Knitting!

[Avant Garde]

(yahoo news)

Knit Wit: Suss Design Opens NYC Outpost Carol Lee Kim
Tue Oct 18,10:39 AM ET

Fashion Wire Daily - New York - Knitwear has come a long way since Grandma's handmade booties and chunky Christmas sweaters, as a visit to the new Suss Design – NY store in Soho will prove. From its collection of ultra-hip hand-loomed clothes to the boutique's 1,600 square foot modern Japanese interior, the Suss boutique and its offerings is the perfect blend of old world tradition and contemporary fashion. Grab a wicker basket (to carry your purchases) and fill it with a plush tangerine scarf, a delicate chocolate brown tunic or stock up on some colorful bundles of custom-dyed yarns neatly stacked along the walls and make something yourself.

At Suss Design - NY, you have the freedom to shop, create and customize. This hands-on boutique is the vision of head designer and company owner, Suss Cousins. Born in Sweden, Suss' passion for knitting led her to open her first boutique, Thanks, in Stockholm at the young age of 19. Since moving to LA in 1991 with actor hubby Brian Cousins and daughter Hanna, Suss' coveted collection of hand-loomed sweaters, scarves and hats have evolved into a full-blown knitwear company offering clothes for infants, men and women as well as home goods and accessories.

"The original Suss Design store is on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles," said Suss. "But I wanted to open a store in New York because this was where I first settled when I moved to the United States - opening this store was like having my life's passion come full circle."

Despite producing hundreds of styles each year, designer Suss is adamant about maintaining each garment's originality. "Everything is manufactured in LA by a group of 30 workers who manually operate the looms," she said. "So everything is still one-of-a kind and not just mass-produced by machines."

Originality is also a key ingredient when it comes to designing her collections.

"I do follow some of the major fashion trends, but I always stick to my own unique trends," Suss told FWD. Sticking to her own style rules is a smart decision considering the fact that Suss' creations have been featured in major motion pictures like "The Matrix 2" and "3" and "The Grinch" to Hollywood starlets themselves such as Uma Thurman and Sandra Bullock.

Customers can also get in on the fun by signing up for one of the many knitting and needlepoint classes offered by Suss boutique (call the store for more information). Instructional DVD's, Knit Kits, Knitting needles and even Knitter's Hand Cream are also available by Suss Design.

Suss Design - NY is located on 281 Lafayette Street between Houston and Prince. Check out www.sussdesign.com for more information.

 

[mlsnts]

I'm currently making a simple cardigan and it's driving me CRAZY!
I've only been doing scarves so I had no idea when I first read the patterns.. k1,p1, loop, etc..... so confusing.lol..

 

[Elegance.Is.Refusal.]

i really wana get knitting but im too lazy to go and buy the wool!

 

[Amy Louise]

(yahoo news)
From its collection of ultra-hip hand-loomed clothes to the boutique's 1,600 square foot modern Japanese interior, the Suss boutique and its offerings is the perfect blend of old world tradition and contemporary fashion.

Thanks for the article and link. Am I the only one, or do you get why some of these people become celebrity knitters?? I looked at the clothes patterns, and I don't think they're anything special at all. Take a look at Vogue Knitting or any other knitting magazine, and see amazing knitting talent and originality that exists in the knitting world. But those designers struggle along sending designs to publications, giving classes at knitting venues, etc. while some other (I guess more aggressive personalities) just seem to know how to promote themselves to be able to afford to open snazzy boutiques. They amazingly have connections and know how to reach celebrities and lure them to shop--so the boutique owners become know as designers and they become famous.

Do you think these designs are outstanding? I think they are very basic, functional and, to me, they are totally UNinspiring examples of ordinary knitware design. The shop itself looks lovely and probably great for supplies--just don't like the garments. Wish I had "The Wear-with-All" to open a brick & mortar boutique with my knits and etc. and have them get seen and purchased by celebrities. (Just a little personal joke since my company is named The Wear-with-All. )
Amy

 

[shoegirl]

Hi,

I also do a lot of knitted items.

thanks

 

[ebyokuri]

for my two sisters for christmas, i'd like to make each one of them this....(we handmake our gifts instead of buying them). i already know how to knit so i'm looking for a pattern or ideas on how to make this. I won't make it as complicated but i want the general shape.

this is from the urban outfitters site

 

[Amy Louise]

This bag looks like it's a modified "U" shape with the top sections that go over the "handles" elongated.
Amy

 

[ebyokuri]

This bag looks like it's a modified "U" shape with the top sections that go over the "handles" elongated.
Amy

thanks amy. i don't know why i didn't see that before. i'm going to try and make it either knitting one whole piece for the entire purse and sew the sides together or make also the sides and sew it all together.

btw amy, i live in sacramento, a stones throw away from roseville....

 

[Amy Louise]

That bag is super-looking. Have you decided on a yarn and color? It looks like a raffia-inspired yarn would be a good choice or a knitted type cording. I think it would be a good idea to line it inside so small items don't fall out through the holes--and also to protect the fiber of the yarn from getting damaged from use.

Another idea I had for knitting it is possibly working it in the round and separating the sections when you get to the handle area by binding off some stitches and joining a second ball of yarn.

Since you're close to Roseville, I'd like to invite you to come meet me and say hi in person this Saturday. This is the first year I'm participating in the popular City of Roseville Annual Holiday Craft Fair from 9 till 4:30. It's at The Maidu Community Center at Rocky Ridge up from Douglas (or down from Cirby). I'm going to have a double-space booth set up with my handcrafted jewelry, original knit designs, small art objects, etc. (have many craft outlets!) on display/for sale. If you'd like to come by and say hi in person, I'll be set up in the Senior Meeting Room (the place is fairly large, with several rooms and about 100 vendors, that's why I'm giving you the details).

Want to share that I had some (much appreciated/much needed) great news this past week. I was invited to place my knits, jewelry and other items for sale in a great boutique in Lincoln. They've already sold some items, including a knit ensemble. (Me doing the Dance of Joy!) Another customer wore a light purple mohair bolero, which I designed and knitted up, in a fashion show held in the center of Lincoln two weeks ago (I think it might be showing in this forum several pages back--can't remember if I posted a photo of it). She said she wanted to buy it through the boutique but then, after several days of waiting, I found out today she had decided it was too expensive--that was a bit of a letdown. However, a skirt I had sewn sold instead--so that kind of made up for the disappointment.

Hope you (or anyone else in this forum who lives nearby) will decide to come by the show and say hi. Be sure to introduce yourself!
Best,
Amy

 

[Amy Louise]

Does Anyone Know What This Means??

I noticed that this is showing up under my signature:

Warn: (0%)

Does anyone know what this means and what I did to deserve it??
Amy

 

[ebyokuri]

hey amy, i'll try to make it out there, as long as i'm not working....i'd love to see some of your creations! i'll be coming with my more crafty sister so just don't mention the purse, one of them is for her.

i never thought of knitting the purse on the round. that will be much easier i think. any suggestions on what size needle i should use?

as for yarn, urban outfitters used acrylic i guess because it's a bit studier/cheaper. I was going to do a green or dark brown. probably a green for one sister, dark brown for the other. i'm still thinking about the yarn.
if i could find leather cording thick enough and pliable enough to knit with, i'd love to do that so the purse lasted...

 

[Amy Louise]

Great!! I'll look forward to meeting you if you can make it. I'll try not to put my big foot in my mouth and mention the purses--I hope you won't be furious if I screw up and blurt something out... My adrenaline will be pumping from the excitement of working the show that day.

Your needle would depend on the yarn, of course, but I'm thinking you'd want something kind of sturdy so maybe a size 7 or 8. Have you considered Berrocco Suede yarn? Here's the link: http://www.berroco.com

The suede is showing right on the Home Page, but click on the yarn boutique to view the colors. If you can afford it (not sure of price, but you can do some browsing online), I think that would be an ideal choice affording a sort of rugged/attractive look needed for a bag of this design. They have some new tri-color mixes or solids in a real variety of colors.

If your sisters wear jeans often, perhaps a denim blue shade would be a good choice. I also love black, but that's just me... Brown is a great neutral. Green is also favorite color of mine, so I wear it often. I think the key is to match the color to your sisters' wardrobes so they get the maximum usage.

It almost looks like they've sewn belt webbing fabric on either side and stitched it down in contrast thread--perhaps to strengthen it. If you sew, you can find webbing in a few basic colors at the fabric store.

You really think you can get 2 done in 3 weeks??? There will be some trial and error since you've got to invent the pattern as you go. Maybe you should splurge and buy one for yourself then copy the basic shaping and whatever when you design the other two.

It will be fun to meet. I'll look forward to it and hope you'll be able to make it on Saturday. Amy

 

[ebyokuri]

thanks for the info amy. i found the yarn online and i think i'm going to check out rumplestilskin tomorrow. they are pricey but sometimes they have yarn on sale. I really wish ben franklin was still open. they had the best yarn and were supercheap. the closest one now is an hour away.

as for whether i can finish making the purses in time, i have a secret weapon, a knitting machine i'll probably end up using it to get done faster. i also noticed the belt webbing sewn on the purses. i'll have to do some searching for it since i don't recall seeing it in various colors at the fabric store. i'll figure it out.

thanks once again and hopefully i'll see you saturday!

 

[Amy Louise]

If you're coming this way, if you start on San Juan Blvd at Winding Way, you'll find (Babetta's yarn shop (I haven't been to this one yet), Joann's for webbing one block from Greenback & San Juan.

If you keep riding down San Juan, it turns into Auburn Blvd, and you'll see Hancock's fabrics, which I know has webbing in white, black, red, blue and beige ( I think--not sure if there are other choices, but I seem to recall seeing these basics) plus they also have Lion Brand yarns, and since it's holiday time, they're probably on sale.

Finally, just past Hancock's shopping center, there's a new yarn shop called The Frog Pond which you might like to check out.

I have 2 knitting machines--unfortunately, neither is electronic, so I really dislike using them since I find hand-manipulated stitches a real pain. What type machine do you have? I wonder if anyone else on this list has knitting machines they use. I only use mine for the most basic stockinette--I don't like looking at my backwards.
Amy

 

[ebyokuri]

i'll have to check out those stores! i'm at joanns all the time but i rarely go to the hancock by my house because they don't have much of a selection...

as for the knitting machine, i have an old school bond that i love to use. i also hate looking at my stitching backwards so i'm constantly under the table to exam my handiwork. i've learnt to manipulate different types of stiches on it so i'm satisfied. if i want fancy stitches, i knit by hand. my sister has some electronic one but i haven't seen her pull it out yet. i know it's somewhere....

 

[Amy Louise]

I've got 2 manual machines: Brother 400KH and Studio LK150. A former friend/knitting guild member convinced me to buy the Studio first. I bought it second hand, and it never worked quite right from day 1. I think it got slightly bent in the shipping.

What I really wanted back then was the Passap, a machine that I could set and let the darn thing knit all by itself without me trying to figure out how to work the thing. I'm sorry I ever listened to my friend. Back then, my folks had offered to buy a machine I picked out... The offer expired on its own after I did research on which machine to get and didn't pursue it actively enough. Then I bought the inexpensive, not-working-properly Studio on my friend's recommendation. She kept telling me, "You'll take to it like a duck to water." Well that never happened bec. it never worked quite right and would jam all the time, and I'd get totally fed up. It was so disappointing. Now I can't afford the ultimate machine(s) of my dreams. I'd need one for lace weight and one for bulky since I've got the 2 standard gauges. UGH!

My passion lies in designing, not so much the actual knitting, although I would continue to forever have a project in my lap. In my dreams, I'd be happy to design and have a staff of knitters or, better yet, design and have some manufacturer producing them. I wish someone else would market my products. Maybe someone with connections will walk into the boutique and "discover" me as I'm not aggressive enough to pursue everything on my own.

Perhaps your sister will one day decide she has no intention of ever opening that box...and then you'll think of me (lusting for a bigger/better machine) as a potential buyer.

Do you have Susan Gaugliumi's book and/or video on hand-manipulated stitches?
Amy

 

[ebyokuri]

my sister has heard of that book but we don't own it, yet. do you have a copy? is it worth it?

 

[Amy Louise]

It's out of print, but you can find it if you search the net. You might even be able to see some of the inside on Amazon if someone is selling it there. Both the video and the book are excellent references. I discovered fast I really dislike hand-manipulating stitches--but I'm still glad I own both for occasional instances when I decide to deal with the process.
Amy

 

[polly]

This thread inspired me to learn to knit! Everyone made such great things!

 

[ollsrayk]

I don't like knitting but I love knitwear!