Some unmanliness, and a skirt

Published on Wednesday October 1st, 2008

Mr. G: Nice sweater in the tub, btw.  me likes!!

YT: It’s a skirt! 😀 But now I think we may have to take a picture with me
wearing it as a sweater. You didn’t notice its lack of sleeves?

Mr. G: … well…uhm…well…uhm.  You usually add the sleeves at the end and I thought you were perhaps pressing it out to take some photos before finishing it up.  ok ok… I didn’t look THAT closely… I just liked the texture/pattern and the ruffle at the bottom (shh..mum is the word about liking ruffle!)

YT: A gent is allowed to like a ruffle fluttering about his lady’s knees,
isn’t he? Hell, why else have we been sewing ruffles to our clothing lo
these many centuries?

Mr. G: it is still not MANLY to state that one likes ruffle.

YT: I have to warn you, it’s getting very tempting to share this dialogue in
a blog post.

Mr. G: can it be anonymous?

Nope – sorry, honey. I don’t think there’s any way to sell the readers on the notion that a random anonymous man happened by our bathtub and peeked in at the garment blocking there. I guess it could have been a plumber (lord knows we need one to look at our two leaky sinks), but he’d have to be a pretty forward plumber possessing intimate knowledge of knitterly habits, and I’m guessing there aren’t too many of those. But we can, finally, show some pictures of the Indigo Ripples skirt I’ve been picking away at all summer long.

Note its distinctive skirtiness. Les specs:

Indigo Ripples skirt, by Kat Coyle, Interweave Knits Spring 2007

Classic Elite Soft Linen, 6 skeins, Kentucky Blue

US #5 needles

Mods: I lowered the waistline, altered the gauge and CO number, and lengthened the stockinet portion for a measure of modesty. (I’m wearing it with a black skirt underneath, and it’s still a little sultry for a K-8 school workplace – I think this will have to be a date-night ensemble, so it’s a fine thing we already know Mr. G likes the ruffle!)

I also dispensed with the i-cord drawstring and sewed one from my fabric stash instead. Here’s a close-up of the lace portion: I love the optical effects of those shifting mirrored increases and decreases:

I don’t know how many knitted skirts I’ll be making; ultimately I have my doubts about their practicality. But I like this one, and I loved working with the Soft Linen yarn, a wool/alpaca/linen blend that should be perfect for autumn wear. I totally concur with Clara Parkes’s review of it, and I’ll be interested to see how well the fabric holds up to, well, nether wear.

Thanks to Mr. G for the pictures, which look a lot more va-va-voom than I was feeling: we’d just returned from a long weekend of backpacking, and I was walking like a horseless cowboy. But more on that next time.

31 Comments to “Some unmanliness, and a skirt”

  1. Hilary Comment Says:

    Looks great! But I must say I’m really curious about your boots! They are awesome!

  2. yoel Comment Says:

    The skirt fits you like a glove! Or a, erm, sleeveless sweater! I like your mods a lot–a lot more wearable for people who want to remain employed.

  3. Kim D. Comment Says:

    Love the skirt. Love Mr. G’s comments. Sounds like something the Cute Guy would say. I disagree though. Put in a liner and you could definitely wear it to school.

  4. k Comment Says:

    Looks great. I don’t think I’m ready for knitted skirts (fear of saggy bum, me thinks) but I enjoy admiring other people’s successes!

  5. bells Comment Says:

    It’s fantastic. Oh well done.

    Horseless cowboy. Snigger.

  6. Daphne Comment Says:

    The pics certainly are va-va-voomin’–but it’s probably the skirt and the effects of biking and hiking, right? Thanks for the detail on the lace–now I want to check out the pattern and think about how that’d work elsewhere, since I am not in the market for a knitted skirt, myself.

  7. the Lady Comment Says:

    But the boots, who made the boots?

    Cute convo. Sweet skirt.

  8. Dea Comment Says:

    haha, men are so funny when it comes to knitting (and ruffles). I get teased so much about my knitting when guys first notice. But it doesn’t take long before there begging for socks or scarfs! My current boyf loves it when I’m knitting while he is nerding 😀

    And as you said the ruffles are actually there to please them 😉
    very nice color by the way.

  9. Anne Comment Says:

    I definitely like the added length. Looks more wearable to me that way. Cute tho! I could see it being perfect for a date night out!

  10. Veronique Comment Says:

    I love the skirt, but I especially love your ensemble! I agree that those slouchy boots and the cute velvet jacket look great with it 🙂
    And it is definitely va-va-voomy 😉

  11. Liz K Comment Says:

    I questioned the practicality and wearability of the knitted skirt as well; I have some junk in my trunk, and just wondered how I would like it. Well, I can report that I wore mine to death this summer. It is so comfortable and kicky, and it does stay in shape really nicely. I am a convert to the knitted skirt, for sure.

  12. Lisa Comment Says:

    Va-va-voom is right!! Totally smokin’ skirt. I love how you’ve styled the whole outfit and photo. A+!!

  13. claudia Comment Says:

    Super cute outfit.

  14. ann Comment Says:

    Looks great! Love the outfit too.

  15. gunter Comment Says:

    Your ripples turned out really well!
    I also have been hesitant to jump on the sweater skirt train but I am working on the Justine skirt. I think it could be love.

  16. Jodi Comment Says:

    Very pretty! I like the ruffle, too. Don’t you love it when guys admit these things?

    I’m curious to hear how it holds up to wear. It certainly looks gorgeous.

  17. gleek Comment Says:

    oooh, i love the skirt! so cute! hope you get out on the town to rock it 🙂

  18. Dawn Comment Says:

    I love the skirt. Those boots are fabulous too.

  19. whitney Comment Says:

    What a hilarious conversation!

    I adore your skirt. Your mods (especially lengthening the stockinette section) are perfect. I dismissed that pattern when I first saw it, because the shortness of the solid stockinette section just read very…well, icky, to me. And the fit of yours is amazing!

  20. Debby Comment Says:

    Mr.G has very educated and appreciative taste when it comes to the fine knits! The skirt is a lovely item to wear for date night. I really like what you did with the mods to make it work.

  21. tiennie Comment Says:

    This is just a perfect fit on you! Very cute and sassy with those boots!

  22. knithoundbrooklyn Comment Says:

    WOW! You look fantastic in that skirt. If you weren’t feeling VaVaVoom, you sure LOOKED the part.

    Mr. G knows a good thing when he sees it. Lucky man.

  23. Karen Comment Says:

    What a skirt, you did a beautiful job. Love the boots!

  24. Wendolene Comment Says:

    Incredible skirt–I wasn’t too impressed when I saw it in the magazine, but your modifications make a world of difference!
    And I’m very envious of those perfectly-matching boots : )

  25. Lindsey Comment Says:

    I see what you mean about the illusions with the lace pattern. I can’t look too long or I might get a bit dizzy! The skirt looks great, especially with those boots you had on. I shall not ever make myself a knitted skirt (just don’t have the build to pull it off), but I certainly appreciate those who have and can wear them successfully!

    And I’m so glad you shared the conversation, too funny!

  26. Knitbug Comment Says:

    If I ever doubted the ability of yarn to become a flattering skirt, you’ve made me eat my words 🙂 The boots, the frills, the texture, it’s all picture perfect!

  27. mia Comment Says:

    va va va voom is right! you look HOTTTT in that skirt, girl! Mr. G is so funny. Men and knitting…funny. Love the boots too. Funny thing, we were just camping and backpacking too, and are limping around sadly with sore legs.

  28. merete Comment Says:

    yes ruffles can be pretty cute on the right person. and you look great in that skirt. and the things you are wearing it with makes it not too cute if you know what i mean. great outfit.

  29. Seanna Lea Comment Says:

    Ooh, that looks great! I like the one knitted skirt I’ve made (though I need to make belt loops for it or redo the waist band, so it doesn’t fall so low on my hips), and I haven’t noticed any issues with sagging or other unflattering stretching. If I make this I know I’ll be extending the length before switching to the lace. Law firms do not equal catch-a-cab skirts!

  30. Jessica Comment Says:

    As I said before, you are one hot mama! The skirt looks great on you–flirty and sexy, but definitely not immodest. Gorgeous, indeed! 😉

  31. Nonnahs Comment Says:

    Too funny! I love that skirt. It’s been in the queue for a long time. One day, I will knit one. Hopefully it will look as good as yours!