The Fibre Co. team are all taking part in Me Made May ’17, a challenge started by Zoe of So, Zo…What do you know?, to improve the relationship we have with our handmade wardrobes. We each have our own personal goals but the challenge is for us all to make time to focus on our handmade wardrobe for the month of May and delve a little into why we make. Keep your eye on the blog to see what we’re all up to.
I’m Alex and I work with Kate, our Brand Marketing Manager, to keep on top of the social media side here at The Fibre Co. I have a small handmade business selling bags and accessories for knitters and I’ve been making for as long as I can remember. I studied fashion design and pattern cutting but that absolutely does not mean all this handmade wardrobe stuff comes to me easy!
My #memademay17 Challenge
I’ve wanted to take on the challenge of wearing something handmade every day since I first came across Me Made May. That meant my own challenge actually started quite some time ago as I got serious about making a wardrobe of clothes I would actually wear day in day out this month.
Why I’m building a handmade wardrobe
Building a handmade wardrobe is something I’m really proud of; it gives me the power to wear clothes that are made really well and fit my specific measurements. I’m also very aware of the impact fast fashion is having on our planet and its people. A real upside to taking part in the slow fashion movement is knowing who made your clothes and in what conditions.
How to start a handmade wardrobe
For me, building a handmade wardrobe started with just one piece, my first knitted garment, and it grew from there. Through trial and error, I’ve found the key to creating a wardrobe of pieces I could wear with confidence was knitting and sewing the ready-to-wear items I was already buying.
Right now my handmade wardrobe consists of 2 sweaters, 2 cardigans, 2 tank tops, 2 boatneck 3/4length sleeve tops, 5 shawls and a heap of socks, but let’s go back to the beginning. My first hand knit garment was an open front cardigan with pockets knit in a soft blue-grey I knew would go with jeans. The fit wasn’t perfect but I could knit a cardigan and it gave me the confidence I needed to knit more garments.
So what next? The cardigan looked great with jeans but the blue didn’t go with any of my Boden dresses, of which I had many. I looked at all my dresses and tried to see a colour theme. I picked out a dark emerald green yarn that I knew would work with several of my favourites and a pattern, cropped with a scoop neck and pretty lace detail, that would be flattering over my jersey dresses.
Success! The cardigan was perfect and I have been wearing it ever since it came off the needles. Knitting a garment is a big investment in terms of both time and money and I wanted to get maximum wear out of it so my wardrobe grew around that first piece. It looked great over a dress but what about the other staple in my wardrobe…jeans! I looked at the tops I liked to wear and found a sewing pattern that would give me a similar look. And that’s pretty much how my handmade wardrobe has taken shape. I think in terms of outfits, not just individual garments and I’m careful to choose shapes and colours that will compliment the clothes I have already.
My Donner sweater
The most recent addition to my handmade wardrobe is Donner designed by Elizabeth Doherty which I knit in The Fibre Co. Luma. For Donner I started with the idea that I wanted a sweater that had a loose boxy fit that I could throw on in the spring or cool summer nights. Luma was an obvious choice as it is a 50% Merino wool, 25% organic cotton, 15% linen, 10% silk blend which I knew would give drape and be cooler than a 100% wool sweater.
I’m so happy with the finished sweater, it is just as I hoped it would be and looks great over my jeans in the Willow colour way. I had never worked with a linen or cotton blend and was worried it would be hard on my hands but it was a dream to work with. Soft and with a little give so it didn’t feel that different to other yarns I’ve knit with. The texture pattern was intuitive and kept the pattern interesting. I think The Fibre Co. Luma shows off the texture beautifully.
Elizabeth’s construction is unlike any sweater I’ve knit before and I really had to concentrate when following the pattern. The shoulders are shaped beautifully with short rows and I really like the lateral braid which adds structure and I think is a flattering detail. I didn’t get gauge substituting with Luma but I worked out that knitting the smallest size would get me very close to the 40” sweater that I wanted giving me 5-6” of positive ease as recommended.
So now the challenge begins, here’s hoping I have enough options to wear handmade every day. You can keep up with me on Instagram and find all my project notes for Donner on my Ravelry project page. Your local Luma stockist can be found here if you’re ready to cast on a sweater for the spring too.
We’d love to hear from you so we can follow along if you’re taking part in Me Made May. Don’t forget to tag your photos with #madewiththefibreco and #thefibreco. If you’re wearing The Fibre Co., we want to see!