The silver lining to a grueling, 9-hours-of-sleep-in-two-days kind of business trip is the ability to take Friday off from my day job, and spend a morning puttering around and making my house my own again.

I’ve really been enjoying the day, and am now super-ready for an afternoon with the boys and a dear dear friend, preparing a birthday celebration for the husband. (Who didn’t even give me any grief about me being away on a business trip on his birthday. He’s really quite the guy.)

Weekend plans include a book signing at Hub Mills, lots of seaming and blocking and cuddles and knitting and great company, food, and rest. Oh, and enjoying the gorgeous late-spring weather–this is one of my favorite times of year. And not an airplane to be found.

Sounds like heaven, doesn’t it?

I’m starting off the weekend with comfort as pretty much my only guide. Slouchy, lightweight top? Check. Super-comfy jean skirt? Check. Kick-em-on-and-off sandals? Check check check. (Adorable necklace the boys got me for mother’s day? Check.)

I’m not necessarily going for any particular figure-flattery with this outfit, though my love of dolmans on my long-torsoed figure is absolutely present. Instead, I’m letting my figure’s natural shape come through, in a style that makes me feel utterly at home in my skin. Despite this flaunting of “the rules”, it works. I don’t look bombshell, but that matters so much less than my own comfort and confidence.

(But, for those wondering: If my main goal were to narrow my waist, I’d pair this broad-shouldered top with a structured A-line skirt. If I wanted to lengthen my legs, I’d match the shirt with my floor-length-with-heels gray knit maxi skirt and perhaps add a belt worn a bit high on my waist. If I wanted a look a bit more practical for the office, I’d likely group this with very long earrings, a cuff, black boot-cut jeans, and heeled boots.)

Hm. Maybe for next week, we’ll step through these variations? What do you think?

I’m headed out shortly for my first day-job business trip in awhile, and have spent the week frantically finishing up deadline knitting so that I can take something new on the plane.

I think it’ll work, don’t you?

(Obligatory update: Just 3 spots left, now, in the make. wear. love. retreat. If you’re interested, let me know! And I hope to see you this fall.)

(I’m super-excited about the response to make. wear. love. so far. We have only around 10 spots left in the retreat as of this evening, so if you’d like in on this wonderful weekend please let me know soon! I’m really looking forward to summer and wouldn’t wish it away, of course… but now I’m really looking forward to the fall, too.)

This week in Fashion Friday, we’re going to take a quick look at sleeve length and how it changes an outfit. To illustrate the difference between the 4 basic sleeve lengths, I’ve chosen a pretty plain outfit–cardigan, over tank top and jeans. These were all taken seconds apart, with no retouching or tricks or anything.

The basic principle is this: In the average case, the eye will be drawn to the part of the body where the sleeve cuff ends. That part of the body will gain more prominence, visually speaking.

Let’s start with long sleeves first: They draw the eye down, to the legs.

Now, 3/4-length sleeves. They tend to end in-line with the hem of a top, and so paint a visual line around both the arms and the mid-hip.

Elbow sleeves draw the eye to the waist (real or manufactured with clever use of clothing).

Gold star to anyone who can predict where short sleeves draw the eye. (grin)

That’s right! Short sleeves are probably the most visually bust-enhancing thing going on.

There are lots of other things to keep in mind about sleeves, too–but we’ll save that for another week. For this week, just think: Where are your sleeves drawing the eye? Where would you like the eye drawn?

My personal favorite sleeve length is a tie–I love both 3/4 and elbow-length sleeves, and wear them both frequently. Do you have a favorite?

Before I go too far in my sweater design process, I spend time on Ravelry, trying to make sure that the sweater I’m thinking about doesn’t already exist, and that the name I have chosen isn’t already well-represented in Ravelry’s database.

I don’t know how it slipped my mind to do the same thing for my retreat name, but it did. And I didn’t. And so I didn’t notice that Ysolda Teague has been running an online class of the same name.

Needless to say, when someone pointed this out to me, I was mortified. And so I am making an update to the name of the retreat I announced yesterday. I apologize for the confusion! This is simply the right thing to do, and I’m happy to do it. The retreat is now called make. wear. love., which I think sums up what I’m about even better than before. We’ll help you make something. Wear it. And love it.

*****

That said, I’m thrilled with the response the retreat has gotten so far. Spots are going fairly quickly, so if you think you’re interested please email me for more information.

A couple of questions have come up more than once, and I thought it might be helpful to share them, and their answers, here.

• What if I’ve already taken the Knit to Flatter class? That’s totally fine! The two-day option of the retreat was designed to build upon your Knit to Flatter experience and cover new topics to round out your sweater-knitting tool kit. We’re covering fabric, color, and specific modifications in detail–none of which are part of the standard Knit to Flatter curriculum.
• What if I haven’t already taken the Knit to Flatter class? No worries here, either! As long as spots still remain for the 3-day option, the 6-hour Knit to Flatter class on Friday has you covered. After those fill, you can always take my Craftsy class (at 50% off, with that link!) before arriving in September. That way, you’ll be starting the retreat with all of the tools you need.
• What if I want to come early, or stay late? Absolutely, we’ve planned for this! Sebasco is a lovely place, and we fully expect many attendees will want to take advantage of that. First, the special group rates are available 3 days before/after the retreat itself. But in addition, we’ll be organizing a set of activity options for any 2-day attendees who want to arrive at the resort early on Friday (or even Thursday).
• What if I want to bring my husband/partner/non-knitting friend? This goes hand-in-hand with the question above, and is absolutely fine! Please be aware that the retreat schedule is a fairly full one, and your companion may not get to spend hours and hours with you during the actual retreat days… …but there’s plenty to do at Sebasco, including golf. And hey, if s/he would like to spend time with a gaggle of knitters and join us for some of the meals, let us know! We’ll work something out.
• I’m coming alone. What if I want a roommate? While lodging is up to you, we’d be happy to try and facilitate communication between attendees seeking roomies. Just note it on your registration form, and we’ll put you in touch!
• How large will the group be? Will it be like a festival, or a small intimate retreat? Small intimate retreat. Without even the barest question. The retreat is limited to just 54 attendees, and while there will be lots to do, all of it is of the “relax with your new friends and learn wonderful things” variety. (Rather than the “Eeeeee, let’s do everything right now I need to get to Barn A before (yarn of the moment) sells out!” variety.) There will be no shortages of anything, and the pace of the weekend, while full, is relaxed enough to let you savor everything.
• Will there be yarn? Ohhh, yes. Yes there will.

I am so excited about this fantastic weekend, and I’m so humbled and pleased that you all are, too. I can’t wait to see you.

I am so. excited. to finally share this news with you.

This September, on the lovely Maine coast, I’m hosting a weekend retreat focused entirely on learning everything you need to create sweaters that are absolutely perfect for you. Sweaters you love to wear. Sweaters that make you feel like the exceptional person you really are.

Now, I definitely have some things to say about sweater nirvana–but I’m far from an expert on everything, and every time I’ve gotten a question about fabric choice and color over the last couple of years, little seeds were planted in my brain. Those seeds have bloomed, and I’m excited to invite you to join me for an intimate, body-positive weekend filled with expert instruction, beautiful surroundings, and good company.

I’ve worked closely with experts Clara Parkes and Mary Jane Mucklestone to create an experience filled with all of the tools you’ll need to spark a lifetime of favorite sweaters. We’ll dive deep on style, fit, fabric, color, finishing, and more. You’ll leave with the passion and ability to make truly custom, totally perfect hand-knits for your body, and your lifestyle.

(For the impatient and/or gung-ho: If that’s all you need to know, to sign up you’ll need to email me, get a registration form, fill it out, and pay a non-refundable deposit of US$250. The deposit holds your spot, and the retreat will be first-come, first-accepted for each available type of student (2-day, 3-day); please be sure to indicate which you’d like.)

The Details

Want to know more details? Fantastic, here are some things you’ll need to know.

Where will it be? make. wear. love. will take place at the Sebasco Harbor Resort, on the lovely Maine Coast, during the weekend of September 20-22, 2013. Sebasco provides stunning vistas, tons of great places to curl up with a few friends and knit, and lots of lodging options, all in a friendly, unpretentious atmosphere. They’re excited to have us, and we’re very excited to be there.

How long does it last? How many people? There are 2- and 3-day options. There is a hard limit of 27 students on Friday, and 54 total for Saturday and Sunday, ensuring the Saturday/Sunday classes are limited to 18 students. The retreat will feel warm, friendly, and cozy.

• For attendees who have not already taken my Knit to Flatter class (or who want a refresher), the retreat will begin Thursday night, September 19, and kick off with a drinks-and-finger foods reception upon arrival. Friday, we’ll spend a glorious 6 hours diving into the basics: your body’s shape, how clothing can change its appearance, and how to get sweaters that perfectly fit and flatter you.
• All attendees get together on Friday night for the main welcome reception. I’ll unveil 3 designs exclusive to workshop participants, and we’ll get to know one another over a glass of wine, some great nosh, and knitting.
• All attendees take the 3 classes that form the backbone of this weekend: The Sweater Knitter’s Guides to Color, Fabric, and Mindful Modifications (taught by Mary Jane, Clara, and myself, respectively). Each class will go in-depth into these topics, answering all of your questions and empowering you to pick up your needles and knit that favorite sweater.
• This special weekend will have a lot more in store, too: We’ll have great group meals, “favorite sweater” office hours, a demonstration / Q&A session on finishing techniques, a carefully-curated set of vendors, tons of lovely sweaters to try on, and plenty of time to sit and knit in one of the most beautiful places there is.

What is the price? The 2-day event is $725; the 3-day event is $845.

What’s included? The price includes all classes, events, the new designs, meals, a glass of wine each night, and a goodie bag ready to get you started. Since there are so many wonderful options within this resort for all price point / space needs, you are responsible for your own lodging. We’re very familiar with the property and have arranged for special group rates, so we’re happy to work with you to help you understand your choices!

Excited and interested? Want to know more about the classes, evening activities, or logistics? Please, email me at amyherzogdesigns@gmail.com, and I’ll be happy to send you our brochure with complete event details, schedule and registration information.

Registration will be on a first-come, first-accepted basis. My newsletter subscribers actually got advance notice for this event, so some spots are already taken. If you’re interested, let me know soon!

I am so looking forward to seeing you in September. Can you imagine a better knitting view than this?

(both alike in yarn, in fair Boston where we lay our scene)

I think many of you know that Thea and I live close by, and often get together to talk about this and that. Naturally, we both typically have knitting when we get together for lunch or patio drinks, but somehow last month was the first time we ever found ourselves knitting the same thing.

Well, the same yarn anyway.

The first is my Aislinn, and the second is Thea’s Cape Cod. It was really fun, after we got over the shock of seeing the same yarn and ribbing (!) come out of one another’s bag, to spend lunchtime exploring our different interpretations of Plucky’s luscious straight-wool sweater yarn.

For all that Thea and I have lots of similarities personally, and similar design goals (clean aesthetic, interesting texture and use of yarn, a focus on achieving a custom fit), the fact that we’re different people comes through in our designs. And I love that. Fashion should be fun, and unique, and endlessly variable. With these two sweaters in particular, I love the way we both start with similar ideas, the same yarn… …and wind up with two very different styles.

For starters, I love that we both included lace in these designs. It’s light, it’s fun, and it shows off the yarn beautifully.

Both designs feature a nice stockinette base, which enables simple modifications, a gorgeous 1×1 ribbing, and figure-flattering elements. Aislinn features faux waist ties, creating the illusion of an hourglass waist, a tailored set-in sleeve fit, and almost-crisp edgings and details. Flattering, tailored, elegant… and just a bit of sweet.

Cape Cod features a lovely boat neck, bold lace details front and back, and an easier, more relaxed fit. Relaxed, charming, effortless… just the kind of thing you want to slip on after a long day at the beach.

And yet, for all the similarities… …our different personalities come through, right?

I hope you enjoyed the little Plucky Sweater party as much as Thea and I enjoyed ourselves at lunch! Be sure to check out her post on this same happy coincidence.

Can’t wait to see your sweaters!

This week in Fashion Friday, I wanted to focus on the hand-knit. And specifically, on how we wear our hand-knit sweaters.

Oftentimes, we tend to wear our handiwork as art. And there’s some truth to that! It takes skill, and perseverance, and love to make the things we make. We should be proud of them. And there are some sweaters that truly are objects of art, first and foremost. This post isn’t about them.

It’s about the other sweaters, the ones we want to wear every day “as clothes”. For a long time, when I’d wear a hand-knit it would be the center focus of the outfit (no matter the color). I was wearing a knit! It fit great! So I’d style everything else around it very subdued.

I see this around me, too. I think we’re maybe a little confounded by our sweaters. We are proud of them, we want to show them off–and sometimes I think that blinds us to what the sweaters truly are. It’s not that there’s anything wrong with this outfit, exactly. I like the lines it’s painting on my body, I like the way everything fits and looks… it’s just a little bit too much about the sweater.

And here’s the thing: The sweaters aren’t the art.

We are the art. You and me. The sweaters? Frames done by a master craftsman. And when I think of the sweater as a showpiece in and of itself, I (personally speaking) lose that perspective. My outfit becomes about the sweater, not about me.

When I try to focus myself on using the sweater to frame me, I find an outfit that makes me feel much more sparkly.

Interestingly, I feel like the sweater actually shines brighter here, too. The colors and layers and jewelry all bring the sweater into a coherent outfit, rather than placing it on top of my neutral layers. In Fit to Flatter terms, these outfits are very similar. Of course the pants lengthen my legs more than the skirt, but the overall silhouettes being painted on my body are almost identical.

What’s magic to me about the second picture is that it really feels like I’ve made the sweater about my own style, rather than making my outfit and style about the sweater.

How about you? How do you wear your hand-knits? What makes you feel best in them?

(And yes, I know, I chose dark yarn. I wear deep purple like this all the time in my daily life, so when I was choosing yarn to knit my own version of Draper (from the book
naturally) I chose the lovely Grand Street Ink for the Lorna’s Laces Sportmate. I am wearing the heck out of this one.)

I’m overwhelmed by the response you’ve all given Aislinn. I’m so excited that four people have even cast on already!

Since most of the knitting progress around here is super-secret at the moment, I thought it might be fun to explore a few different ways Aislinn could be styled. I love playing around with Polyvore, and I think there’s no better way to explore the many different wardrobe choices one could make for a sweater like this.

First, because I am in love with this styling but would never wear it, I think Aislinn would look adorable with some bright capris, a sweet shirt, and some slightly scuffed converse:

Second, a slightly more upscale version of the cute spring dress/skirt. This one is a linen number from Boden that I’ve been lusting after, paired with natural materials–leather cuff, wooden earrings, and some espadrilles:

Finally, the goth in me can’t resist a grunged-up version of Aislinn. This is how I would have worn her, back in the day, with screaming red lips and outrageous eyeliner. I always enjoyed mixing unabashedly sweet things into my less-than-innocent wardrobe.

How will you wear Aislinn?

Spring is in the air, here in Boston anyway, and this sweet cardigan has you covered no matter what the weather.

Aislinn started with the yarn (the ever-fabulous Plucky Knitter Plucky Sweater), and wishing for some cool spring days for a lighter kind of sweater. I messed around with some swatches for a week or two, and eventually settled on the following sketch:

I love the look of tied-waist sweaters, but they’re typically not my favorite thing to wear since they call attention to my straighter waist. So as I was swatching, I thought to myself: I wonder if I could make a sweater with ties that didn’t go all the way to the sides of the sweater?

As it turns out, the answer is a resounding yes. This is a hugely flattering way to incorporate ties for straighter-waisted shapes. The sides of my waist disappear when I wear the sweater, and all attention is focused on the lace-and-tie curves.

I built the rest of the sweater elements around this eye-catching combination of tie and lace. The neck is shaped like a crew, but wears like a deep, narrow V:

The sleeves, back, and sides of the front are fairly plain stockinette-and-rib, but I edge the rib in a delicate eyelet pattern that echoes the lace on the front. The plackets and ties themselves are done in a very simple 1×1 rib, edged in a tubular cast-on (which I adore).

And like all of my sweaters, Aislinn was designed with modification in mind. It uses vertical darts for waist shaping, which can be easily modified to accommodate any of your body’s shaping needs. There is plenty of Stockinette in which you can carry out any of your mods. And it’s offered in an 11-size range from 30 1/2 – 54 1/2 inches in the bust.

You can find more information on Aislinn here on its design page, or within my Rav pattern store. Jonathan and I had a fantastic time at the photo shoot for the sweater, so I’ll leave you with one additional picture. It’s not the best shot of the sweater, but it perfectly captures the mood of our morning!

Happy knitting!

I know, I know. Heels are evil, you say. Health problems! Oppressive and restrictive pictures of what it means to be beautiful! I know.

But I love mine.

(Skirt: A recent Banana Republic sale find. Tee: Also Banana, can’t find a link now though. Sandals: Born.)

Heels visually stretch out my foot and make it part of the leg, which makes them appear longer than they are and brings my lower half closer to balancing my top half. (My legs are athletic, thick and quite short for my height–I am 5’6”, have a 27” inseam, and a 17” calf.) Heels are an integral part of my wardrobe, so this week I thought I’d spend some time talking about how I work them into my daily life without getting sore feet.

First, as you saw in the first Fashion Friday, sometimes my “heels” are essentially just platforms. I love my clogs, it must be said, and wear them all over the place. Something with a little bit of heel that I can run in? Sign me up!

But I also love proper heels–the chunkier the better, to balance out my wider legs. And at least for me, at least so far, I’m completely comfortable in my heels all day without any of the nasty side-effects one reads about. Dansko makes some of my faves, but I’ve also had great luck with Clarks, Sofft, Ecco, and Born. I hear tell of these glorious Fluevogs that are comfy enough to do Disneyland in, and someday my budget will let me verify. There are some things that all of my heels have in common, though:

My daily-wears have a maximum of about a 2” heel and a nice solid foot bed. Nothing precarious for me, thanks! My Danskos came with me on a recent trip to NYC and we walked all over Midtown, with nary a problem.

I do sometimes extend this to about 4” with platforms, like the Born sandals I’m wearing above. I don’t think I’d do Manhattan in them, or a day with the kids, but I find them completely comfortable for an average all-day wear.

I love putting them with a super-long pair of jeans or skirt:

This whole outfit makes me feel about ten feet tall. (Skirt: Boden from a few years ago–this one is similar. Shirt is Gap from 2010.) I have another, similar pair from a couple of years ago from the brand Naya, and they’ve been quite comfortable too. No matter how tall the overall shoe is, for me to be really happy at the end of the day the arch in my foot needs to correspond to no more than a 2” heel. I have no idea how widely-applicable that number is, but thought it worth sharing. It’s probably also worth noting that we have a shoes-off household, so I spend a decent portion of every day with bare feet and do stretch my calves daily.

I feel like I should close this post by reiterating that I believe fashion should be subordinate to our lives, rather than the other way around. For all that I love heels, and am very comfortable in them, I spend a fair amount of time being active outside with the boys. And no way are my clothes going to get in the way of that. So when you see me at the playground, I’ll be looking like this…

…and totally happy with that. How about you? Do you prefer heels, flats, both? Does it depend on the outfit?

(And yes, before someone asks, I have two kinds of jeans–ones hemmed for heels, and ones hemmed for sneakers.)

(…and yes, the ones I wear with sneakers are capris. Hah!)