How to wear an argyle knit
An argyle knit is an interesting fashion choice. Not if you are off to play actual golf, obviously. If you are playing actual golf then argyle is eye-rollingly literal. But I’m not off to play golf. In fact I have never played golf and have no interest in playing golf. Which is why I’m quite interested in an argyle sweater.
The history of the argyle sweater is, ahem, chequered. Grace Kelly, who loved a Pringle twinset, dabbled in knitted diamonds. Francis Begbie wore a sweater in Trainspotting. Cher Horowitz wore an argyle knit mini in Clueless. Most recently, Michael Shannon wears one in Knives Out, which would be a shoo-in for Best Dramatic Knitwear, if that was a Golden Globe. (It totally should be a Golden Globe, right?) From Hollywood to the football terraces and back again, the argyle has an eccentric history.
The way to wear the diamond pattern, right now, is straight up. Argyle was on the catwalk for Victoria Beckham, J W Anderson and Molly Goddard at the last London fashion week, and the recent Pringle collaboration was a major high street hit at H&M. The look is preppy, rather than subversive. At Victoria Beckham, a Kelly fitted argyle knit was worn with the collars and cuffs of a silk blouse visible beneath, teamed with a slinky long pencil skirt. Very much what Cher Horowitz might be wearing now, if she had grown up to become, like, CEO of Goop.
I am proposing the argyle for consideration at this point because, having convinced myself for much of the winter that a neutral rib sweater tucked into dark high-waisted trousers was very Shiv from Succession, especially with a gold necklace or two, I’m starting to bore myself when I look in the mirror. And sometimes, at this point in the year, I need a sweater that brings a little jazz hands to what I’m wearing.
A plain, dark sweater with plain, dark trousers demands that you add glamour with your jewellery, makeup or shoes; sometimes it is much simpler just to wear a jazzy sweater and pink trousers (these are my very own pink trousers and I really like them, thank you very much, so be careful what you say) and know that the jazziness is handled. Right now, diamonds that keep you warm are a girl’s best friend.
• Jess wears jumper, £55, oliverbonas.com. Trousers and heels, her own. Styling: Melanie Wilkinson. Hair and makeup: Sam Cooper using Living Proof and MAC Cosmetics
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Why I Knit: For the past, present and future
I like knitting because it’s fun and a relaxing way to pass the time. I also enjoy it because wearing, or using, something that I’ve knitted gives me such an accomplished and proud feeling. (Claire Galvin/The Daily Campus)
Over winter break I decided to pick up a new craft: knitting. I’m not exactly sure why I decided to give it a try, but I think I was excited to show off anything I made in the future. My mom, the craftiest person I know, sat down with me a few days after Christmas and taught me the basics. I was hooked.
My mom, who is a seamstress by trade, said she enjoys knitting because she likes engaging in a craft dating back hundreds of years, connecting her to women from several generations. She also says picking up her needles and knitting a few stitches instantly relaxes her.
I like knitting because it’s fun and a relaxing way to pass the time. I also enjoy it because wearing, or using, something that I’ve knitted gives me such an accomplished and proud feeling. I look down at the scarf I’m wearing and know that I made every stitch on that scarf happen. It’s powerful.
So far, I’ve knitted two scarfs and I’m almost done with a pillow cover. While those don’t seem like big accomplishments in three whole months, I only knit maybe three to four hours a week.
To get started with knitting, you really only need four things, one of which you probably already have. Pick up a ball of yarn, knitting needles, a yarn needle and a pair of scissors.
I wish I had known earlier, but Wal-Mart has a great selection of inexpensive knitting needles and yarn. Pick up a pair of larger sized needles, possibly U.S. 8, 9 or 10. There are many different materials knitting needles can be made out of: plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, bamboo or wood. Each have different advantages and disadvantages. I prefer a metal needle because they are smooth, cool to the touch and won’t warp like plastic. Until you try them all out, you probably won’t know your favorite.
Use YouTube, books, Pinterest and blogs to find inspiration for new patterns and stitches. (Claire Galvin/The Daily Campus)
Buy a needle with a large eye that the yarn can fit through, sometimes called a yarn needle or a darning needle. If you don’t have scissors, pick up a pair of small, pointed scissors.
Finally, you choose your yarn. Find something in a material and color you like, but find something that’s not lumpy, slippery or hairy. Those are better for advanced knitters. A smooth “worsted” weight yarn is the best choice for a beginner.
Once you have your supplies, you need to learn a few of the basics. Learning how to make a slip knot, how to cast on (attaching the yarn to the knitting needle for the first time), the knit stitch and binding off (securely removing the yarn from the knitting needle) are necessary to knit anything. There are several places to look for tutorials.
YouTube: This source is probably the best for a complete beginner. The visual and audio combination is very helpful when learning the basics. Find short videos and watch them over and over again until you get the hang of it.
Books: A traditional source for learning the basics, a book can be a great source for a variety of tutorials, tips and even simple patterns. I had a gift card from Christmas, so I purchased the “Idiot’s Guide: Knitting” from Barnes & Noble for about $15. A photo-filled, full-colored book is necessary for learning.
Pinterest/ Blogs: While sometimes Pinterest can be better for eye-candy and inspiration, occasionally I stumble across a great blogger who teaches the basics in a helpful, concise way. Learning extra stitches, extra cast on and cast off techniques or fun patterns is the next step in improving your knitting.
After you learn the basics, try your first project. A great pattern for beginners is a simple dish cloth or wash cloth. Using a 100 percent cotton machine washable yarn, knit up a simple square.
Cast on 40 stitches.
Knit in garter (knit) stitch for as many rows as it takes until the wash cloth is square.
Bind-off.
Weave in ends with yarn needle.
Your new wash cloth is totally usable, washable and 100 percent handmade. I hope you find the craft as entertaining and fulfilling as I have.
Claire Galvin is a senior staff writer for The Daily Campus. She can be reached via email at claire.galvin@uconn.edu.
Why are those Finnish Olympians knitting?
The Olympics are a high-stakes situation for all the athletes and their coaches. But sometimes you just need to relax and knit, even if you're about see if you can win a medal in snowboarding.
It seems the Finnish Olympians have taken this idea to heart because they're constantly knitting — and Olympic viewers are noticing.
These tweets mostly feature the Finnish snowboarding coach Antti Koskinen knitting right before one of his athletes goes for the gold. Normally at a time like this, coaches would be offering last-minute advice, or a pep talk. Not Koskinen.
"We want to keep things kind of lighthearted at the start, you know, a little bit of joking around, and, you know, keeping the mood light, and this definitely helps with that," Koskinen said during a Feb. 14 press conference that addressed the team's knitting.
"And when I see Antti knitting," snowboarder Roope Tonteri said, "you know, I just laugh at him, so, I'm not actually thinking about that much."
"And I don't mind being laughed at," Koskinen replied.
Knitting during the Games isn't anything new for the Finnish Olympians. In the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympic Games, the team collectively worked together on a scarf, which they then handed over to their 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympic counterparts.
Why you need a scarf in Rio in the middle of summer is anyone's guess.
"It's a really Finnish thing to do," Tonteri said, "so you don't need to talk to anyone while doing it."
"No unnecessary chitchat is needed," Koskinen said while chuckling.
The knitting this year is more than just a stress reliever for the Fins; they're knitting a blanket for the newborn son of the Finnish president. President Sauli Niinisto's wife Jenni Haukio gave birth to the couple's first child on Feb. 2.
Not everyone is keeping to the project, however.
Ski jumper Eetu Nousiainen made two squares, got bored and didn't want to start another end, so he began work on his own scarf.
"It could be a blanket for the president's dog," someone else on the team quipped.
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Why are those Finnish Olympians knitting?
The Finnish Olympic team is knitting up a storm, even right before their events.
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