Op Top by Alexis Winslow

Although I'm a die-hard crocheter, every now and then I like to do a knitting project to keep my skills up. Also, in all honesty, the knitting patterns that are out there are way better than most crochet patterns. That's something I seek to change. But in the meantime, I have a deep appreciation for both skills, though crochet will always be first in my heart. I like to stick up for the underdog.

A few months ago I came across an article about the top 10 up-and-coming knitting designers, and most underwhelmed me except one: Alexis Winslow.

This girl has got it going on. Her patterns are intricate without being fussy (unless that's the intention, as with the Miss Myrtle fingerless gloves) and beautifully fresh and modern. Needing a winter hat, I immediately gravitated to the Op Top. I knitted the hat on straight needles and seamed it together rather than working on circular needles, and it came out perfectly. It was my first time doing knitted colorwork (stranding), and it took me a few tries to get it right, but I love the finished product:

Thanks Alexis! I'm a huge fan.

Alexis is also an incredible painter, so if you haven't checked her out yet, I insist that you do so: http://www.knitdarling.com/.

Last Look

The last pieces in the new collection are a little more work-friendly. I wanted to make a structured top with the brown floral from the previous dress, so I started by draping in muslin.

Then I marked the style lines and button placement, adding a 1" button extension:

Then I sewed a sample muslin.

Looks pretty good! Time for the brown floral.

This top is a bit of a departure from my usual aesthetic, but the floral just calls for a sweet, conservative silhouette.

The buttonholer on my machine is broken, so I manually made some buttonholes and sewed on the buttons (don't you love them? Thanks to Lauren for helping me pick them out!):

To complete the look, I whipped up a high waisted pencil skirt from the same brown knit as the jacket and dress:

The finished look:

To be completely candid, I think I prefer the silhouette of this top in muslin as opposed to the brown floral. Looks a bit busy and boxy. What do you think?

Coming soon: more yarncraft! huzzah!