

An excellent plan. Forget I said it.


Many thanks to Olgalyn for the beautiful fabric, I hope I have not hurt your knitted soul too much...I do plan to reinvent it. I just don't plan to let myself know it. I hope you sewists out there head over to O! Jolly! and grab some for yourself-- bonus, it's on sale through Valentine's Day. What would you make???

22 comments:

  1. First of all, that color is just gorgeous. Second of all, I went directly to O! Jolly! before I even finished reading your post (because I have a thing for all fabric stores) and it was one of the few times I've gnashed my teeth at the early Spring we get here in Austin. Bookmarking that site, though. Third of all, that hat is adorable! Fourthly (?), what clearly happened here is that the fabric had a mind of it's own and did NOT want to be a cardigan of any kind because it looked around your sewing room and realized it's possibilities were endless; it did not have to have sleeves and hang from shoulders for the rest of it's life just because the rest of the bolt said that was the way it had to be. Finally, good gosh but I'll bet that skirt is Comfortable, and I am sort of jealous now because I do not currently have the kind of figure that can pull anything like that off. Or weather.

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    1. hahahaha! i think it looked around my sewing area and grew schizophrenic! but thankya ;).

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  2. Actually the soul is soaring!!! The creative path is always about the journey and these picture postcards are amazing. Alas, the fabric is 100% wool; not a drop of spandex for bodycon anything -- good stretch, slow recovery, mighty fine for a pullover (no negative ease, please) or... the "right" cardigan ;) Or a hat! Your hat is fabulous. I shall copy it with a sideways band, just like yours, so things don't get too stretchy. And I'm sure you'll discover even more scenic points of interest on this trip. :D xo

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    1. man, lemme tell ya, i went on a ROAD TRIP. i love to make fabric do what it doesn't want to... but i should have let the sweater be the boss here. i can't wait to see your hat!

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  3. OHHHHHH that fabric is to die for! Love it! I almost forgot can you send me that denim top/jacket when your done? LOLL Fabulous as always!
    Shari
    MyDailyThreadz

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    1. haha! that's an H&M jacket, cut up & blinged up. one of my favorites ;)

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  4. Oona you always dazzle me! Love this outfit!

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  5. Ahahahahahahah @ Pillsbury Dough Boy hat!! Cause I was thinking it ;p

    That color is delicious on you and once you forget your plan, you can make that kick ass hat with it. Which has much more flavor of Oona to it.

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  6. WOW - That (not so humble) beret has unexpected POWER. I can feel the skirt never wants to be bereft of it's matching headgear. Inspired and Inspiring - isn't that why we sew for ourselves? "No rules" rule us. I'm off to have a rummage through my stash of ODDments now. I want hat(s).
    baci Sallyxx
    sarsaparillasal.blogspot.com

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  7. LMFAO!!! I nearly snorted my coffee through my nose but you is ROCKIN' THE PILLSBURY BABY! *This* quite perfectly describes 99% of all of my ideas/plans ;-) Love the fabric, love the process.

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  8. -- "the best way to guarantee that I will go off the rails is to make a plan" --

    Oh that almost sounds like me, although some of my plans do come together. I love that color and the outfit turned out really nice. Great photos too. Perfect choice of background.

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    1. thanks lynn! that Prince, he stumbled upon a perfect color pairing.

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  9. Beautiful work and perfect fabric for a cold winter!

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  10. That colour!!!! Oh man is it ever frickin awesome! Although it would be cute as a cardigan, ripples be damned I think that the skirt looks great!!!!!

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  11. I've been dying to try some fabric from the O! Jolly shop! Sooooooo many luscious looking sweater knits to be made into maybe sweaters! I'll be sure to check out her blog before I attempt anything because I doubt I'd be able to salvage a not-sweater into an outfit as stellar as yours here. Gorgeous color, btw!

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  12. Beautiful skirt and hat! What an absolutely gorgeous color...

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  13. oooo, you will absolutely find some goodness there. hope you try your hand!

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  14. Well, I for one adore that hat. It reminds me of the one that went with my summer majorette uniform (yes, I'm old). My mother made dress and hat for both me and another girl on the squad, and every time we wore it, she'd say we looked like bakers! I am enjoying reading your back posts; thank you for your lovely inspiration. Giuditta

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i thankya truly for taking the time to comment, i love a good conversation-- and hope you know my thanks are always implied, if not always written!