Manic Pop

 In addition to all the other things I do, I recently stumbled upon some photos I did for a friend's men's lookbook two years ago. Admittedly, I know very little about photography - I just know what I want photos to look like. I run them through Photoshop, play with color balance, occasionally add effects, whatnot. I remember being particularly excited about this little shoot. My favorite season is fall and this was one of the first "official" shoots I had ever done. Armed only with my little SLR, no extra lenses, no light-bouncing disc things (further proving my non-photography knowledge - don't know what they're called), this is what we got with no crazy equipment at all. Although there are some things I could have done differently, I am quite pleased with how these images came out for not knowing really anything at all.  Take a peek!

I don't know why I rarely visit Chinatown - it's not super-far away for me but for some reason I forget to go there. Last week my mom was visiting from Connecticut and this was the first trip we made! She had apparently always wanted to visit Chinatown, so I decided to show her around a bit. It was one of those perfect days out to run around the city. I ended up wearing a short sleeve sweater I knitted back in my Knitwear Design class in college. This sweater in particular is about 5 years old and it's the first (and really only?) sweater I have ever knitted. I can remember knitting it while I was taking my Senior Project class (essentially sewing together your entire senior collection), as well as working 2 part time jobs. I actually designed the sewing pattern for it - just a simple short sleeve sweater with a crawling cable stitch. My teacher at the time, who was an avid knitter and published in many knitting magazines, had a pattern somewhere...

Believe it or not, this is a brand-new inspiration board for an upcoming (fashion) collection that I whipped up today in Photoshop. I've decided that it's long been overdue with updating my portfolio, so I'm getting some flats/croquis/inspiration boards together at the moment to be completed throughout winter! Knit hood update: ALMOST finished! A few more rows (I've been slacking) and some stitching together as well as snaps and buttons and it's done! I just have to figure out how I'm typing up the pattern for follow-along instructions.

As I mentioned, I'm really getting into knitwear again as of late. Here are 3 great knitwear patterns from 2 different books I have - both from the early 70s. Download the images to zoom in and follow along to make your own! Lace shell tank top pattern, colorblock sweater pattern, and a knitting on the diagonal sweater pattern.  On the diagonal.  Lacy pullover. Colorblock sweater. Enjoy!

A super quick post... Seems I'm to the point where I am competing with myself to out-weird one outfit from the next (aside from the Autumnal Day in the Park post where I was just cozy.) I'm really into knitwear at the moment and this knitted turban hat pretty much sums it up. I found it perhaps 3-4 years ago at my favorite thrift store. I can't remember if it was 50 cents or $2, but it could have been anywhere in between.  How often do you really see a knitted winter turban?! I typically wear it in the winter, but it seemed right for today somehow.  Apologies for the odd poses/faces. It was getting dark out and even though I sat still on a long exposure, there was still a lot of ghostiness happening. This is what you get for being a backyard blogger. PS: The neighbors still think I'm nuts. Detail shot. I still have my Victrola pin! I originally had a blue and silver one I found at (yet again) my favorite thrift store, but it got caught on somethin...

I rarely post sketches of things - not really because I'm worried about people "stealing" ideas (isn't that what fashion does anyway?) but really because I sketch so much but only about 1/3 to perhaps only 1/4 of it is actually worth it. The flats board here was for a boutique collection in California that was supposed to happen some 6 months or more ago that never ended up going anywhere (yet?). I stumbled upon these again recently and was pretty excited about the color choices, contrast fabrics, etc. I had forgotten almost all about it. I figure by now, it's safe to release these. Otherwise, they're just lost to time. Other sketches essentially lost to time:  This came into my head in April... then last night only got the swirly things added onto it. I kind of think I need to make it.  Somehow, I had an eveningwear moment happen. I rarely if ever design eveningwear but when I do, it has a definite vintage vibe. The one on the left almost seem...

Knitting in the park! Ok... perhaps not really. I am still working on that hood, albeit pretty slowly. Me and Max were out in the park the other day, me teaching him how to knit (he asked! I swear!) so we were knitting manly cable stitches. I'm almost done with the first side. I did notice that there are better ways to increase and decrease, but this is only my 2nd design of my own pattern EVER, so I think I'm allowed a few mistakes. I don't think anyone else will notice really but me.  (Isn't that how it always is anyway?)              We found this weird thing in the park. What is this, prepping kids to know how to do log-rolling in the water? Max says it was pretty hard to do.  I haven't worn this sweater thing in quite some time. Mostly because I thought the cats would attack me from both sides because it's so swingy. They totally ignored it somehow which is amazing because we can't ...