Holly Chayes

Welcome! I'm Holly Chayes.

This online space has been around in one form or another since 2010, it focuses on making, creativity and living a curious life, plus a lot of clothing.

Some of the projects I've worked on in the past 10+ years include...

Talking About Clothes with Holly Chayes

An interview podcast that's all about clothing (and also, not *really* about clothing at all). Find all the details and listen to conversations about comfort, style, change and shopping here. Or search for Talking About Clothes with Holly Chayes wherever you listen to podcasts.

Who Wears Who?

The Self-Made Wardrobe Project

Predecessor to Who Wears Who, a year-long challenge in 2014/2015 where I only wore clothes I made. That year would have been a lot easier if the clothes had magically made themselves. Learn more about The Self-Made Wardrobe Project and explore the archives here.

The Shawl Geometry Book Series

Enough shawl shapes to keep you knitting for a lifetime. A multi-year exploration of math, shape and space in knitting, where I documented traditional shawl shaping, and iterated on those traditions to create new recipes of shawl shaping. Ultimately this lead to 75+ shapes, and 400+ pages of common and uncommon shawl shaping instructions. This project was inspired by a dozen individual shawl designs, each encapsulating a love of geometric lace design. You can find The Shawl Geometry Series here.

Thank you for being here with me. –Holly

1st Shawl of 2013

09 Jan 2013

what's in the works, WIP Wednesdays

This week I’m working on a new shawl design (the 1st one of 2013) using Unplanned Peacock Studio’s yarn. I’m using the 100% superwash merino, in “slate” and “robin’s egg,” and it is beautiful. The yarn is soft, and the colors play beautifully off of each other. I’m using stockinette and lace mesh, combined with a simple ombre stripe sequence to really show off the yarn (and keep the knitting simple.) I did bind off the red shawl on New Years, and I’m hoping to block it soon. Maybe it’ll be my FO this Friday? But that might be pushing it. If you’d like more WIP Wednesday posts, visit Tami’s blog. Related posts Asymmetrical Bluebells Kora One More Shawl? WIP Wednesday: Keeping it all in the Air No related posts.

Asymmetrical Bluebells

08 Jan 2013

Pattern Releases

Asymmetrical Bluebells is now available for purchase as a download, for $6.00 either on Ravelry, or directly through the blog … buy now Worked all in one piece, Asymmetrical Bluebells is a long shallow triangular shawl, with a simple sawtooth edging all along one edge, and a smattering of stylized flower motifs scattered across a garter stitch background. The long triangular shape makes it perfect for draping across the shoulders as a shawl, or wrapping around the neck as a scarf. This shawl begins by casting on 3 stitches at one end, and is then worked side to side, with one increase every 6th row along one edge. Originally knit & shown in handspun, Malabrigo sock (2 skeins) makes a wonderful substitute. Yarn: 750 yards (668 meters), light fingering weight Shown in: handspun; 1 skein, 750 yards (668 meters)/skein, colorway ‘citrus’ Yarn Substitution: Malabrigo Sock; 2 skeins, 440 yards (402...

Inherited Sweater

02 Jan 2013

what's in the works, WIP Wednesdays

I inherited a sweater from a friend who wasn’t going to finish it. This is how much she’s knit. It’s knit on giant needles, with three strands of worsted weight yarn held together. Totally not something I’d cast on. But maybe that means this will be a sweater I finish. I’m thinking I’ll knit the sleeves and then decide what I want to do for the front bands and the collar. At the moment I think I’ve cast on for 7 sweaters. 4 of those have been finished. 1 of the 4 was gifted (and was actually a vest anyway.) 1 got felted (laundry at midnight on no sleep and right before leaving for college is never a good idea.) 2 of them I actually own and wear. If you’d like more WIP Wednesday posts, visit Tami’s blog. No related posts.

Welcome! I'm Holly Chayes.