Romance is alive and well in the sweet and sexy clothing and
accessory designs you’ll find in Romantic Hand Knits. Exquisite
drape married with figure-hugging silhouettes show off a woman’s
curves in a most ladylike manner, creating flirtatious and
flattering fits to please any knitter. Loosely based on
ultra-feminine styles from fashion history, the designs in
Romantic Hand Knits have an undeniably modern appeal.
• A lace camisole is lengthened and reinvented as a lovely summer
slip dress
• A late-eighteenth-century corset cover inspires the design for
a lacy fitted top with elbow-length sleeves
• Silk stockings favored by Elizabethan ladies of the royal court
return in a sexy and fresh incarnation
With the new fibers available today, knitting guru Annie Modesitt
knits up fabrics that cling delicately to a woman’s body,
creating an elegant hand-tailored look. Now every woman will be
able to create fitted garments that make her look as pretty,
desirable, and sexy as she feels.
For knitters who want to heat things up in a whole new way, the
alluring designs in Romantic Hand Knits will help them light the
fires.
An interview with Annie Modesitt
What’s your philosophy on the “romantic look”?
There is a certain cultural shorthand that implies that
“romantic” means lots of lace, billowy skirts, low-cut bodices,
and a little more leg than usual–sexy with an extra layer. But I
think that, like everything deeply personal, romance has its own
specific look for each person. Romance is not so much about being
desirable to another as it is about reveling in and celebrating
our own hearts’ desires.
In the introduction to Romantic Hand Knits, you say that romance
is about dreams and hope, and how in knitting, as in romance,
much of the joy is in the dream. How has knitting brought romance
into your life?
Knitting allows me to enjoy my time, my imagination and my mind
more than I might without needles and yarn. When my mind is
free–and powerful–the way it feels when I knit, then my soul
soars a little and all of this adds a layer of joy to my life.
Not to put too fine a point on it, this makes me love life, and
love love, in a much deeper way, which in turn makes me more
lovable. Nothing is more attractive than a quiet self confidence,
which is what I get from knitting.
You say in Romantic Hand Knits that the garment that dresses the
top of the body sets the tone for the rest of your ensemble–and
that this is perfectly demonstrated in the piece you’ve named
Ninotchka. Can you elaborate?
It’s hard to get away from the fact that the bust area–being the
most important fit point on most women’s bodies and also being so
near to the face–can send very strong signals. Usually we want
these to be good signals: “this is a woman in control of her life
and her wardrobe,” “I can trust what this woman tells me,” or “I
feel this person is sympathetic and kind.”
In Ninotchka, the well-supported bust area adds strength and
stability to the design, allowing feminine details like the lace
below the bust line and the thin twisted-cord shoulder straps to
relax and soften, not weaken, the message this piece sends.
“Here’s a woman confident in her femininity, but with a strong
foundation.”
Any stories to share from the development of Romantic Hand Knits?
One of my favorite pieces, Streetcar Named Desire, was briefly a
disaster! It was worked up quite beautifully by my knitter, who
then attempted to block the piece. I generally like to block and
finish most of the garments, and I hardly ever wet block, but in
the blocking of this piece an interesting thing occurred.
The fitted, springy little cardigan that I designed began to
drape and hang in unexpected ways. The piece went from Sandra Dee
to Blanche DuBois, and I couldn’t have been happier! It altered
the way that I recommended caring for the piece (machine wash
instead of dry clean), which, quite honestly, is how most folks
want to deal with their clothing.
With the addition of a waist tie, which can be moved to different
eyelet rows to create a high, low, or natural waistline, the
cardigan had an entirely different aspect–a sexier, “floatier,”
more intriguing look.
Is there a particular type of yarn that works best for this look?
Why?
I tried very hard to use a variety of fibers that represent a
wide variety of price points. I do understand that not every
knitter will be able to afford the silk to make Cleopatra, but I
felt it was an important, inspiring piece and had to be included
in a collection of romantic silhouettes. A firm, machine-washable
Egyptian cotton might be a good substitute. One of the most
useful skills to develop as a knitter is the ability to
substitute yarn–this skill can only be honed with experience.
This is why I suggest to new knitters that when they see a ball
of yarn they like, they should get it and swatch it right away.
Don’t wait for the right project to come along. If you swatch a
yarn you love, you may just see that the right project’s been in
front of you all along–perhaps in this book–just waiting for you
to see the true beauty in the fabric knit from your new skein.
Whenever possible I tried to use machine-washable
yarns–especially for the skirts! I know that the idea of a hand
knit skirt can be daunting–we’re all worried about the stretchy
butt-pouch–but knit fabric is resilient and generally bounces
back to its original drape. Machine washing a skirt ensures that
it will return to its original silhouette.
Is there a philosophy or attitude that each book shares? How is
this book different from your other books?
If there’s one philosophy that all of my books share, it’s that
we all have a bit of genius–of brilliance–in each of us, and if
we choose to show it through our knitting, so much the better!
We’re all individuals, so we may do things in unusual or
nonstandard ways, but that doesn’t make us any less legitimate
when we’re knitting (or cooking or sailing).
This book is different in that it focuses specifically on clothes
for women, and clothes that are intended to be flattering and a
little body-conscious at that. My heart is most definitely in
this book, which has been in me for a long time. I’m so happy to
see it out and looking so beautiful!
Do you have a favorite pattern in Romantic Hand Knits, or one
that has a special meaning to you?
I would have to say the cover skirt is very special to me. I’ve
shown that photo to many knitters, and I’ve heard some women say,
“I’d make that skirt, if I had that butt!”
I really want folks to understand that it’s not so much about
having a tiny butt, or the “perfect” butt, as much as it’s about
liking the butt you have. There are a lot of ways to get to this
Zen place, but if you have the greatest looking figure in the
world and you’re not liking it, you may as well wear a sack.
Likewise, if you have a less than perfect shape, but you love all
the amazing things your body can do and have a fondness for your
shape, you’ll look good in an amazing number of things.
Confidence is a terrific butt-lift. Plus, the skirt is designed
to help trick the eye into seeing the derriere in the most
flattering light . . .