The Self-Made Wardrobe

The Self-Made Wardrobe is a project where I only wear garments I’ve made.
It’s sort of a year long experiment in getting dressed without clothing labels.

DAY 162 – JANUARY 9th

Versio Sweater
Black Scarf
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Various Rings

How do you guys store your sweaters?

Prior to this wardrobe project, I didn’t knit sweaters, so I didn’t need to have a storage system. My sweaters currently live in half of a drawer in my dresser, there are two problems with this 1) they no longer fit in half of a drawer, and 2) some sweaters end up at the bottom of the drawer, and then I forget about them.

The obvious solution is to rearrange my dresser so the sweaters get a full drawer, however I’m not sure that’s going to prevent sweater amnesia. Anyone have a better way of storing their sweaters, and avoiding sweater amnesia?

DAY 163 – JANUARY 10th

Moonstruck Cardigan
Boring Black Sweater
Black Maxi Skirt with a Slit
Black Tights
Brown Boots

This is one of those sweaters that got stuck at the bottom of my sweater drawer for awhile.

DAY 164 – JANUARY 11th

Hand Knit Sweater Dress
Basic Black Tank
Black Tights
Various Rings

This is the outfit I wear when I don’t have to leave the apartment, and would have preferred staying pjs to getting dressed. Like on Sunday, I spent the day hiding from the cold, knitting, and cutting fabric.

DAY 165 – JANUARY 12th

Not-So-Straightforward Basic Purple Sweater
The First of Many Archers
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Long Spinny Necklace
Various Rings

I added the buttons to my first Archer button up shirt last week, and posted a full post about it yesterday! You can read the saga of the mismatched center fronts.

I love this pattern, and am already working on my second Archer. Though, next time (for my 3rd) I’m not doing a plaid. I love a good plaid, but I want to sew a shirt that involves no pattern matching.

DAY 166 – JANUARY 13th

Deconstructed Black Sweater
Not-So-Straightforward Basic Purple Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Black Maxi Skirt with a Slit
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Various Rings

When I was designing this Not-So-Straighforward Basic Purple Sweater, I wanted a sweater that would work on it’s own, over a shirt, or under another sweater, and I’m delighted to say this sweater does all three wonderfully.

DAY 167 – JANUARY 14th

Not-So-Straightforward Basic Purple Sweater
Black Tank Top
Black Scarf
Khaki Scarf
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Various Rings

And the purple sweater has ended up at the top of my sweater drawer, so I’m wearing it all the time. As for the bi-color scarf, I just took two scarves and twisted them together, I like the contrast against the purple sweater, and love the idea for adding more scarf variety.

DAY 168 – JANUARY 15th

Deconstructed Black Sweater
Basic Black Tank Top
Graphic Silk Circle Skirt
Black Tights
Brown Boots
Pocket Watch Necklace
Various Rings

Surprisingly enough I didn’t freeze when I stepped out the door in this. It’s always a tricky balance between not boiling in my overheated NYC apartment (with heat don’t control), and not being cold the minute I step outside my building, and not freezing when walking around on streets that quickly turn into wind tunnels. A tricky balance indeed.

PS. Rosmerta is now available on Ravelry! Rosmerta is a new shawl pattern that I designed, with a mesh & diamond trellis type pattern. It’s knit using Julie Asselin’s lovely Merletto.

I’ll also have hard copy patterns of it at VKLive in NYC this weekend. I’ll be at the Knitty City Booth (#710) Saturday morning at 11am. If you’re in the NYC area, and planning to go, I hope to see you there!