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

Zodiac le Plume

09 Apr 2011

Pattern Releases, Playing Catch Up

July 12, 2012 update: “Zodiac le Plume” was originally part of The Sanguine Gryphon’s Spring 2011 pattern collection, and is now available directly from the designer (me!). The pattern is now available for purchase as a download for $8.00, either on Ravelry, or directly through the blog … buy now I mentioned Zodiac le Plume in my last post a couple of days ago, but I’ve got a handful of free minutes again today, so I figured I’d better do a proper post now before something else comes along and eats up all of my time. I’m also trying something knew, so all of the pattern details (yarn, needles, gauge, etc) are listed at the bottom of this post instead of on the Original Designs page. Swirls and curls created by little pin pricks of light floating across a solid field, flit and flutter, combining and intertwining to give the...

Playing Catch Up… Again

07 Apr 2011

Pattern Releases, Playing Catch Up

I’ve been wading my way through to-do list after to-do list, and I’m not sure when it’s going to end, so this is just a quick check in. First off, there’s been a pattern release, (actually two, but I already posted about Gothic Spires). Zodiac le Plume was published as part of the Sanguine Gryphon’s Spring 2011 line. Inspired by the curves and twists that characterize the Art Nouveau movement, Zodiac le Plume is a crescent shaped shawl worked all in one piece from neck to hem. The pattern is both written and charted, and can be purchased for download through the Sanguine Gryphon. Image copyright The Sanguine Gryphon. Now, what’s on my needles? (that isn’t a secret….) I posted about this on twitter a while ago while I spent an evening fighting with the chart, and ripping, reknitting, ripping, reknitting, ripping, reknitting. But once I got the chart straightened...

Gothic Spires

26 Mar 2011

Pattern Releases

Gothic Spires is now available for purchase as a download, for $4.00 either on Ravelry, or directly through the blog … buy now Knit in two pieces and grafted at the back of the neck or knit all in one, this scarf was inspired by the majestic arches, elongated columns, and towering spires that characterize Gothic architecture. This piece can help lend a touch more elegance to just about any day or night. Yarn: 450 yards (411m) of Dream in Color Smooshy or another light fingering weight yarn Needles: 1 set of US size 4 (3.5mm) straight needles, though circulars could be used as well Notions: tapestry or yarn needle; waste yarn or spare knitting needle Gauge: 7sts/inch; 9.5 rows/inch on US size 4s, flat, in stockinette stitch Size: 7″(18cm)x 98″(249cm) Skills Used: cable cast on binding off or grafting knitting and purling k2tog sl1-k2tog-psso ssk yarn over weaving in...

Welcome! I'm Holly Chayes.