Why knitting?

I had always been around knitters (my aunt and my mother) but I didn't really consider doing it myself. I worked for a shop that received knitting magazines and paged through lots of them but none made an impact... until I saw the bikini in the 99 spring/summer issue of Vogue Knitting. My boss showed me how to knit continental style and I got serious for a few years. Serious to the point of waking up early and knitting while sitting in bed before getting ready for work. Now I make a few little things every year as gifts.

Back to the bikini. I never made it. It's not a style I would wear. And you have to sew in a lining - far too much trouble. I never intended to make it; it was the concept that sucked me in. That something sexy or young could be created. I did buy yarn for a Lily Chin bikini/tankini which I might actually wear. Here's the mess it might someday be made of - a handpainted ribbon from Tess's Designer Yarns.

Tess's was having design contests back when they were a young company (yarn sells better when it's shown in samples and with patterns). I bought some gorgeous cultivated silk/wool blend and intended to design something (that was back in my serious phase). I didn't, but did make a lovely tank from that same issue of VK in 99 (my aunt made me yet another from that issue). I don't wear it because it's too short, but when I was rifling through yarn this afternoon I found 1 full ball plus part of another! Just this morning I was counseling a friend who had been asked to make a scarf longer and talking about how many options she has. My knitting to-do list just got longer, but it's a beautiful yarn and top and it will be great to start wearing it! Extra points for being an upcycling project. =)

As time passed, I did eventually make something sexy and I did design a few items myself. Nothing contest worthy, but the sexy a super soft, lacy white lingerie top that was appreciated by the bride-to-be. And I stopped falling for every knitted garment shown with a bikini, and started laughing at them. Check out this long-sleeve wool sweater (shown worn on top of a bikini-clad model of course!).