pattern: moss stitch bow headband

so, first things first this  morning.  congratulations to Clare from Between Laundry Days for winning the crochet bib necklace!  yay!

and today, i have a simple little knit pattern.  this photo was actually taken a while back, but i’m thinking of making everything out of these bows.  necklaces? bow ties?  bracelets?

this bow headband is so simple to make, it doesn’t really warrant the creation of a pattern, but here it is anyway.  i just used the brightest yarn that was laying about the apartment, but pretty much any substitution would work.  and the variations are endless.  for my next one, i’m thinking BIG.  and floppy.

the idea for this knit bow came about after seeing this crochet version and thinking i want to knit it.  and i want it to have texture (i.e. the moss stitch).

Materials
- Worsted weight yarn (I used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solids and Heathers) Less than 1 skein
- US #8 knitting needles
- size G crochet hook

Gauge
18sts and 24 rows = 4”

Notes
Gauge, nor yarn weight is critical for this project.  For a larger or smaller bow, add or decrease cast-on stitches, making sure to keep the total number an odd number.

Seed stitch pattern: K1, *P1, K1.  Repeat from * across.
Repeat for all rows.

PATTERN

Main bow:
Cast on 13 stitches. 
Work in seed stitch until work measures 5.5 inches.
Bind off in pattern. 

Loop:
cast on 5 stitches.
Work in seed stitch until work measures 3 inches.
Bind off in pattern. 

Headband:
Using crochet hook, chain stitch 3 ropes about 20 inches long (or size to fit around your head).

Piecing it together:
To make the bow, wrap the loop around the center of the main bow and stitch it together on the backside.  Run the 3 crochet chains through the back of the loop and join to the beginning of the chains.

noel vallens: going wild and bright

one afternoon i was itching to make something, but i wanted it to be done very quickly, i.e. in just a few hours.  so, i went over to the fabric store and picked out a bright fabric that matched my blue nails and carried it home.

what came of it was the multi-purpose skirt/scarf/party dress that can be transformed, looped, and molded into pretty much any garment you want.  and it’s super easy to make.

the most functional is probably this double layer full skirt, held up by a belt + a decorative belt on top to make it look pretty.  it’s not exactly….slimming…with all of that fabric and so many belts, but it works.

here’s the full tutorial for the cirlce scarf/skirt.

and…i’m also wearing my new cat necklace!  this beauty started out as a belt buckle (hence it’s gigantic size and substantial weight) but not having an appropriate belt to pair it with, i strung it up as a necklace.  and you’ll also note that it is double-cat day with the leopard ring.  usually i have to sneak out of the house before rick can check me for wearing too many cat accessories.

self-designed circle skirt, f21 tank, cat buckle as a necklace, seychelles heels

noel vallens: don't come round and speak to me of yarn

over the past week, i’ve been diy-ing up a storm.  joelle and i are treating it as a sort of craft training/warm-up for the upcoming weardrobe conference that we’ve been invited to.  speaking of which, we are super excited and can’t wait!

anyway, back to my d.i.y.  so, this isn’t necessarily related to fashion, but you’ve got to surround yourself with pretty things, right?  this time, i focused on my bathroom.  rick and i were throwing out an old comforter, which sat beside the door for a week because i couldn’t bear throwing out yards and yards of perfectly good fabric.  maybe we didn’t want it on our bed anymore, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t too good for our bathroom floor.

using a tutorial from cocoknits, i was able to create this…

out of this pile of a comforter….

you can make ‘yarn’ out of any sheet, comforter or big pieces of fabric that you have laying around.  (or maybe your old t-shirts??) and the finished product is so thick and sturdy.  it’d be fun to make a structural skirt out of this material.

here’s the full tutorial on how to make the yarn.

for some reason, i seem to have some sort of obsession with making (and completing!) bath mats and bath robes. this is a hand knit bathrobe that took me over a year to make.

it’s so lovely and cozy.  this is pretty much what i live in at home.  the pattern is from a book by swimwear designer ashley paige…which includes adorable knit swimsuits and fuzzy rompers.  maybe one day i’ll debut my hot pink knit bikini….

in any case, my bathroom isn’t totally covered in knit…yet.  at least i don’t have a lime green crocheted toilet paper cover…….

hand knit bathrobe (by me) from ashley paige knitting book

noel vallens: pour myself a cup of ambition

whenever i come in to work every day, no matter how modern and 2009-y the furniture…this is all i see.  computers are replaced by clicky typewriters, phones have dials instead of buttons, and the concept of internet sounds like something bewitching and magical.

so, naturally in order to fit in with the decor, the appropriate secretary dress is necessary.  of course, this isn’t the first time i’ve professed my love (obsession?) with secretary attire.

just ask joelle.  she has to work with me everyday.  and this is pretty much what we do.

we smoke cigarettes while we chat on the phone, give each other catty looks, and drink martinis on our lunch break.

this dress was a find during a thrift store shopping trip during one of my visits to home to savannah.  the color is a wee bit mustard-y for my skin color, and i’m just waiting for joelle to steal it away (she’s somewhat addicted to mustard yellow and sea foam green).  but the detailing on the shoulders and collar are perfect!

vintage dress, seychelles platform heels

noel vallens: country clubbing

wearing clothes during the hot humid summer is sometimes unbearable and all you want is something that floats around you.  something akin to joelle’s pirate shirt.

this dress is so sheer and flowy, it’s perfect for summer. see, it literally floats.  the weightlessness of the dress is offset by the solid, chunky platforms.  (please disregard the awkward one-legged-shin-growing-out-of-my-knee thing going on).

i love how the skirt pleats don’t stop at the waist and just keep going up to the collar.  the belt is a bit matchy for the dress, so i’ll probably try experimenting with others in the future.  another plus about this dress…i’m so prepared for that next country club event that i’m invited to.

vintage dress, seychelles platform heels

noel vallens: on a midnight train

at long last, after being m.i.a. for a very long time, i’m finally back! joelle has been holding down the fashion fort from denver, and before i went out to rescue her, i was traipsing up and down the east coast, all the way from providence to savannah.

while visiting savannah, we headed to the salty marshes of south carolina, climbed aboard a catamaran and set sail into the sea.

lounging aboard the catamaran (i like to call it a yacht) and sipping champagne, one must be fully dressed for the occassion. unfortunately the fashion photos did not make it back to dry land, but i’ll do my best to re-create it for you.

decked in a luxurious (cotton) floor length dress, the long skirt kept the sun away (for the most part) during the day, and the chilly wind at bay for the ride home. the print on the skirt reminds me of something that belongs in barcelona.

and of course, it’s paired with gold jewelry and golden sandals because that’s what one wears while on a boat.

after docking in quiet little southern town and feasting by the water, we headed back to dry land at sunset.

f21 dress, vintage bangles, urban outfitters sandals

in the desert you can't remember your name

after a week of work in denver, i began to feel very homesick for nyc. so noel threw on her best driving outfit, hopped in her 1979 pickup truck, and went out on the road to rescue me.

horror of horrors, it turns out we were wearing the same uniqlo tee-shirt dress when she arrived. wanting to make a quick escape back to the east coast, there was no time for a costume change. luckily, these dresses can be accessorized in a million different ways, so if you accidentally end up in an identical outfit with your blogging partner, it’s not the end of the world.

our cross-country trip was magical for awhile- our forearms are sunburnt from hanging out the truck windows, and our hair is knotted from the wind blowing through it as we sped down the highway.

but the party didn’t last forever. we ran out of gas in the Great Ohio Desert. we are stranded here with nothing to do but photograph ourselves and long for a cold bottle of Coke.

noel’s footwear is mesmerizing to me. they are custom-made cowboy boots that fit her feet perfectly (hence i’m not allowed to borrow them). the stitching detail is incredible. one of the many benefits of being from the south! my fringe shoes are prada- an ebay score for around 30 bones. i guess suede fringe shoes aren’t all that in demand.

here’s a close-up of noel’s vintage cheetah belt. if she’s the first of us to faint from dehydration and/or heat stroke, i’m so taking this.

my elephant pendant came from the craft store, and the tusk pendant is from etsy.

my hands, as you can see, are dry and wrinkly from being out in this sweltering, god-forsaken man-made desert for so long. these are the rings i wear every day. the turquoise one to the left is from the thrift store in my college town. the cameo is an antique- a christmas gift from my parents last year. i love it because i don’t often see all-white cameos, and up close, you can see little hints of pink and cream in the shell. on my ring finger is one vintage opal ring, and another opal that was a gift from my mom- we designed it together. finally, on my pinkie finger, is a shamrock ring that my grandma gave me when i was 7. there hasn’t been a day since that i haven’t worn it.

well, dear readers, i hope you enjoy today’s outfits. we might be wearing them for a very long time. please, if you are anywhere near the G.O.D. with a spare canister of gasoline, try your hardest to find us. noel is attempting to signal by reflecting the sun off of her belt buckle. i just pray you find us before the coyotes do.

noel: uniqlo tee shirt dress, vintage belt, custom-made cowboy boots

joelle: uniqlo tee shirt dress, prada shoes, etsy tusk necklace, elephant pendant, the usual rings

noel vallens: the time of our lives

while taking a little stroll today in bowling green park, joelle and i had a bit of a senior portrait moment.  with the tall trees and green grass…plus i’m feeling very school-girlish.

this dress was a great find at a local brooklyn neighborhood sale last year.  i’m pretty sure it’s handmade because the fit has some…quirks.  i tried on many of the seller’s dresses, which were utterly adorable on the hanger, only to find the armholes quite a bit too high on most of them.  i found that quirk out a bit too late as i was trying one on (in the open parking lot in front of all of my entire neighborhood) when i became stuck.  dress halfway on, head covered, arms out like a scarecrow in the tiny, tiny armholes, i started to panic and run (blindly) to find someone to get me out of the dress.  i made it home intact though, with only this one dress, the only one with acceptable armholes.

this necklace here is a very tiny d.i.y. project.  after seeing judy’s claw necklace on atlantishome, i found some etsy claw trinkets and strung up this necklace.

and a cutesy dress calls for cutesy white cutout flats.

oh, and i should mention that i was featured this week over at burdastyle.  check out the interview.  thanks, burdastyle!

thrifted dress and flats, self-made claw necklace

will you be here tomorrow?

sometimes, when joelle and i hang out in abandoned buildings in brooklyn it’s not all about fun and games and jumping.  we are very serious here.

sometimes, we hang out in front of window sills.

other times, we hang out in window sills with our hands in our pockets, enjoying the day.  totally normal behavior, guys.

joelle prefers hanging out on lofty fire escapes.

while noel tells rick, nobody puts baby in a corner.  rick only replies, stop looking so ‘jc penny’.

a skirt pocket detail that i’d only love to know how to make.

a one-of-a-kind  joelle-made necklace that i managed to swipe from her collection and sneak a photo of.

joelle’s outfit: i got this shirt in my college town, and i think i wore it almost every day for a few years. i like wearing colors that sort of blend in with my skin. the skirt is one of those things i was hesitant to buy, but turned into one of my most frequently worn items. it’s part of my weekend uniform- the pockets are great for carrying around snacks, and the pleats hide any stomach expansion resulting from said snacks.

vintage slip shirt, uniqlo skirt, delman shoes, vintage jewelry

noel’s outfit: the skirt was a purchase on a somewhat recent thrift store outing that joelle and i made.  the details around the pockets and waistband are so perfect.  and the longer hemline is something i’m trying to work into my wardrobe, as it’s not usually a length that i’d wear.  my top is just a layering of slips and linings from other dresses.

thrifted skirt, black slip under a beige slip, aldo maune shoes, joelle’s handmade elephant necklace

(note from joelle: actually the elephant pendant was bought at the craft store and put on an old chain… but in my world that most def counts as DIY!)

noel vallens: yacht rock

last week, in the midst of all of the rainy days the sun came out just for a bit and joelle and i snuck out of work to enjoy it.  you can’t tell it, but we’re on a pier (of sorts) overlooking the hudson river…so obviously my outfit is very appropriate.

yeah, i know, i’m wearing tennis shoes on a fashion blog.  but they’re cute little shaolin kung fu shoes, and they match my resort-wear. the shoes were a gift from ms. libby s. butterfield.  they’re super adorable, AND comfortable.

H&M tank and pants, feiyue kung fu sneakers, melie bianco bag