This is probably my favorite project I've made. The moment I saw the Hue Shift Afghan, I knew that 1) I needed to make it and 2) I wanted to wear it. Figuring out how to make it into a jacket was a fun challenge, and after ~10 months of work, we arrived at the Technicolor Dreamcoat!

The only unfortunate aspect is that because it's so insulating, I can only wear it on the coldest days of the year. However, being in Atlanta, this doesn't give me too many opportunities!

Stylistically, I love the combination of a blazer and shorts. Maybe that's because I grew up listening to AC/DC, but a couple years ago I decided I wanted a set for myself. I thought it'd be interesting to try a busy floral pattern reminiscent of grandma's curtains.

It was probably to my benefit that the pattern was busy, because I made a lot of mistakes. Figuring out the collar and lapel alone probably took me about a month, but eventually I had a functioning blazer and shorts set!

Although I learned to knit as a kid, for a long time I wasn't particularly inspired to make anything. I would typically knit to give my hands something to do, and then at the end of the year I'd donate the completed single-color scarves to a local charity. But in 2020, when I saw photos of this cardigan worn by Harry Styles at a performance, I immediately knew that I wanted to make it.

It was definitely intimidating to jump from simple scarves to a multicolor patchwork sweater, but fortunately there were tutorials on Youtube from other knitters embarking on the same journey. Overall, it was so much fun to make and a huge learning experience.

This sweater takes a lot of inspiration from the really cool knitwear made by independent designer gmmrs . I love the 80s vibe to it, and this was the first project to incorporate intentional shaping to the shoulders (rather than leaving them as rectangles that I sew together). I also learned a lot about how challenging it is to make a neck hole that is snug, but still allows me to easily get my head through. Overall, this project was a lot of fun!

Although most of my knitting projects have been freehanded squares stitched together, I absolutely love the Yolanda Shirt from Cosmaudi and thought it'd be a great project to try and follow instructions for. I think it turned out pretty nice!

I think in the end, this was mostly a lesson in construction and color theory. I was inspired by vintage sweater vests that had a neat cubic design, and thought a brightly colored version could be interesting. The vest generally turned out how I envisioned, but the reality is that the colors I chose and the way they fit together don't really work stylistically. So this is something I don't wear very frequently at all, but it was great practice for a project like the Technicolor Dreamcoat above.