Knitted skirts; or, I am converted
I didn’t like knitted skirts before. Knitted dresses, yes, if only because I have hiding in the back of my closet a charcoal grey short sleeve sweaterdress that always looked really amazing on me. (And will again, if I somehow manage to figure out how to knit on the elliptical anytime soon!)
But skirts? Nah. Not so much. I wasn’t impressed with the patterns out there. However, I’ve been converted. The linen skirt Nikol did for Alt Fiber? Tasty. The red skirt on the cover of Annie Modesitt’s book Romantic Handknits? Oh, do I want one. And now, this pattern in the current Knitty make me want to track down just the right yarn for it immediately. It’s got that tweedy, shaped thing going on that makes me want to put on my glasses (which I rarely wear — I don’t frequently need them) for the saucy prepster look.
What about you? What turns you off (or on, for that matter) about knitted skirts? Do you think crochet is better suited for a skirt that’ll stand up over time without too much stretching? I’m curious to hear what you’ve found in your own work.
I think a skirt would get dirtier and suffer more wear and tear than a top.
I haven’t thought much about knitted skirts. Most of the ones I have seen in the past I wouldn’t wear. Your are right about the skirt from Knitty. It is so cute. I am actually tempted to make it. Have to think some more on that one. Thanks for sharing!
I can’t wear knitted dresses, myself– they seem to take whatever curves you have and exaggerate them, and I’m already curvy enough.
I do love that skirt in knitty, but I’d be nervous about working on such a time-consuming and boring project that may very well look awful on me. You should wait and see what kind of results other people get (I’m sure there will be some popping up on Ravelry in a few weeks).
In the past, I had my doubts about handknitted skirts because they might grow with weight or be overly bulky. Then, I saw the skirt that a designer contributed to my book project and I was just blown away….Amazing looking, and totally sexy. Knit skirts are generally flattering to those of us with curves. They seem to accentuate all the right parts! I also found that a tightly knit worsted weight wool was elastic enough not to droop, and the yarn the designer used is machine washable, if that was a concern. All in all, a great combo. I spill on my sweaters all the time, so I don’t worry too much about knitted wear and tear, it’s part of the deal. I do think it might take a long time to knit a skirt though, at least in my size, and I can see that as dissuading a knitter from jumping in. Otherwise though, I’m now convinced. Sometimes seeing a knitted skirt in person makes all the difference.
I love some of Kat Coyle’s knit skirts and some others too — like the peel skirt in big girls 1. I think the key is to consider the yarn’s weight/drag coefficient in the design phase.
I have a knit skirt and a crochet skirt both of which I love to wear — the knit one is sort of wild multicolor feather and fan on the bias and the crochet one is a repeated circle motif in a variety of colors strung together with open work — both are thrift shop finds. The key to both of these skirts is that they are quite open and they are lined! A beautiful lining allows the stitchwork to really stand out and allows you to work something without relying on teensy needles and tight gauge to counteract droop. Plus, the lining means you don’t have that curve hugging quality, but more of a flowing skirt that is more forgiving to the feminine form and your choice of undergarments.
I’m just a little terrified of them. I don’t need more wooly bulk around my hips, and It would be a huge buzz kill if after knitting a skirt- all that work and yarn- to find that I hate how it looks on me. I do love the new pattern in knitty, and I was thinking about translating the stitch pattern into a longish sweater.